Twenty-five students of St Xavier’s University, who have not gone home during the lockdown, are distributing food and essentials in villages around the New Town campus.

Most boarders returned home once the lockdown was announced but 25 of them -- two are from Bangladesh -- stayed back at the hostel.

When the university decided to help the poor villagers by providing them rice, daal, potatoes, and soya beans , the boarders were engaged as volunteers.

“We decided to engage the 25 students who stayed back at our hostels in the relief work,” Father Felix Raj, the vice-chancellor of the university, said.

The students have visited five villages. Another round is scheduled on Monday. “More than 800 families have been provided ration so far. We will reach out to 200 more families. The relief work will continue,” the vice-chancellor said.

The relief work is being done maintaining social distancing and keeping in mind other guidelines issued by the government.

The beneficiaries were identified by the university with the help of the local administration and the food items are being distributed with the help of police.

The food packets are given to the villagers by the students of St Francis Academy, a school in Kathalberia village.

The university has also been helping students from poor families by offering professional training courses, the vice-chancellor said.