Vignan’s Civil Services Academy in Collaboration with the Vignan Institute of law and SAC (Aspirants Club) of VFSTR has Organised an Interactive session to Create awareness on Child Rights, Child Marriage, and Sexual abuse on 07 June 2022.
Ms. Urmi Chudgar Vohra and Ms. Sneha Singh of HAQ (An NGO that works for the protection of child rights and against sexual abuse of children) were invited as the Guest Speakers.
The guests spoke about the UN convention which laid foundation for rights of children such as

• Every child has the right to have his or her basic needs fulfilled.
• Every child has the right to protection from abuse and exploitation.
• Every child has the right to express his or her opinion and to be respected.

They have also given broad idea about child sexual abuse explaining what an abuse is like Child sexual abuse is a form of child abuse that includes sexual activity with a minor. A child cannot consent to any form of sexual activity. When a perpetrator engages with a child this way, they are committing a crime that can have lasting effects on the victim for years. Child sexual abuse does not need to include physical contact between a perpetrator and a child.

The guest also spoke that the Child marriage is rooted in gender inequality and the belief that girls and women are inferior to boys and men. It is made worse by poverty, lack of education, harmful social norms and practices, and insecurity. Child marriage is a truly global problem. It happens across countries, cultures, religions and ethnicities. Child marriage or marriage without the free and full consent of both spouses is a human rights violation. Progressive legal frameworks are one element of the comprehensive response needed to successfully address child marriage, as reflected within the Girls Not Brides Theory of Change.

Child marriage directly hinders the achievement of at least six of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Find out more on our SDG and Gender learning pages (coming soon).

Ending child marriage and guaranteeing girls’ rights means a fairer, more secure and prosperous future for us all.

Both of them have explained the rights and laws that we have to fight against Child Marriage and Child Sexual Abuse they have presented the recent legislative of Increasing the Women’s Marriage age from 18 to 21 and explained the advantages and the disadvantages of implementing this law and explained some of their experiences while dealing with the cases that they have got. At the end of each session, participants interacted with the guest speakers by asking various Questions. This is Monitored by Faculty and Students. Members of Aspirants Club co-ordinated the three Sessions with the help of Vignan Civil Services Academy.

Defence minister announced this as a transformative scheme that helps to modernise the Armed forces and make them well-equipped. And told that “Youngsters of India can join as “Agniveers” under this Agnipath recruitment scheme”
But after this announcement made by our defence minister, many youngsters organized coordinated protests across the country against the Agnipath recruitment Scheme. Unfortunately, these protests turned violent in many states destroying public property.
Youngsters of India can join as “Agniveers” under this Agnipath recruitment scheme
The Vignan Civil services academy along with the NCC battalion and Aspirants Club of VU, SAC have organized an awareness talk to explain how this Scheme will transform the defence service.

Cmde . Dr M.S.Raghunathan, Register, VFSTR has been invited as the Speaker for this session.

The Speaker has about the objectives of the scheme, features of the scheme, the reason behind introducing this Scheme by the government of India, and how the defence can be modernized.

Sir initially started by explaining what this scheme is : Agnipath Scheme in the Indian Armed Forces is a scheme wherein selected candidates will be enrolled as Agniveers for four years Period. On completion of the four year period, Agniveers will go to the society as disciplined, dynamic movitvated and skilled work force for employment in other sectors to pursue their career in job of their choice. Based on organisational requirement and policies promulgated by the Armed Forces, Agniveers after completing their engagement period, will be offered an opportunity to apply for enrolment in the permanent cadre. Of these upto 25% of Agniveers will be selected to be enrolled in the Armed Forces as a regular cadre. The scheme provides an avenue to Indian youth, desirous of serving the country to get recruited in the Armed Forces for a short duration. The scheme enhances the youth profile of the Armed Forces.

