VOX: Student Feedback
An initiative by the Student Council 2025–26
VOX is a secure, anonymous feedback platform developed by the Student Council to give every student a voice. It serves as a direct bridge between the student body and the council, allowing you to share ideas, raise concerns, or suggest improvements without revealing your identity.
Turning Used Pages into New Dreams.
A student-led initiative in sustainability, compassion, and community action.
Our Objectives
Promote Sustainability
To actively reduce waste, recycle resources, and reuse materials within the Christ Academy Group of Institutions.
Support Education
To provide notebooks to students within the community and at local government schools.
Foster Community & Empathy
To cultivate a spirit of sharing, care, and social responsibility among students and institutions, demonstrating the impact of collective action.
Context
The initiative was undertaken by the student council of Christ Academy Institute for Advanced Studies. It involved reaching out to over 10,000 students across the Christ Academy Group of Institutions at the close of the academic year in March. The goal was to collect used notebooks with blank pages. The project took place on campus, with collected materials processed by volunteers and an in-house vendor.
Practice
- Call for Donations: In March, the student council invited over 10,000 students from the Christ Academy Group of Institutions to donate used notebooks with blank pages. Parents were also informed of the initiative.
- Collection: By April, 25 cartons of donated notebooks were collected on campus.
- Sorting and Preparation: Volunteers spent two full days sorting through the donated books, carefully tearing out unused pages, and organizing them by size and ruling.
- Binding: An in-house vendor then bound these collected pages into 300 new, handcrafted notebooks.
- Distribution: These newly bound notebooks were gifted to students at the Government School in Avverahalli, Ramanagara District and within the community
Evidence of Success
- Collection of 25 cartons of notebooks from over 10,000 students.
- Creation of 300 fresh, handcrafted notebooks from recycled pages.
- Successful distribution of notebooks to students in need, serving as “symbols of hope, of dignity, of being seen and supported.”
- Demonstration of the principles of Reduce, Recycle, Reuse in action.
- The initiative is described as “more than a project,” but a “movement,” indicating its impact and potential for growth.
Problems Encountered
- The sheer volume of donated books required two full days of sorting by volunteers, indicating a significant logistical effort. (Implicit from “It took two full days to sort, that huge was the number of books donated.”)
Resources Required
- Students (as donors).
- Parents (for cooperation and awareness).
- Volunteers (for awareness, organising, sorting and preparation of pages).
- A vendor (for binding the new notebooks).
- Physical space on campus (for collection and sorting).
- Cartons/containers (for collecting notebooks).
Conclusion
The “Pages of Hope” initiative stands as a powerful example of how student-led action can address both environmental concerns and social inequalities. By transforming discarded resources into tools for education, the Christ Academy Institute for Advanced Studies has not only championed sustainability but also instilled a profound sense of hope and dignity in countless young lives. This movement, built on the simple yet profound acts of sharing and caring, promises to grow, multiplying possibilities and inspiring a generation to create a more compassionate and sustainable world, one page at a time.
Small Change, Substantial Impact.
Inspired by the historic Pidiyari practice of Saint Kuriakose Elias Chavara, this CAIAS initiative fosters collective generosity.
Our Objectives
Philanthropy
To encourage a culture of collective giving and social responsibility among students and staff.
Sustainability
To create a sustainable and structured mechanism for raising funds for social causes.
Impact
To use the collected funds for impactful social initiatives that benefit underprivileged communities.
Context
The One Rupee Initiative at Christ Academy Institute for Advanced Studies (CAIAS) is deeply inspired by the historical charity practice of Pidiyari, initiated by Saint Kuriakose Elias Chavara, CMI. Pidiyari encouraged daily small donations, typically a handful of rice, to be collected and used to provide midday meals for the poor, especially students. Saint Chavara’s vision emphasized dignity and access to a joyful life for all, regardless of background. In this spirit, the One Rupee Initiative institutionalizes a similar approach, allowing every student and staff member to voluntarily contribute as little as one rupee each month. These micro-contributions accumulate over time to form a significant fund for meaningful social impact, fostering unity, social awareness, and collective empowerment within the CAIAS community.
Practice
- Coordination: The Student Council is responsible for coordinating and managing the collection of voluntary contributions.
- Contribution: Contributions are set at a low rate of one rupee per month, ensuring inclusivity and broad participation.
- Fund Management: Collected funds are transparently recorded and allocated for predetermined social causes. The IQAC head oversees fund management to ensure transparency in allocation.
- Fund Utilization: Possible areas for fund utilization include:
- Supporting education for underprivileged children.
- Disaster relief efforts.
- Community development projects.
- Granting scholarships to underprivileged students.
Evidence of Success
- Financial Impact:
- Total Funds Collected (2023–25): ₹2,04,479.50
- Funds Spent on Thanksgiving Day Celebration for Ministerial Staff: ₹14,215.00
- Financial Assistance to Economically Weaker Students: ₹33,304.50
- Total Expenditure: ₹47,519.50
- Current Balance (as of 14 July 2025): ₹1,56,960.00
- Qualitative Impact:
- Increased participation from students and staff in charitable initiatives.
- Enhanced awareness among students regarding the importance of collective giving.
- Recognition of CAIAS as an institution that actively contributes to social welfare.
- Financial Impact:
Problems Encountered
- Ensuring consistent participation and contributions every month.
- Maintaining transparency and accountability in fund collection and utilization.
- Identifying relevant and impactful social causes for fund allocation.
- Encouraging voluntary contributions without making it obligatory.
- Managing and distributing funds effectively to reach the intended beneficiaries.
Resources Required
- A structured system for collecting and recording contributions.
- Collaboration with social organizations for the effective deployment of funds.
- Institutional support to encourage participation and ensure smooth operation of the initiative.
Conclusion
The One Rupee Initiative demonstrates how small, voluntary contributions can lead to substantial social impact, fostering a culture of giving and responsibility within the institution. Inspired by the historic Pidiyari practice of Saint Kuriakose Elias Chavara, this initiative revives the spirit of collective generosity and sustains the mission of helping the underprivileged through structured and transparent charitable efforts.
