Pilani Resource Center for Local Community Development, conceived and executed by BITS Alumni Trust, was inaugurated on Saturday, 21st April 2012 in the presence of Vice Chancellor Prof B N Jain, Advisor to the Chancellor, Mr Kris Ramachandran, Director of Pilani campus Prof G Raghurama, Director of CEERI, Dr Chandrashekhar, Directors of other BITS campuses, Prof R K Mittal (Dubai), Prof K E Raman (Goa) and Prof V S Rao (Hyderabad), a large number of distinguished alumni members and representatives of partnering organizations namely, Pratham, HarVa, Nirmaan, and Helpage India. Activities of the Center which is located in Gyan Vihar (behind the Vidya Vihar campus) include :
- -Gyan Bodh – Classroom supplementary teaching for underprivileged children in partnership with Nirmaan;
- -Vocational training for youth in partnership with Pratham;
- -Senior citizen’s physio and age care in partnership with Helpage India;
- -Digital Hut program in partnership with HarVa, to educate and employ rural youth in technical jobs;
- -Activity center and community library for underprivileged children in partnership with Nirmaan;
- -Space and infrastructure for self help group projects as and when they are initiated.
A specially designed building with over 17000 sft area was built at a cost of Rs 2 crores with funds raised by Pratham and over 150 alumni members while the land was provided by BITS Housing Kalyan Samiti. The new building houses classrooms, training workshops, computer labs, library, pantry, toilets, staff quarters, guest rooms and multipurpose halls. Vice Chancellor Prof B N Jain, who inaugurated the Center, in his speech, expressed the hope that the center would provide a platform for the alumni to come together and craft ideas that would shape a bright future for the local community. Speaking on the occasion, Director of BITS Pilani campus, Prof G Raghurama said, “ there is something in Pilani which attracts the people and alumni long after they leave the place. A lot of work could be taken up at the center with the passion for community service ”. On behalf of the Institute, Prof Raghurama assured all support to the center. Director of the Dubai campus, Prof R K Mittal said that while a dream had been fulfilled with the inauguration of the resource center, we need to work for a “Desert Valley” near Pilani on the lines of Silicon Valley near Stanford in the US.