LU & CSJMU ink pact with govt for child, women empowerment

Lucknow: In a significant step towards empowering women and child development , the University of Lucknow and Chhatrapati Shahu Ji Maharaj University , Kanpur, signed an agreement with the department of women and child development, govt of Uttar Pradesh.

The MoU was signed at the Judicial Training and Research Institute, Lucknow, by LU's officiating vice-chancellor Prof Manuka Khanna, CSMU vice-chancellor Prof Vinay Pathak, and the department of women and child development director, Sandeep Kaur.

Under the MoU, students from the departments of social work, sociology, psychology, and law will engage with child care institutions (CCIs) through fieldwork, internships, research projects, and social impact audits.

Faculty members and research scholars will collaborate on capacity-building activities, training programmes, and awareness campaigns, with a particular focus on the Juvenile Justice Act, the POCSO Act, and child rights. The agreement aims to provide educational, cultural, health, and life-skills development support to children residing in CCIs.

The MoU also seeks to offer practical learning opportunities to university students through training, internships, and research, while instilling in them a sense of responsible citizenship. It further aims to strengthen departmental programmes and schemes with academic and research support from the universities, fostering personality development, leadership, and employability skills among both children and students.

CCIs will provide field exposure and cooperation, enabling students to gain real-world experience while ensuring that recommendations from research and audits are effectively implemented. The collaboration is expected to enhance students' academic quality and social understanding, while also improving transparency and accountability in child protection and welfare.

Prof Pathak said, "This partnership is poised to bring transformative change in the lives of vulnerable children and stands as an inspiring model of how higher education can connect with society." "This initiative reinforces the University of Lucknow's vision of integrating academic excellence with community engagement, " said LU spokesperson Durgesh Srivastava.