The ABVP was started by students in 1948, a year after Indian Independence, with the objective of channeling students' energy toward the task of national reconstruction. Its growth process was slow and sporadic in its first few years, but accelerated after Professor Yeshwantrao Kelkar, a lecturer in Bombay, became its main organiser in 1958. He built the organisation into what it is now, and is considered to be the real architect of the ABVP.[5]
The ABVP gradually spread its work across various universities in India.[6] Contrary to the popular perception, ABVP is not officially a student wing of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).[7][8] It was founded before BJP. However, it participates in joint activities with BJP's official youth
The group runs projects and programmes aimed at national integration and using social consciousness to solve economic and other problems. They also run programmes designed to improve the abilities of individual students, including:
Book-Bank
Students' Vacation Employment Bureau
First Class First Felicitation functions
Inter-collegiate and inter-university music competitions
Painting competitions
Literary competitions
Student writers' meets
Sports meets
Social participation camps
Personality development camps
Technical, Medical, Management, and Agri student workshops
Technical exhibitions
Indo-foreign Students' Bureau
Study circles and art circles
My Home is India
It also campaigns for educational and university reforms[11] and competes in student-body elections in colleges and universities to achieve these goals.