Sir has also explained the recruitment process, and the Training process and also spoke about their life after completing the 4 years tenure in the defence and also about the broad objectives of the scheme such as To enhance youthful profile of the Armed Forces so that they are at their fighting best at all times with increased risk taking ability, to attract young talent from the society to effectively exploit, adopt and use emerging modern technologies with enhanced technical thresholds of intake while leveraging Technical Institutions of the country, To provide an opportunity to the youth who may be keen to serve the Nation in uniform albeit for a short period of time. To imbibe The Armed Forces ethos, cotzraye, camaraderie, commitment and teamwork in the youth. To provide abilities and qualities such as discipline, dynamism, motivation and work-skills so that the youth remains an asset. Including all these sir have also spoken about how individuals get benefited from this by Opportunity for Youth to fulfil dream of joining the Armed Forces and serve the Nation, Imbibe military discipline, motivation, skill and physical fitness, Smooth integration into society with skill sets, certification and diplomas/ higher education/credits. Good financial package making him more stable than his civilian counterparts, Confident & better citizens by military training, team building, ethos & camaraderie forged over the years., Resume so unique that an Agniveer will stand out in the crowd.

The operational effectiveness of the Armed Forces will enhance by this Scheme. By having a younger profile which is more fighting fit with less encumbrances, it is expected that the risk taking capability of these personnel would be higher. With the infusion of technology and revamping of the training programmes, the Armed Forces would ensure that the personnel inducted under the scheme have the same skill sets which are required to meet the operational challenges. Since the training standards are clearly defined, and monitored by the highest authorities in the Armed Forces, it would be ensured that the Agniveers meet the highest professional standards.

Vignan’s Civil Services Academy (VCSA) has recently invited Mr. Manoj Kumar, who has secured an AIR of 157 in the UPSC, to Vignan University to engage and inspire our students. Honorable Vice-Chairman Lavu Sri Krishna Devarayalu graced the occasion with his presence. He congratulated and extended a warm welcome to Mr. Manoj Kumar for giving his valuable time for our students.
Guest of honor, Mr. Manoj Kumar addressed the student community by revealing that he himself started in an engineering college much like this one and graduated with a degree in Computer Science. He conveyed his struggles of not clearing the civil services exam in the previous attempt but was successful in doing so this time with 157th AIR. According to him, one of the important takeaways from his journey towards Civil Services is that it gives any serious candidate an enlightened perspective. Regardless of one’s academic strength in their respective technical field of study, one ought to develop a social perspective towards understanding society – which in turn develops an attitude where one is conscious of the happenings in their social and political milieu. Mr. Manoj Kumar opined that anyone who is contemplating of attempting Civil Services should receive proper guidance towards their preparation.
Mr. Manoj Kumar’s speech received a thunderous applause and was followed by Q & A session with the students in attendance. As a part of this interaction Mr. Manoj Kumar credited his parents and well-wishers who supported him all along the way as his source of support and inspiration. As a tail-ender to this event, there was also a testimonial from Mr. Ch. Praveen, a 4th year B.Tech Student from Computer Science department, who professed that he had gained relevant knowledge from attending Vignan’s Civil Services Academy (VCSA). His high praise for VCSA carries weightage considering his success in clearing CDSE (Combined Defense Services Examination) conducted by UPSC very recently. Honorable Vice-Chairman, Lavu Sri Krishna Devarayalu started by thanking chief guest Mr. Manoj for being such an inspiration and a role model to the students and future civil servants.
He also commended Mr. Ch. Praveen on his recent accomplishment. He then went on to inspire students by revealing the options before them and how choosing the path of Civil Services is a worthwhile one. In his elucidation, he spoke of the potential for helping others after graduating from college. Most of us will be able to achieve enough in our life to help our immediate family. If some of us aim higher and end up in leadership positions in corporate sector, they might be able to impact a few hundred people. However, choosing the path of Civil Services and becoming a civil servant will allow them to impact lives of millions of people. Upon successfully becoming a civil servant, the knowledge gained during the preparatory stage will translate very well into practice, whereby they will be impacting millions of people through their executive capacities, which is a huge service to the society and is quite commendable. He ended his speech with a thought for everybody to ponder by saying that it is eventually up to us to decide whether we’d like to be part of that select elite group of individuals who can impact the broader world.

