It is the nursery that has nurtured some of the brightest stars from today’s Palanpur, with its students regularly getting high ranking merit positions (among the top ten in the state) in the Gujarat State Education Board examinations, with about 20% of its students from the Higher Secondary section getting admission into India’s leading medical colleges, and with many of its alumni building successful careers in different professions.
If the barren, rocky landscape of Chitrasani has today been converted into beautifully levelled green fields and meadows, with thick tree cover, then the credit must go to the pioneering farsighted efforts and the dedicated work of the team that runs the Balaram Saghan Kshetra Samiti (Balaram Intensive Area Samiti), Chitrasani.
Set up in 1958 by Mrs. Vimlaben G. G. Mehta and Mr. G.G. Mehta, the Samiti has focused on agro-industrial and educational activities to transform the backward tribal area, and in training the adivasi youth in the various institutions that it runs on the residential campus at Chitrasani.
The campus houses a Matrughar (orphanage), set up in 1970, a Primary and a Secondary School, a PTC College, and a Women’s Rural School. The Samiti also runs a kindergarten, ashramshala, an education and training centre for women, a polytechnic, a centre for nutrition and a library.
Over 650 adivasi and backward class students avail of these facilities.
A special programme to teach Science and Mathematics was started with the help of a grant from UNICEF, under which shibirs and short terms courses are run at the Vignyan Bhavan to introduce students, teachers and officials to new developments in the field.
Over the years the 20 acre campus has developed into a model farm using a range of modern agricultural techniques and machines, where both the students and the farmers of the surrounding villages are imparted the skills and knowledge necessary for this purpose. The Samiti also runs a model nursery and encourages creative and co-operative methods of agriculture.
Rural workers are also trained in a variety of home-based cottage industries such as ambar charkha weaving, tailoring, toy, flower and essence making, cardboard, chalk and ink manufacturing etc. This helps to empower the women in the local communities.
Vimlaben, an ardent follower of the teachings of Gandhiji and Vinobaji, has done outstanding work in the field of child welfare, education and literature for over 50 years.
The Samiti set up the Sir Dorabji Tata Trust Rural Charitable Dispensary in 1969 which treats over 7000 patients each year.
It also runs the Netrajyot Seva Kendra.
The Banaskantha District Kelavani Mandal, Palanpur was established on December 12, 1961 with the aim of promoting the development of education in the District by establishing various educational institutions.
In 1964, the Bansakantha district was awarded Rs. 3 lakh for its performance in the Small Saving Scheme of Gujarat State Government. It was decided to invest this amount in setting up an institution for higher education, and so the Arts College was started in 1964 and Science College in 1965 on rented premises. A Commerce faculty was added in 1979.
With support from the local government bodies and the Palanpuri diamantaires, the construction of the new building began in 1983 and in 1986, the Arts and Commerce faculties shifted followed subsequently (after the laboratory and other facilities were built) by the Science faculty too. Subsequently each of these was established as a separate institution.
The different colleges run by the Mandal on a unified campus are.
Established in 1964, the College became a separate institution in 1984, and today has over 450 students in the Undergraduate and Post Graduate courses. Affiliated to the H.N.G.University, Patan, it offers a B.A. in English, Gujarati, Psychology, Music, Drama, Painting and other subsidiary subjects such as Hindi, Political Science, Sanskrit etc. The college also conducts Diploma Courses (with affiliation to Shri Somnath Sanskrit University) in Temple Management, Jyotish, Pourohityam, Sanskrit Sambhasan.
The college has over 1000 students on its rolls at the Undergraduate and Post Graduate levels. Other facilities include well equipped laboratories, a well stocked library, a Boys Hostel, an Audio-Visual Hall, an Open-Air Theatre, a Sports Ground, as well as a Placement Cell, Career Counseling and Scholarships.
Extra curricular activities include N.S.S., N.C.C., Staff Academic Club, Nature Club, Vachan Vichar Vartul, participation in Youth Festival, participation in sports, mountaineering and trekking.
The Mandal started this non-funded Law College in 1998 to meet the long felt need for an institution imparting legal education in Banaskantha, with the help of an initial donation of Rs 10 lakh from Banaskantha Mercantile Co-op Bank. The first LLB batch graduated in 2001 after recognition from the Bar Council of India and Hemchandracharya North Gujarat University.
A five years LL.B. integrated course and Post Graduate center in law, are proposed to be started from the academic year 2008 after creating additional infrastructure of four new classrooms and one mock court room.
The college conducts Women’s Legal Literacy Camp, Environmental Camp, Science Camp, Human Rights Camp, Right to Information Camp, Writing Skills Camp and Legal Literacy Camp.
Students in Palanpur got the opportunity to do computer courses when the Vardhman Computer Center began certificate courses in computing in 2000 under the auspices of the Babasaheb Ambedkar Open University.
