CHENNAI: Students in Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT-M) collected discarded cardboard boxes from shops and made desks for over 400 school students studying in government schools.This initiative -- called 'ReACH' -- is aimed at improving the conditions of rural schools in an eco-friendly manner. ReACH is part of Shaastra, an annual technical fest scheduled in the first week of January.IIT-M student Sawni Gupta said during their visits to some schools, they had seen children sitting on the floor with their back hunched."So we decided to create desks with cheap and sustainable material. We collected discarded cardboard boxes from nearby stores and used them to make desks," she said.“We designed them in such a way that students can use them to keep their books on them and read. Tapes were used for providing a smooth finishing at edges. After testing the strength, we distributed them to students in eight government schools,” she added.Puducherry lt governor Kiran Bedi, former Indian cricketer Anil Kumble, first Indian to travel in space Rakesh Sharma and others were impressed by the idea and extended their support to the campaign, said an official release.Though Shaastra started as a tech-fest, it broadened out into taking up a social initiative each year to create a positive impact in society.The previous campaigns included producing liquid handwash bottles out of recycled soap, building toilets with used water bottles and pledge-a-book campaign aimed at distributing books to underprivileged children, the release added.

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