UTTARAKHAND : Ashwini Gaur teaches in a government school in Uttarakhand’s Rudraprayag district. But his classroom extends well beyond it—to mobile phones, village libraries, poetry gatherings and social media, where hundreds of children across the State follow his lessons.
Over the past decade, the teacher from the hill village of Dankot has used Garhwali poetry, science lessons, community libraries and free online classes to make education more relevant to children growing up in the mountains. Along the way, he has also emerged as a recognised poet and science communicator.
Born on December 1, 1987, to Harshmani Gaur and Manorama Devi, Gaur grew up in Dankot in the Basukedar region as the only brother of three sisters. He developed an interest in poetry while still at school.
After completing his schooling at Government Inter College, Kimana-Dankot, he enrolled for a Bachelor of Science degree at Government Degree College, Agastyamuni. There, he began taking part in cultural programmes, writing for the college magazine and contributing articles on social and cultural issues to newspapers and periodicals.
He continued writing, often focusing on the concerns of ordinary people. One letter, in particular, stayed with him. A mass communication student at Srinagar University wrote to say that Gaur’s articles had inspired him to begin writing.
“For a young writer, learning that your words have encouraged someone else is an unforgettable feeling,” Gaur recalled. “The experience convinced me that writing could do more than express personal emotions—it could inform, inspire and show others a way forward.”
Although he began writing in Hindi, Gaur later turned to Garhwali after becoming associated with Kalash, a literary and cultural organisation in Rudraprayag. Its poetry gatherings brought him recognition be ond the district.
Invitations followed from All India Radio’s Pauri station and Doordarshan Uttarakhand. Over the years, he has shared the stage with established poets at literary events and anchored programmes for radio and TV.
When Gaur joined the Uttarakhand Education Department in May 2016, he decided against treating teaching as a routine government job. Instead, he began experimenting with ways to make learning more engaging and culturally rooted.
One such initiative is Sanskarshala, or school of values, through which he connects online with hundreds of children free of cost. The sessions introduce students to writing, vocabulary and language while encouraging them to stay connected with ethical values, family traditions and their cultural roots. Science is another area where Gaur has tried to do things differently.
His efforts to widen learning predate his government service. In 2015, he began collecting books and setting up libraries at a local school and at his home to make local language, culture and literature more accessible.
According to Gaur, one of his students received encouragement in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Mann Ki Baat programme earlier this year, where the importance of value-based education was highlighted.
Outside the classroom, Gaur uses YouTube and Facebook to promote science education and Uttarakhand’s folk culture.