Later, in 2001, the Bhanumatiben Kantilal Mehta I.T. Center opened and shortly thereafter the B.C.A. College was established.
Enrolment for the three year BCA degree course is open to all students who have completed Std XII. From 29 students when it began, the college now has over 250 students. Successful BCA students can enroll for a one year P.G.D.C.A. course from 2004. From 80 students at the beginning, the college now has 120 PG students.
Besides a well equipped library, the college has a computer laboratory with 250 computers, high end servers and broadband internet connectivity.
Started in 2002 the hostel provides boarding and lodging facilities to 25 students.
The college was established in the year 2007 and is affiliated to Shri Hemchandracharya North Gujarat University, Patan. It offers a Three year full time degree course in Management.
The college enrolled 75 students in its first year. Besides regular classes, there are company visits, guest lecturers and student development programmes. The college has a library and a computer lab with 80 computers.
The Fine Arts College was set up in 2007 in G.D.Modi Vidhya Sankul, Palanpur. It is the first of its kind in North Gujarat region. It offers professional courses in Drama, Music, and Painting to the students of this district.
The college also conducts Diploma Courses (with affiliation to Shri Somnath Sanskrit University) in Hindustani Classical “Vocal” and “Tabla”.
There are a number or extra curricular activities including Musical Evening, Ras-Garba was staged at the H N Gujarat University, Patan, a kite flying programme etc. It hosted the University Youth Festival in December 2007.
Over 85 years ago, when the Palanpur region was largely a relatively underdeveloped rural society with primitive infrastructure and a low standard of education, some of the leading members of the community came together to set up the L.J.J. Jain Vidyalay to provide boarding and lodging facilities to male students from the neighbouring villages who were studying in the secondary schools.
At that time, female education virtually did not exist. But as families prospered and the need to provide boarding and lodging to male students declined, the institution was converted into a residential home for girls studying in secondary schools.
Today, it provides free boarding and lodging to over 170 girls studying in various grades. They are given free uniforms too.
Over the years the facilities at the institution have also been upgraded, and today the residents stay in newly built, well furnished rooms, and are provided wholesome, nutritious food. A doctor who visits the complex provides medical care. There is also a temple within the complex which the girls visit regularly.
The girls are looked after by Gruhmatas, who provide motherly love and guidance, as well as impart values to make the girls self-confident and train them for future family life.
The institution also runs co-curricular classes to provide extra coaching to the girls, as well as a computer class to provide them with knowledge about computers which has become an important requirement today.
It is said that great things have small beginnings, and the story of Lokniketan at Ratanpur, 5 kms from Palanpur, clearly re-emphasises this truism.
Six decades ago, in 1948, Gandhian Mr. Harisinh Chavda, founder trustee of the institution made his first padyatra in the tribal areas of Banaskantha. A decade later, after regular interaction with the people there, he and a few associates from the Sevadal, decided, after an informal conversation on the sandy hills of Balaram, to start a rural educational institute to meet the needs of the people there. After a search for the ideal spot, they settled on Ratanpur in June 1961.
What started on a small scale with just 18 students living and studying in rooms with mud walls and thatched roofs, has grown in the last four and a half decades to a massive campus on which a wide range of educational and social activities are conducted in 36 institutions and catering to over 4000 students.
The institution has had its share of hard times, but was able to overcome these with large donations from sources like Swiss Aid Abroad, Hari Om Ashram (established by H.H. Mota), Mr. Kinsbergen, Governor of Antwerp and numerous Indian diamantaires.
With this backing, Lokniketan, Ratanpur set up a nursery school in 1969, an ashramshala and Kanya Chhatralay in 1970, an Uttar Buniyadi Kanya Vidyalay in 1984, the Lokniketan Mahavidyalay – Bachelor of Rural Studies, with boy’s hostel in 1987, a PG institute, the Lokniketan School of Social Work in 2005, the Lokniketan Shikshan Mahavidyalay (for B. Ed training) in 2006 and the Lokniketan Primary Teacher’s Training College in 2007.
From the late 70’s the institution also began to set up branches in other parts of the district and today has branches in Deesa, Vaav, Deodar, Amirgadh, Dantiwada and Bhabhar talukas.
Besides education, Lokniketan has also been involved in agricultural development through its agricultural centres, cow breeding centres, rural sanitation schemes and a training centre in carpentry and smithy.
The main architects of this educational experiment, Mr. Harisinh Chavda and Mrs. Pushpaben Chavda have not only spread education and knowledge but have also worked to inculcate spiritual, moral and social values in the people whose lives they touch.
Established as a small institution over six decades ago in the backward areas of Danta taluka, Sanali Ashram has today grown into a large education trust doing exemplary work among the adivasis of the area.
