Chapter Ii Profile of the Respondents
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CHAPTER II PROFILE OF THE RESPONDENTS 52 CHAPTER n PROFILE OF THE RESPONDENTS SECTION I PROFIT ,F. OF NASHK Very few cities in our Country can boast o f having such on enviably rich, mytiliological, historical and cultural heritage, as Nashik [M-oudly possesses. A city which is a fusion o f the most ancient and the most modem achievements, Nashik is locatcd on the main railway line connccting Mumbai to the North. It lies on flic geogr<q)hical bell between 19.33 degrees to 20.52 degrees North kmgilude and 73.16 degrees to 75.16 degrees East latitude. It has a geographical area o f 15,530 sq kms ( Ranking m in Maharashtra in terms o f area ) and is nestled among the Sahyadris, wifli Ajantha and Satmala ranges passing dmough the district 180 kms away from Mumbai and 210 kms away from Pune, with clean and relatively unpolluted environment and sylvan surrounding, it has an extreme climate witfi severe wintei^i and liarsli summers, when the temperature ranges between 35 degrees to 45 degree centigrade . The population o f Nashik disctrict as per tfie 1991 census is 38,44,000. With the male/female ratio being nearly equal A major chunk o f this population Le. 24,78,926, resides in the rural areas, while only 13,64,599 reside in the urban areas. The literacy rate o f tiie females is half the literacy rate o f die males. Sanctified by the abode o f Lord Rama in Panchavati in flie pre- historical period and gathering o f Ihe Kimibhmela on the Danks o f River Godavari, ttie lifeline and ‘Lokmata’ o f Nashik, it has flourished as a tourist center o f holy attractions for ages. Homeland o f the legendary doyen o f Indian films. Late Dadasaheb Phalke, stalwart revolutionary o f tfie Indian Freedom struggle Veer Savarkar, Jnanpeeth Award winner Tatyasaheb Shirwadkar and the noted playwright Vasant Kanitkar, it was also well known as the budding ground o f Socialism in 1932, more so bccausc o f the participation o f Dr. A, V. Warty and the noted educationist, G. V. Akolkar. One o f die biggest public libraries o f Maharashtra, ‘The Sarvajanik Vachanalaya’ , is the soul o f ihis city. Nasuik, known all ovcr Liuia ss uie ‘Dakahin 53 Kashi’ is imperatrvcly associated with two ‘ snans’ , or the holy d i^ Le. ‘The Gangasnan’ and ‘The Dnyansnan’ . It is also renowned for its agricultural produce like Grapes, Onions, Roses , as alfw> for its Himru Shawls, Paithanis, Copperware and Silverware. On the industrial front, it is well known as the city o f ‘Entrepreneurs’ ; and has to its credit ntany firsts like, The India Security Press, The Handlooms and Power-loonis o f Malegoan, The Hindustan Aeronautics Limited etc. Today it is a predominant and flourishing Industrial center, with many big industrial houses shifting base from the extremely polluted and populated metros like Mumbai and Pune. Availability o f land and other infia-structural facilities and existence o f a skilled labour force have hired many a big corporate giants like Mahindra and Mahindra , Crompton Greaves, Larsen and Toubro, MICO etc to set up shop here. Its proximity to Mumbai has hc^cd its industrialization while its proximit>’ to Pune, has influenced its educational sector. To cater to the mammolh needs o f such on expanding metropolis, the Nashik Municipal Corporation came into being in the year 1992. The Social Fabric o f Nashik is a rich one, what with the existence o f Ifindus, Muslims, Jains, Christians, and Neo-Buddhists. The predominant castes are the Brahmins, Maralhas, Chambhars, Mahars, the Matangs, etc. A substantial amount o f Marwadi population also resides in Nashik. The Harijan population o f Nashik is 3,36,755 while the population o f Adivasis is 9,31,069. The main Adivasi groups who reside in and around ^ e district are the Mahadeo kolis, Hindu Kokanis, Warlis, Thakurs, and Katkaris. The main language o f the district is Marathi, and languages like Hindi, Urdu, Farsi and English arc also ti\e mother tongue o f a small percentage o f the population. The transformation o f Nashik from a holy city to an industrial city, brought in people from various places in search o f lucrative jobs and better life styles. Along-with the addition to the population, in came a host o f other problems, like that o f the education o f their wards. The migrants were on a lookout for good standards and variety o f education and this invariably, lead to a rise in the number o f educational institutions. The primary foundation o f education in Nashik was laid by the ‘ Gokliale Education Society’ , wl\ich founded an Arts College, as early as 1924 and tfien steadily expanded to a Science, Commerce, Law and Research and Management 54 Institution. Another society, ‘The Maradta Vidya Prasarak Samaj’ , made its foray into the arena ot education and subsequently setup a parallel network o f the regular academic courses and also tnchided new faculties like Pharmacy, Architecture, Medical and Dental Sciences etc. ‘ The L<^ete Vyankatrao Hire Socicty’ sprung into action a few years later. The ‘KamKrveer Kakasaheb W a ^ Society’ along-with host o f schools and colleges especially in the rural areas, also gave the city, its first Engineering College. ‘Tlw Ayurved Seva Sang", established the college o f ‘ Ayurvedic Medicine’ in 1954. Other institutions not to be left behind, established the Kala Mahavidyalaya etc. The educational map o f Nashik has been further emiched, with the establishment o f The ‘Veda Vedang Mahavidyalaya’ and the ‘Yeshwantrao Chavan Maharashtra Open University’ . The YCMOU w iA its slogan ‘Dyanaganga Gharo-^ari’, camc into being with the aim to provide educational facilities, to those deprived o f education earlier, due to some reason or Ihe other. As a result o f the existence o f these colleges, the student population gradually rose and outstation students started exhibiting a keen interest in them. The Social culture was also undergoing a change with voluntary organizations and Social Clubs like Lions, Jaycees and Rotary club, spreading their wings to include these youngsters. The changing social culture demanded more participation from them and relied a lot on tiieir support. The rea-uitment o f diese youngsters into tlie various Social and Political organizations, brought about a marked awareness among them and their attitudes, values, beliefs and their participation reflected this newfound awareness. IMPORTANCE OF COLLEGE AND COIJ RGE YEARS IN THE LIFE OF AN INDIVIDUAL Liberal democracies lay emphasis on Political education, wliich is a major instrument o f Pohtical Socialization. It involves learning and being instructed about Politics and Political actors. Learning experiences may be designed to foster C0nq)ctcnce to think critically and independently. It could therefore lead to the support o f the established Social order or it could lead to rejection o f the established Political beliefs and practices. Liberal education encourages dissent and non conformism, hence Political education is a more open, e:i^licit and liberal process. College years are very crucial in the life o f an individual. It is here that he decides &e fiiture course o f his life. It is also the period, where adolescence is left behind 55 and one is geared to step into flie new world o f adul&ood. This period o f transition, sees the wane o f Family influence and the emergence o f Peer Group, as a pre-dominant influencing factor in one’ s life. The experiences o f tiiese years, last a lifetime. The college environment enables them to come into contact, with many individuals o f differing attitudes and awareness levels, may be because o f the variance o f Caste, Class, Religion and RegioiL Interactions with the opposite sex are also more free and extensive, as compared to the school Living away from homes, in hostels, as some students do, is another new experience, which prepares them for indepth and close interactions, as a result o f the constant proximity and the common experience o f living away from homes. The informal structure o f discipline in colleges, is also a new cxpcricncc for most and it is largely cxpcctcd that they behave like mature individuals. The authoiily o f Teachers, is also considerably lessened in Ihe colleges as compared to the school. Hence the influence o f Teachers and Faculty members could be more indirect, with the area and range o f influence undergoing a metamorphosis. Professional Colleges, as compared to the usual Non-professional colleges come with an unique atmosphere o f tfieir own. There are more interactions, more discussion and more solid programmes dian those that can generally be seen in flie Non-piofessioiial Colleges. One reason for diis could be die comparatively limited number o f students in these Professional Colleges. The other reason could be the h i^ amount o f fees, charged by these colleges, which automatically get them a more advanced and exposed strata o f the society. These professional colleges also attract, in large numbers outstation students, (also those fit)m other states) because o f the great demand for the kind o f education tfiey impart and the specialized courses they offer. The intermingling o f these students creates a cosmopolitan culture, as opposed to the one in Non - professional Colleges which normally include the local student population in large numbers. The extra curricular activities conducted in the colleges, give the students an opportunity for self development Hence the role o f Social and Voluntary organizations in college years, assumes significance.