Under the aegis of Svarnim Puducherry, Sri Aurobindo Society has taken the initiative to launch the project “Our Responsibility to Children” (ORC) in government schools of Puducherry; and for the current academic year, SAS has taken up five schools. One of these five schools is Bharathi Government Higher Secondary School, which is a rural “Boys Only” school located in the Bahour Commune of Puducherry.

As part of ORC, on the afternoon of November 27, 2018, SAS/ORC visited Bharathi Government Higher Secondary School, Bahour, Puducherry, to conduct a workshop on “Personality Development, Career Guidance and Counseling” for its 11th and 12th standard students. From the school, 169 students participated in the workshop and the sessions were handled by Dr. F. Jayachandran, Research Associate, Dr. P.R. Vinothkumar, Coordinator-ORC, and Ms. Yuvarani, Research Associate from Sri Aurobindo Society, Puducherry.

Earlier, the school’s Vice Principal Dr. M.Vettrivel gave the welcome address, and Principal, Dr. Garima, presented the inaugural address. The sessions were continued with interactions and queries which were handled by the ORC team, which included discussions on the self, the purpose of education, one’s desires, dreams, passions, and motivations. Students were explained how important their dreams and desires were for developing their personality. It was suggested that they need to have a passion in their life. Students were also given tips on how to increase their self-esteem and to be optimistic and to have a positive approach towards everything in life. Most importantly, it was emphasized that they should love themselves and never lose confidence. Students were informed about the availability of scholarships for higher studies in the current scenario. To sum up, it was a well-thought-out workshop of motivating the students to discover themselves. The vote of thanks was proposed by Vice Principal, Dr. M.Vettrivel.