MANGALURU: Bengaluru-based industrialist Ajit Kumar Rai has gifted a building worth Rs 1.25 crore to his alma mater, a government school in Vitla, about 40 km from Mangaluru. The three-storied building, consisting of 10 classrooms and an auditorium with a glossy granite flooring, will be inaugurated on February 22.
Both Rai, who is the CMD of Suprajit Group of Industries, and his father late Dr Manjunath Rai, are the alumni of this 138-year-old school. A year ago, the school authorities brought it to Rai’s notice about the space crunch in the school and requested him for help. Rai, who also runs a charitable trust - Suprajit Foundation, readily agreed to get a new building constructed in the memory of his father.
Narayan Gowda, Block Resource Co-ordinator, Bantwal, said the transformation in the century-old school started a year ago with another alumnus Subraya Pai adopting the school. Even Pai’s father Janardhan Pai studied in the same school.
Pai, who runs a cashew industry in Vitla, has spent over Rs 50 lakh in the last one year towards repair and painting of the old school building, procuring school bus, strengthening of library and providing science laboratory, borewell and furniture for the new school building. He has also recruited six teachers for whom he is paying a total salary of around Rs 45,000 a month.
The strength of the school has gone up to 570 this year from last year’s 400. The school has classes from 1 to 8 and both Kannada and English medium. Within half a kilometre radius of this government school, there are about five private schools. Some parents even pulled out their wards from private schools to admit them to this government school. The school bus ferries children from 5-6 villages like Pradibagilu, Kanatakde, Korangayi, Ochetur and others that are 2-8 km away. Annapurna Trust provides breakfast to children every day.
Gowda said children’s attendance has improved in the school and there are no incidents of children fainting in morning assembly. The recruitment of six teachers has reduced the pressure on the 16 permanent teachers. Now, each of them teach for just six periods per day compared to eight periods in other schools. This has helped them focus on individual students and thereby improve the quality.
Zilla Panchayat CEO said he was amazed to learn about the gesture of both Rai and Pai. “They are spending a huge amount for a noble cause and have set an example as to how a big transformation can be brought in the system with active involvement of the people.”