6.4.1 Established: 1984
6.4.2 Location:
Deenapur Village near Phirangipuram, Narsaraopet Mandal, and Guntur Dist.
6.4.3 Courses of Study:
Intermediate courses approved by the Board of Intermediate Education, Andhra Pradesh.
6.4.4 Subjects of Study:
Besides language subjects, Telugu and English, optional subject groups CEC (Civics, Economics and Commerce) and HEC (History, Economics and Commerce).
6.4.5 Admission Eligibility:
High School level Secondary School Certificate.
6.4.6 Geographical Coverage:
All Parts of Andhra Pradesh.
6.4.7 Other Facilities:
1. Free residential Hostel on the campus – separately for boys and girls.
2. A salubrious location with a large compound of hush green vegetation.
3. Open Air Theatre, Assembly Hall, library, spacious class rooms, sports and games.
6.4.8 Admission Criteria:
1. Poor level of performance at the level of eligibility qualification as indicated by the more number of failures and lower number of marks.
2. Below Party line families.
3. Illiterate Parentage.
4. Aptitude for education and social service.
5. Only scheduled castes, scheduled tribes, backward classes and Minorities.
The above criteria are unique and are in total contrast with the criteria in other educational institutions where descending order of merit is invariably adopted as the criteria.
These criteria are designed after an in depth study of the causes of widespread stagnation and dissipation of Dalit Youth after the Secondary school levels, despite the numerous and ostentatious sops given to Dalits by the Govt. Under the criteria of the descending order of merit, those with lower level of performances are screened out and get stagnated in the villages year after year. The prevailing high level of illiteracy of Dalit parents is one of the major causes of this low level performances at the S.S.C.Level as illiterate parents are generally unable to give either the guidance or the motivation required at earlier stages of schooling. The high level of poverty among Dalits is also another cause as they have to depend entirely on the haphazard set up of the Govt. schools and cannot afford to give better quality school education like the well to do parents of other communities. CARDS therefore considered that the poor performances of the Dalit Students at the eligibility level is mostly attributable to the socio economic disparities and can hardly be a real yardstick for their potential merit. Hence CARDS adopted the unique criteria of ascending order of merit, and the illiteracy and poverty levels of the parents taking into consideration the paramount needs of social justice, which is the corner stone of its MISSION.
6.4.9 Objectives:
1. To remedy the disabilities suffered by Dalits in the existing educational system.
2. To ensure real social justice to the Dalits at the Intermediate level of education.
3. To mitigate the accumulating frustration among Dalit youth stagnating at the S.S.C. level for want of opportunities and their becoming targets of cannon fodder in the extremist movements.
4. To bring out the latent and real potential of Dalit youth and to provide opportunities for them to blossom into intellectuals.
5. To groom educational Dalit Youth as motivated Dalit warriors for carrying on the Dalit Movement with extended scope and reach.
6.4.10 Activities :
1. The day at the college begins with all the students joining in an assembly and singing prayer songs on (1) Democracy and social justice. (2) Salutation to Motherland and (3) Salutation to Dalit Movement.
2. The students also address the Assembly by daily turns on Dalit issues and on the day’s news highlights.
3. In addition to the curriculum prescribed by the Govt., the teachers also give them lessons on Dalit issues and their participation in the Dalit Movement.
4. The students are constituted into 4 district action groups according to their aptitude and talent:
a. Education Group
b. Culture Group
c. Health Group
d. Sociology Group
5. The ‘Education Group’ visits the surrounding villages, during holidays and spare time. They collect data about the general conditions in the villages, the living condition of Dalits and the Dalit colonies, the caste profile and the profile of land ownership and management, the levels of social justice on various matters of Dalit concern, etc., The data is then passed on to the ‘Culture Group’.
6. The ‘Culture Group’ prepares a programme of street plays, folk arts and songs depending on the data. The members are given the necessary training and resources. They carry out the programme with a view to create awareness among the villagers about their problems and the solutions.
7. The ‘Health Group’ creates awareness among the villagers about community and personal hygiene, environment, herbal cures, Health Care facilities for various problems, prenatal and postnatal care, Child care etc., They also motivate them to attend nearby medical camps to undergo family planning and eye operations.
8. The ‘Sociology Group’ Organizes village youth committees and Dalit Sevadals. They explain to the villagers about the laws and rules affecting the interests of Dalits,
9. especially about the safeguards against the practice of untouchability. They help the villagers to make representations to the Govt. about their problems, particularly about assignment of wastelands and housesites and about obtaining other benefits and concessions according to their entitlement.
10. Simultaneously with the completion of Intermediate education, they also get equipped with knowledge of Rural and Dalit problems and the necessary field experience. Some of them go for professional courses, same join the Degree College of CARDS, same join as social workers and teachers in CARDS and other similar organisations else where.
The college has been developed as a unique organisation devoted to quality education with a strong potential for employment in social service sector, and turning out citizens with a comprehensive sociological awareness.