My grandfather was a primary school teacher and had a reputation for being a social reformer. He often used to say that a teacher is not merely an education professional but a nation builder. He used to teach tuition classes free of cost as he believed that education is the key to a brighter future of the nation.

In the same spirit, I started a scholarship programme for the students of Bhartiya Gramin Vidyalaya in 2007 which financially rewards deserving students to the tune of Rs 21,000 every year.

The objective of this scholarship is to motivate the students to become competitive and strive for excellence. Also, there are times when this scholarship alone is not enough for the underprivileged students to sustain their education once they graduate out of the school.

One such student was Jitendra Kumar who aspired to join the armed forces but did not have the means to access the coaching institutes in the city. Jitendra has committed that he won’t return home until he gets selected in the armed forces. He lives in a hostel in Lucknow and is preparing for selection in the army. I bear his monthly expenses on food and accommodation.

I believe that being underprivileged should not be an impediment for students in accessing opportunities. We try our best to enable our students to grow up to become valuable citizens.

If you are a teacher and wish to share your memorable experiences with us, send a mail on connect@gaonconnection or send a WhatsApp message on 95656 11118.