From Jammu and Sikkim in the North to Kerala and Tamil Nadu in the South, to Rajasthan and Gujarat in the West to Jharkhand and Bihar in the East, the Live-in-Labs® program has implemented projects in various thematic areas across India.
Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham has emerged in the Top 100 universities in the world in the just released Times Higher Education (THE) Impact Rankings. Holding 81st rank, Amrita is the only university from India to appear in the prestigious top 100 list.
THE Impact Rankings rate universities against the United Nations 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which are global goals adopted by all UN member nations to improve life for all people in the world and protect the planet. They attempt to document evidence of the impact that universities have upon society, in addition to their research and teaching performance.
Notably, Amrita has been ranked No. 9 in the world for furthering SDG4 (Quality Education) and No. 46 for SDG5 (Gender Equality). The varsity was also ranked 23rd for SDG3 (Good Health & Well-Being); 24nd for SD6 (Clean Water & Sanitation)
A renowned humanitarian leader and spiritual teacher, Sri Mata Amritanandamayi is the guiding light and Chancellor of Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham. Amma’s concept of education, stress on research and commitment to instilling universal values have come together to shape Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham into an institution where the latest advancements and discoveries combine with compassion and service-mindedness.
Under the guidance and leadership of its Chancellor, Sri Mata Amritanandamayi Devi, Amrita University has a long-standing tradition of focusing its research to uplift the economically challenged and other vulnerable sections of the society. This includes Live-in-Labs®, a credit-based programme through which students and faculty go to rural villages throughout India and, while living in those communities, identify and assess the villagers’ needs and develop and implement viable solutions. With more than 150 projects in 21 states across India, Live-in-Labs® participants have touched the lives of approximately 60,000 rural residents during the past several years, clocking 200,000 + hours in the field working towards sustainable development in rural communities.
From the day people from Amrita came to the village, our village has become better. The toilet construction is going on really well and it is beneficial for us as we now don’t have to relieve ourselves outside. I am constructing toilets in my village with some of the other women. Now my 3 daughters will have a safe place to go, even at night. Because of this, my children are attending evening tuition classes and my husband is working with a few Amrita people for his farming work. So my whole family involved and are benefiting from the work done by Amrita
The evening discussions have been such a life-changing experience for all of us (the women in the village). Earlier, the dark evenings forced us to confine ourselves to our houses and we mostly led a lonely life. Now we meet often under the electric lights and discuss our most pressing problems with our dearest ones and other women in the village. It seems that we share the same problems so the solutions are common to all of us. We are not alone anymore. We now have each other; we are all friends who support one another”
I am a paddy farmer. My farming activities would frequently result in net losses. Faculty and students from Amrita introduced me to innovative farming techniques where I could optimize the amount of water and fertilizer, along with the right time of application. The combined effect has produced significant harvests at a lower effort. I feel good today to be a farmer.
