BIHAR: A group of bureaucrats from Bihar have done their bit for children belonging to the economically weaker sections of society. Head to AIM Pathshala being run for free in three districts in the state, Gopalganj, Samastipur and Aurangabad. Three government officers, Santosh Kumar, IAS, Vijay Kumar, IRTS, and Ranjan Prakash, deputy commandant with CRPF, ‘AIM’ Pathshala is popular enough in those districts. Parents make inquiries so that their children become bureaucrats though proper guidance.
Santosh Kumar, a 2014 batch IAS officer and currently posted as district magistrate in New Delhi, says, there is no dearth of talent in Bihar but the youth lack guidance and support. “That’s where we come in at AIM Pathshala, a new educational initiative,” he said. AIM stands for Ambedkar Institute for the Marginalized. “Baba Saheb Ambedkar always talked about education for unprivileged sections and women’s empowerment. That’s why we chose to christen it AIM Pathshala.
The aim of the Pathshala is to provide supplementary education to those children who can’t afford private coaching or tuition after school hours to do well in their studies. AIM Pathshala began in 2019 with the support of the three officers and a few other like-minded people. Not a full-fledged school but a complementary educational institution for class 1 to 10 children from the poorer strata of society, the Pathshalas run at designated places from 7 to 10 am daily.
Mentors respond to many anxious queries at the Pathshalas. The bureaucrats have hired a couple of qualified teachers from nearby localities to teach the students. Help from other experts is also made available. The expenses of tuition and study material for the children are borne by the group. The AIM Pathshala also focuses on school-level competitive exams. “Special attention is given to those who are studying in class 5 and are appearing for Navodaya Vidyalaya examinations or other schools,” says Santosh.
During holidays, the officers visit the Pathshalas that are located in their hometowns and give motivational speeches on choosing career options. “We tell our students that we too come from the same background,” says the IAS officer. Two more Pathshalas came up in Siwan and Kishanganj districts recently. They are being managed by Mustaq, a 2016 batch IPS officer and a city resident. Mustaq is currently posted as Superintendent of Police in UP.
The officers have set up Pathshalas in their respective villages. While Santosh has set up a unit in his native village Basant Ramni in Samastipur, Vijay has opened one at Pithauri village in Gopalganj district. Similarly, Ranjan Prasad has set up Pathshala at Tarai village in Aurangabad district. The Pathshala has around 450 students, out of which 40% are girls. A Pathshala also gives proper attention on personality development. The officers attend motivational and career development classes during holidays. “We spend time with our students during holidays,” says another member Vijay.
Plans are afoot to expand the AIM Pathshalas in all 38 districts of Bihar. However, lack of funds and infrastructure such as lands has put the endevour on hold for now. “You have to take care of the underprivileged kids.We have a social responsibility and this educational initiative is a part of it,” Santosh said.
Three government officers came together to set up training centres for children belonging to underprivileged sections in three districts of Bihar. They want to expand it to other districts, but don’t have enough resources, Ramashankar writes