The program concluded with the felicitation of Mr. Manoj Kumar and his parents by Honorable Vice-Chairman Lavu Sri Krishna Devarayalu.

Vignan’s Civil Services Academy (VCSA) has been in the spotlight recently for all the right reasons. Just this previous week, campus has been abuzz with the news of two of the Civil Services Academy’s faculty, Mr. Wiggins Bakka and Ms. Muppalla Pallavi making it into APPSC Group-I Services. On the heels of this momentous occasion, an event is organised to invite Ms. V. Sanjana Simha to Vignan University campus and felicitate her on an incredible achievement of cracking UPSC, 2021 as well as APPSC Group-I Services. Ms. V. Sanjana Simha has topped UPSC with 37th AIR and APPSC Group-I Services with 3rd rank. The occasion was graced by Honourable Chairman of Vignan Group of Institutions, Dr. Lavu Rathaiah, Honorable Vice-Chancellor of VFSTR, Dr. P. Nagabhushan, Esteemed Registrar of VFSTR, Cmde. Dr. M. S. Ragunathan, and Joint Dean Faculty Affairs of VFSTR, Prof. A. Sharada. Chief guest Ms. V. Sanjana Simha was also accompanied by her mentor, guide, and husband, Mr. V. Harsha, who is acknowledged by the former to have played a key role in her current success.
The program started by inviting all the dignitaries onto the dais and setting the stage by providing a brief profile of VCSA. Vignan Civil Services Academy is an in-house Civil Services Coaching Academy for the students of Vignan’s Group of Institutions and has been integral to the vision and mission of VFSTR since its inception. The objective of the academy is to equip students with a skill set that allows them to successfully traverse through a job market that has increasingly becoming competitive and demands rigorous training. Vignan students are of diverse academic backgrounds such as Engineering, Law, Business Management, and Pharmacy. Highly aspirational students seeking to take on much coveted public service positions such as IAS, IPS, IFS, IRS, etc. offered by UPSC will benefit immensely from a comprehensive and holistic coaching made available via the Civil Services Academy. It is highly essential, especially for these aspiring students, to get initiated and be exposed to the knowledge-base that is specific to Humanities and Social Sciences. Thus the Academy takes upon itself the formidable task of enhancing potential students and preparing them for a life in administration and public service. VCSA also proudly presented few of their recent achievements:

• Alumni, Mr. A. Sridhar Babu secured All India 5th rank and is currently working as the chairman of the Tobacco Board.
• Alumni, Mr. M. Surya Teja has secured All India 76th rank and was selected into IAS as well.
• Alumni Mr. Aswin (EEE Dept.) has been to UPSC interview. He got selected into the recent IES (Indian Engineering Services).
• Alumni Ms. Bhavya (CSE Dept.) has been to UPSC interview. She made it into AP Group-I selections.
• One of the current final year students, Mr. Praveen (CSE) has cleared CDS (Combines Defence Services) and is currently preparing for interview. He continues to aspire for a top rank in UPSC.
• Two of the faculty from VCSA, Mr. Wiggins and Ms. Pallavi got selected for APPSC Group-I services.
• Former faculty, Mr. Sushant (Agricultural Engineering Dept.) has cleared IFS.

The program began with few thoughts shared by Joint Dean Faculty Affairs, Prof. A. Sharada who acknowledged the importance of the presence of today’s chief guest Ms. V. Sanjana Simha in Vignans’ campus and how well she serves as a role-model for aspiring students.
Esteemed Registrar, Cmde. Dr. M. S. Raghunathan extended a hearty congratulation to Ms. V. Sanjana Simha on behalf of the entire Vignan fraternity for making both the states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana proud on this tremendous achievement.

Honorable Vice-Chancellor, Dr. P. Nagabhushan rightfully pointed out that while the usual adage holds that “behind every man’s success there is a woman,” however, in the case of Ms. V. Sanjana Simha, “behind the success of this woman there is a man.” Dr. Nagabhushan further applauded the instrumental role played by Mr. V. Harsha in the success of Ms. V. Sanjana Simha.

