Heartfulness and AICTE sign pathbreaking MoU to promote emotional and mental wellness learning at college levels

New Delhi, May 25, 2022: An MoU was signed today between Heartfulness Education Trust (HET) and All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), a national-level council for technical education, under the Department of Higher Education. The MoU was signed by Shri Ramesh Krishnan, Director of Heartful Campus program and  Nivedita Shreyans, Director of PR for HET, and  Anil Sahasrabudhe, Chairman of AICTE. The MoU is aimed at granting the students, staff, faculty and counselors of colleges, institutes and universities recognized by AICTE access to HET courses and programmes. Prof. Anil D. Sahasrabudhe, Chairman, AICTE, Prof. M.P. Poonia Vice-Chairman AICTE, Prof. Rajiv Kumar- Member Secretary AICTE, Dr Ramesh Unnikrishnan-Advisor-II (P&AP Bureau) were present at the signing.
 
The MoU will allow the students to elect credit-based courses and/or modules at undergraduate and postgraduate levels at AICTE approved educational institutions. The MoU will enable students for internship opportunities from AICTE-approved institutions. The deserving students will also be eligible for research fellowships in areas including sustainable technologies, environmental sustainability, contemplative pedagogy and consciousness.
 
With the MoU coming into force, Guide of Heartfulness –Kamlesh Patel (Daaji) said, “Our education requires much more beyond the existing curricula. i.e. besides the theoretical and practical application, our students need to learn about their very inner beings. The Heartfulness Practice is the easiest way to access the states of higher consciousness. A calm mental frame of mind and stillness of inner condition can help people achieve much more in life. The Heartfulness Education Trust will assist all the places of study under the aegis of AICTE in every possible way to provide the tools for the success both within and without.”
 
Anil Sahasrabudhe from AICTE added, “There is a new perspective to education now. Education must be aimed bettering oneself at all levels. It must not only be gaining knowledge about the world around us, and how to act in various circumstances, but also to understand the true nature within ourselves and respond appropriately. Heartfulness Education Trust is giving education a new paradigm shift and we truly welcome the academic evolution. Pleased to be working closely with them and looking forward to creating this new paradigm in education jointly.”
 
The MoU also entails establishing Heartfulness centres at the educational institutions to offer wellness tools such as Heartfulness meditation sessions, sharing literature and awareness sessions, and training programmes for faculty members, counsellors, senior leaders, and staff from these educational institutions. Currently Heartful Campus programmes are being offered in several colleges and universities all over the country by HET.
 
HET will also conduct orientation sessions when required for the educational institutions to help get an overview of the HET courses and programmes. The mentors or trainers to conduct the HET courses will be provided by HET.
 
HET may also offer its infrastructure facilities at different Indian locations wherever the AICTE approved educational institutions are situated. The facilities will include tissue culture lab, initiatives in the area of environment sustainability and research facilities at Kanha Shantivanam, and retreat centres across India.