ABVP celebrates foundation day with blood donation, plantation drives

New Delhi, Jul 9 (PTI) The Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) on Thursday celebrated National Students' Day and its 78th foundation day by organising seminars, blood donation camps, tree plantation drives, cleanliness campaigns and other programmes across the country. According to a statement issued by the ABVP, a student wing of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), the celebrations also included youth interactions, counselling sessions, essay and debate competitions, cultural programmes and intellectual discussions, it said. "The celebrations included seminars, youth interactions, community service initiatives, blood donation camps, tree plantation drives, cleanliness campaigns, counselling sessions, essay and debate competitions, cultural programmes, intellectual discussions, and floral tribute and cleanliness programmes at memorials of Swami Vivekananda," the statement said. The programmes were organised at the University of Delhi, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Banaras Hindu University, Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Gorakhpur University, the University of Allahabad, Panjab University, the University of Hyderabad and several other educational institutions. "Through these initiatives, lakhs of students reaffirmed their commitment to national development and social responsibility," it said. ABVP said the programmes introduced students to its initiatives such as Students' for Seva (SFS), Students' for Development (SFD), Rashtriya Kala Manch (RKM), Khelo Bharat, Mission Sahasi and the Students' Experience in Interstate Living (SEIL) programme. The organisation also shared a roadmap for several nationwide campaigns planned for the coming year, including Screen Time to Activity Time, SEIL@60, 150 Years of Vande Mataram, 50 Years of Resistance to the Emergency, the 350th Martyrdom Anniversary of Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji and the 650th Birth Anniversary of Sant Ravidas Ji. The ABVP said it has over 7.7 million active members and is committed to the holistic development of students, quality education and contributing to the vision of Viksit Bharat 2047. Addressing the Vasundhara programme at Banaras Hindu University, ABVP National General Secretary Dr Virendra Singh Solanki said, "Throughout its 78-year journey, ABVP has consistently connected the holistic development of students with the larger objective of nation-building." "As the world's largest student organisation today, we remain committed to reaching every student with the spirit of service, organisation, and Nation First," he said. "On the occasion of National Students' Day, I extend my heartfelt greetings to all students across the nation and call upon them to embrace the values of knowledge, character, social responsibility, and patriotism while playing an active role in building Viksit Bharat 2047. Students are not merely the citizens of tomorrow; they are the nation-builders of today," he said. PTI KSH ASD ASD