RANCHI: Bringing a ray of hope to families in Bidikai village of Khunti, a makeshift school was formally inaugurated with the support of the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Ranchi on Thursday.
The initiative has paved the way for primary education for 35 children who were earlier deprived of learning opportunities due to the absence of a school in the village and their lack of means to travel several kilometres to attend one. The New Indian Express had published a report – ‘No roads, no schools: Modern facilities merely a dream in Jharkhand's Budikai village’ on December 24, following which, IIM-Ranchi stepped in to provide basic primary education to children who have long been deprived of schooling due to the absence of schools in the village.
The decision was taken following a field visit done by a team from IIM-Ranchi, headed by Assistant Professor Gaurav Marathe, on December 31, 2025. Students and professors raised funds to construct an asbestos-roofed shed at a cost of approximately Rs 15,000, while the villagers completed the construction work by sourcing timber from the forest and contributing their own manual labour.
Bogan Hans, the most educated person in the village, will teach students three hours daily, for which he will get Rs 5,000 every month from IIM-Ranchi.
Once a hamlet under the influence of Maoists, this settlement is now taking strides toward education. Of all necessary amenities, the absence of educational facilities has been the most striking; not a single resident of Budikai has passed Class 10 exams so far.
Meanwhile, a team from IIM-Ranchi visited the village and distributed slates, chalks and other stationery items to boost the morale of the students and their parents. A ‘festival of education’ was observed in the village, with the local ‘pahan’ (tribal priest) performing puja in the presence of the entire village.
The IIM Professor said that the school was formally started on Thursday. "With the funds raised by the students of IIM-Ranchi through a programme – ‘Joy of Giving,’, the villagers have constructed a make-shift shed where classes for the children will be conducted from 8 am to 10 am on daily basis," said Marathe.
According to Marathe, teams from IIM-Ranchi will continue visiting the village on a regular basis and monitor the educational activities there.
The villagers responded enthusiastically to the initiative. They are hopeful that it will transform both the image and the destiny of their village.
“The flame of education kindled in Budikay village through this endeavour by IIM-Ranchi is poised to serve as an inspiration for the entire region in the times to come,” said a villager, Sagar Munda.
Development works got delayed as the village was considered to be a stronghold of Maoists, he added.
Notably, modern facilities have failed to reach Budikai village even after 78 years of independence. The most affected of all amenities is education -- only a handful of students can afford to travel to the nearest school, at least 5-6 km away.
Budikai village, a home to just 35 families, still lacks almost every basic facility—roads, schools, electricity and safe drinking water—forcing villagers to depend largely on their surrounding environment for survival. The only way to reach the village is through a roughly carved path along the mountains, built entirely by the residents themselves.