Rajkot, January 20, 2024: Saurashtra University (SU) and Rajkot city police have joined forces to tackle the growing traffic problem in the city by introducing a unique initiative. In a historic move, both parties signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Saturday to offer “Vehicular Traffic” as an elective subject to undergraduate students.
This innovative collaboration aims to inculcate responsible traffic behavior among the youth, who are often seen as risk-takers on the roads. “For the first time in the state, police have signed an MoU with a university on the subject of traffic,” remarked city police commissioner Raju Bhargav, highlighting the significance of the partnership.
Recognizing the growing traffic woes, Bhargav emphasized, “The traffic problem is worsening by the day, affecting everyone. For the police, it’s a major challenge. Young people, especially, tend to indulge in thrill-seeking behaviors that lead to serious accidents.”
To address this issue, the MoU paves the way for a comprehensive traffic education program. City police personnel and regional transport officers (RTO) will collaborate with SU to develop and deliver the subject curriculum. Bhargav assured, “Rajkot city police will provide inputs for the syllabus and our officers will even work as faculty, if needed.”
Professor Nilambari Dave, in charge Vice-Chancellor of SU, expressed the university’s commitment to implementing the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. She announced that “traffic rules will be offered as an elective subject to undergraduate students of all 238 affiliated colleges across Rajkot, Jamnagar, Morbi, Surendranagar, and Amreli districts, starting from the next academic session in April.”
She elaborated, “Saurashtra University started implementing NEP last year, introducing new courses like value-added courses, character-building courses, and Indian knowledge system courses. Following this approach, we signed this MoU today. Traffic rules will be included as a value-added course in the elective basket for second and fourth semester undergraduate students.”
Professor Dave believes this subject will empower students to become “brand ambassadors of road safety.” She stated, “It will be invaluable for young students to learn and understand traffic rules, become aware, and then help spread awareness and traffic sense in society.”
SU Registrar Ramesh Parmar echoed the importance of student engagement in traffic awareness. He explained, “To ease the traffic issue, we need to involve people, and the best way is to start young, at schools and colleges. Hence, offering traffic rules as an elective subject is crucial. If students follow traffic rules, it can positively influence their families and the community as well.”
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