[Reader-list] Invitation on the launch of Telephone Helpline, web-portal and Mentorship Programme for Dalit and Adivasi students. ( 27th May)

[anoop kumar]

Insight Foundation, a group of students and young professionals, is pleased
to invite you for a small get-together on the occasion of the launches of
its telephone helpline for Dalit and Adivasi students in higher education, a
Dalit and Adivasi student portal and Mentorship programme.



Insight Foundation will also like to use this opportunity to screen a
documentary produced by some of its members on caste discrimination
prevalent in one of the premier institutions of the country.



We cordially invite you to participate on this occasion –



*Date* – 27th May 2010



*Time* - 11.30 am



*Venue* - Insight Foundation, 125, First Floor, Shahpur Jat, Near Sirifort
Auditorium, New Delhi – 49,  Phone – 011 46695837

* *

*1.      **Telephone Helpline (0-9999 48 42 49)*

Insight Foundation is going to run a telephone helpline for Dalit and
Adivasi students with the main focus of supporting the students to make
informed choices while pursuing higher education and in career
opportunities. This is an attempt to reach to our students at national
level, from small towns and villages, first generation literates and those
who are not able to access internet.



One of the key focuses of helpline will also be to cater to first year
college/university students and to support them by linking with faculty
members and senior Dalit and Adivasi students.Our helpline will also try to
counsel our students on the cases of caste discrimination and prejudices
faced by them in campuses.Initially our helpline will be open from *Monday
to Friday (from 10 am- 1pm*). Our students can even send their queries
through SMS on our Helpline mobile number.

* *

*2.      **Dalit and Adivasi Students Portal (www.scststudents.org)* is an
attempt by Insight Foundation to create an e-resource centre for Dalit and
Adivasi students in Higher education. *DASP* includes online discussion
group, online mentoring for Dalit and Adivasi students, providing relevant
information about admissions, scholarships, career opportunities and also a
space for advocating intervention at policy levels for equal opportunities
in higher education.



*3.      **Mentorship Programme*

Through this programme we are trying to facilitate a process of bringing
together Dalit and Adivasi faculty members, professionals and senior
students from major universities and colleges to support our students and
provide mentorship on issues such as coping with the campus environment,
academic guidance, orientation and career counseling.



We are starting this programme by creating profiles of about 100 faculty
members, students and professionals on our Dalit and Adivasi student portal
(www.scststudents.org). Our students can choose their mentors according to
their specializations and Insight Foundation will play the role of
facilitating the communication between both.



*4.      **The death of Merit (a documentary)*

‘The death of Merit’ is a documentary based on the testimonies of the family
members of Bal Mukund Bharti, a final year medical student from AIIMS (New
Delhi) who committed suicide on 3rd March 2010. All India Institute of
Medical Sciences (AIIMS) is considered to be one of the most premier
institutions of the country. The documentary is an effort to understand
about the travails faced by Dalit students in spaces of higher education
which are supposed to be egalitarian but continue to display
caste-prejudices.


On the same day we are also launching our organization’s website
www.insightfoundation.in to provide information on the vision, objectives
and activities of our organization.Please also visit our media portal
http://roundtableindia.co.in, an initiative of our group members towards
creating an alternative media space.