Organised by Vihaan, the social cell established by students of FMS, the unique auction was meant to serve a particular cause, where the proceeds were directed towards education of the girl child. “This is at attempt to fulfill our social responsibilities and make a small difference in society,” says 24-year-old Tanushree Agarwal, a student at FMS, and founder member of Vihaan.

Tanushree along with three other batch mates — Ashish Agarwal, Aditi Kaasat and Nisha Tibrewala — conceived the idea of Vihaan in April. “The aim is not to provide financial assistance. Instead, the focus is on offering voluntary management consultancy services and professional advice to organisations and individuals doing social work,” says Ashish, president of the group.

Six months since inception, and after scouting for orgainsations that might require assistance, the cell already has several projects to its credit. In association with IVolunteer and Social Welfare and Environment for Rural Advancement two students from FMS visited villages in Rajasthan to assess the credibility of self-help groups in the region. Fulfilling a different cause altogether is their partnership with Parichay, an organisation that aims at providing informal education to street children and promotes handicrafts made in Bhajanpura. “At present their marketing is limited to setting up stalls in institutions and fairs. We hope to devise a comprehensive marketing plan that aims at expanding their customer base,” says Ashish.

Environmental issues too feature on its agenda, as Vihaan is working with Upasana Design Studio for a drive against the use of plastic bags. “We don’t want to restrict ourselves to a particular cause,” smiles Ashish, who also plans to form affiliations with social service cells of corporate houses.

The silent auctions, meanwhile, will continue. Says Tanushree, “We managed to collect Rs 21,000 at the recent one.”