This ashram in the Adabij jungles of Danta taluka was established by Akbharbhai Chavda, who dedicated his life to working for the welfare of the adivasis of this region. At that time there were no proper roads in the area nor were there any means of communication. However, being determined to succeed, Mr. Chavda overcame several hurdles and worked tirelessly for several years in Sanali.
In January 1985, Mrs. Sushilaben and Mr. Ramnikbhai Mehta visited the ashram as part of their programme to distribute uniforms to needy school children. Impressed by the outstanding work being carried out in this most backward region of Banaskatha district by the Ashram, they involved themselves in its activities for the next several years, and remained connected with the institution until their death.
Mrs. Naynaben H. Mehta is now closely involved in running of the Trust.
Over the years the Trust has greatly developed its educational activities. It presently runs: Rajmani Vidyalaya, Rajmani Higher Secondary School, Hostels for Boys and Girls, Balvadis, Ashramshala, Buniyadi Vidyalaya, hostels and vocational training centres, etc.
After the country got Independence in 1947, there was an urgent need to spread education to the rural areas, and help develop self-reliance. However due to their poor financial condition, the people living in villages often found it difficult to send their wards to distant large cities for further education.
In such a situation, Mr. Ratilal Tribhuvandas Shah, who had been born and brought up in Malan village in Banaskantha district, and had later moved to Mumbai where he had prospered in the diamond trade, decided to do something to help others from his native village, and established the Shethshri Tribhuvandas Pethabhai High School in Malan in June, 1962. The school provided secondary education to a large number of students from Malan and the nearby villages.
Ratilalkaka was personally involved in the running of the school and on his regular visits to the village, helped the school administration solve many problems. Subsequently, his son, Mr. Satishbhai R. Shah, who was also born in Malan, but had migrated to Mumbai for business purposes, continued his father’s work.
Today his family runs the following institutions in the Malan village:
Shree Ambaji Kelavni Mandal was established in 1983 at Ambaji in the Danta taluka of Banaskantha district.
Shortly after that Shri Shaileshbhai Bachubhai Mehta of Shairu Gems gave the Mandal a donation to start a school in memory of his father, Shri Bachubhai Mehta who spent several years of his life in the town of Ambaji Mandir.
The school, known as Shri Bachubhai Dahyabhai Mehta Arasuri Kanya Vidyalaya Ambaji, had humble beginnings with only 36 girls, but as it grew it has started primary, secondary and higher secondary sections and now has a total strength of 1200 students.
The school works towards holistic development of the girl students and provides them an opportunity to participate in various extra-curricular activities like dance, sports, scouts/guides and vocational courses. The school also has a computer center established in 2001.
Ambaji Kelavni Mandal started the Shri. B. B. Mehta Arasuri BCA College for Computer Education in 2008. There are 50 students currently studying in this college.
The Trust is involved in a number of educational projects in Jagana (which is about 4 Kms from Palanpur), which include a balmandir, shishushalas, primary, secondary and higher secondary schools.
These are the Smt. Sanyuktaben Pravinbhai Mehta Higher Secondary School, Smt. Sunderben Khemchand Mehta Secondary School, Shri Samirbhai Shantilal Mehta Primary School, Shri Rasiklal Chhotalal Mehta Shishushala Division-1, Smt. Sushilaben Rasiklal Mehta Shishushala Division–2, Smt. Sarasvatiben Kantilal Mehta Computer Centre (Secondary Division), Shri Kantilal Chhotalal Mehta Computer Centre (Higher Division), Shri Ghemarbhai Becharbhai Chaudhary Balmandir, Smt. Leelaben Shantilal Rajkaran Mehta Shishu Mandir, Shri Lekhraj Hemraj Bachani Shishu Mandir, Smt. Kamlaben Mafatlal Mehta Library, Shri Samirbhai Shantibhai Mehta Lalitkala Academy, Shri Samirbhai Shantilal Mehta Vocational Education Department and Shri Rajnikant Chhotalal Mehta Kalamandir.
These institutions provide basic education at all levels and in addition also full fledged computer education and vocational training activity like sewing classes etc.
Besides the regular curriculum, all the institutes of the Trust lay great stress on extra curricular activities. The students are encouraged to participate in sports, drawing and essay competitions and have won laurels at the district and state level in many such fields. They are also trained for All-India competitive exams like the Gayatri Pariksha, National Talent Search Exam, Secondary Education Scholarship Exam, Sanskrut Brihad Pariksha, and a number of students have won honours in these. Most recently one of the students secured the first rank in the National Language Hindi Entrance Exam.
Students of the secondary and higher secondary schools run by the Trust have been among the top 10 rankers in SSC and HSC in Banaskantha district in 2005, with two of the students topping the district at the SSC exams.
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