Kota’s senior citizens discuss welfare of students in city

As part of its ‘Diwali Milan’ ceremony, Allen Student Welfare Society arranged a talk show for senior citizens of over a dozen societies in Kota city. The discussion on ‘Role of citizens in ensuring a clean image of Kota’ called on the owners and landlords of rented accommodations and hostels to provide a family-like environment to the coaching students in Kota city.

Speakers at the show impressed on the participants about how to involve themselves in ensuring a good life for the students staying in Kota for coaching. Naveen Maheshwari, director, Allen Career Institute, said that Kota has been developing through the presence of students and the trust their parents have placed in the people of Kota. “We have to ensure a clean image of Kota in the field of education,” he said. He continued that since students spend nearly 18 hours a day out of their classrooms, and at their residences, the residence owners and wardens must care for the students just like parents. P. B. Saxena, Sr. HOD, Allen Career Institute, said that students need family-like affection since they are studying away from their homes.

Kota Corporator Gopal Ram Manda said that everyone in Kota should take responsibility for the students – and everyone from street vendors to industrialists was attached to the students. A former industrial officer, RPS Chauhan, said that house owners should be in touch with the students’ parents and inform them if the students were in any trouble or were facing any issues. He also called on the development committees of the local housing colonies to appoint security guards for public parks.

Some senior citizens requested that owners should interact with the students living in their establishments daily, so that students don’t feel homesick or lonely. They also raised a need to provide good, filtered water at the hostels for the students.