Ramakrishna Mission Saradapitha, Belur

Founded in 1941, this centre, located adjacent to Belur Math, runs several educational institutions.

Activities:

1. Vidyamandira, a residential autonomous college of arts and science:
   • Offers 14 undergraduate honours courses in arts & science, and 5 postgraduate and PhD courses (in Sanskrit, Bengali, Mathematics, Philosophy and Applied Chemistry).
   • A total of 693 students were on the roll this year.
   • The college added its second campus at the historic ‘Bose House’, Rishra in Hooghly district, which offers various cultural and academic courses.
2. Sikshanamandira, an autonomous residential college of teacher education:
   • Offers BEd, MEd, MPhil, and PhD courses.
   • It had 522 students this year.
3. Shilpamandira, consisting of:
   • An AICTE-approved self-financed polytechnic offering diploma courses in civil, mechanical, electrical, and electronics & telecommunication engineering. It had 505 trainees.
   • A community training centre trained 731 students through NSDC & PBSSD-recognized short-term courses in trades like welding, automobile mechanic, and electrical wiring.
   • A computer centre offering different courses such as financial accounting, AutoCAD, and multimedia (with a total of 1090 students in the boys’ campus at Belur and 119 students in the girls’ campus at Konnagar, Nawapara, Hooghly).
4. Shilpavidyalaya, a private Industrial Training Institute established in 1921:
   • NCVET-affiliated trades: Six two-year courses in Draughtsman (Civil), Draughtsman (Mechanical), Electronics Mechanic, Electrician, Fitter and Turner trades, and a one-year course in Welder trade (210 trainees).
   • WBSCTVESD-affiliated Higher Secondary course in two streams: Computer maintenance & networking and Electrical maintenance & installation (45 trainees).
   • A 120-hour short-term course on Basics of Programmable Logic Controllers (12 trainees).
5. Samaj Sevak Sikshan Mandir, a residential agro-based training institute:
   • Educates and trains unemployed rural youths in various trades and rural development activities.
   • Functions as a Rural Self-Employment Training Institute (RSETI).
   • Conducted Rural Entrepreneurship Development Programme (REDP), a 10-month residential course for 35 students.
   • Offered 31 training programmes with 868 trainees in collaboration with the United Bank of India & NABARD.
6. Janasikshamandira, an institution engaged in the upliftment of backward classes from 7 districts of West Bengal:
   • Educational:
     • Need-based vocational training courses such as TV repairing, carpentry, and bookbinding for poor youths and inmates of correctional homes (658 trainees).
     • Twelve non-formal education centres for non-school-going children (354 students).
     • An adult education centre with 30 women.
     • Three coaching centres for school-goers with 105 rural students.
     • A library with 30,664 books.
   • Healthcare & hygiene:
     • Installation of 8 household toilets in 2 villages.
     • Twenty-two eye camps with 1165 beneficiaries.
   • Seventy-eight village-level workers’ training centres for the training of youths and children in leadership, etc. (benefited 3896 members).
   • Children’s Section: A cultural unit with 1171 children.
7. Production and publication department:
   • Imparts training to unemployed youths in photo binding, making incense sticks, etc.
8. Tattwamandira, the central unit:
   • Religious activities: Regular bhajans, spiritual discourses for the public, scriptural classes for the monastic members, celebration of Jagaddhatri Puja, spiritual retreats.
   • A unit of Gadadhar Abhyudaya Prakalpa in Paschim Medinipur.
   • Welfare activities: Provided clothes and pecuniary, medical and educational aid.
9. A multimedia exhibition on Swami Vivekananda.