Honorable Chairman, Dr. Lavu Rathaiah addressed the gathering by providing context for Vignan’s Civil Services Academy (VCSA) as well as thoughtful insights for the students in attendance. He highlighted the importance of civil servants by citing them as true rulers in any democratic society. Though the rulers are often thought to be politicians and political leaders, the real executive is actually in the hands of civil servants, he observed. Unlike the politicians who have a limited tenure in power, civil servants are the real idea-makers who provide lifelong executive service. Honourable Chairman, Dr. Lavu Rathaiah emphasized that the goal of VCSA is to make some of the students’ part of this “rulers” category. Another reason for patronizing VCSA, as articulated by him, is that even though Vignan currently registers close to 95% of placements for its students, it doesn’t elicit a sense of personal fulfilment for him since most of these students are serving the immediate interests of the companies where they have been recruited. Rather it would be an honor for Vignan to consistently produce civil servants every year who can serve our country by tackling the most pertinent issues that are impending upon us. According to him, it is VCSA that has the potential to fulfil this institutional aspiration. He further cited an example of a final year student, Mr. Praveen, who secured a placement with an eight lakh package but declined it to pursue his goal of cracking UPSC. The former lauded the bold decision of this student and hoped that more students will find such determination towards higher positions of public service. Honorable Chairman Dr. Lavu Rathaiah also advised students to stay away from emotional distractions that are quite common at this age and also to avoid trappings of communal segregations that are based on caste and religion. He also encouraged students to gain real world experience, which is especially geared towards serving the society, as this will enhance their personality in a way suitable for these careers in public service.
Faculty and a mentor at La Excellence Civil Services Coaching Institute (Hyderabad), Mr. V. Harsha reiterated the words of Honourable Chairman, Dr. Lavu Rathaiah that there is a need for real world experience to taste success in public services. He also advised students to inculcate within themselves an attitude of ‘delayed gratification,’ which will go a long away in their journey towards success. According to him, there are three aspects deemed essential in pursuit of UPSC examinations - organized study, patience, and consistency. He praised his partner and chief guest Ms. V. Sanjana Simha by saying that she is the living example of these qualities. Mr. V. Harsha elaborated on how she attempted Civil Services Exams multiple times and bettered herself with each attempt until she finally achieved All India 37th Rank.
Guest of honor, Ms. V. Sanjana Simha addressed students with the following quotation from Swami Vivekananda, “a person with goal and conviction makes thousand mistakes but the person with neither a goal nor conviction makes one lakh mistakes.” As elucidated by Ms. V. Sanjana Simha, the lesson we need to learn from Swami Vivekananda’s words is that we all are bound to make mistakes in the process of learning; however, it is essential for us to have a goal, without which we become directionless. She also observed how the world today is experiencing information-overload and is becoming increasingly saturated with social media. According to her, it is pertinent, now more than ever, for students to protect themselves from these distractions and strive towards a goal-oriented life. She advised students to spend these four years of college life meaningfully since these four years might very well lay foundation to their future. Drawing examples from her own life during her college days, she spoke about how she was able to work with children suffering with HIV and elderly people living in assisted facilities. She acknowledged that it is these experiences of helping people and empathizing with them that set her on an aspirational path to pursue Civil Services as a career, where she realized she will be able to help society on a much broader scale. Ms. V. Sanajana Simha ended her talk by encouraging students to develop hobbies, a positive-attitude, an open-mind, strength to withstand failures, and an overall zest for life, where one views life as a process of learning and an opportunity to constantly better oneself.
The event ended with the felicitation of Ms. V. Sanjana Simha and Mr. V. Harsha by Honorable Chairman, Dr. Lavu Rathaiah and Registrar, Cmde. Dr. M. S. Ragunathan respectively with a shawl and a memento. This was also seen as an apt opportunity to felicitate Vignan’s Civil Services Academy faculty Ms. Muppalla Pallavi and Mr. Wiggins Bakka for their selections in APPSC Group-I services. Chief guest of honor Ms. V. Sanjana Simha and Mr. V. Harsha honored them respectively with a shawl and a memento.