The Bharti Foundation and its associates have decided to open 1,000 primary schools in villages across the country with an investment of Rs 200 crore (Rs 2 billion).
This was stated by Rakesh Bharti Mittal, vice-chairman and managing director of Bharti group at a function held to commemorate Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, who died on May 27, 1964, at Ludhiana last week.
"We have already opened 200 primary schools under the name of "Satya Bharti School" in various states of the country, including Punjab. We want to achieve the target of 1,000 schools in five years," he said. The Bharti foundation is running eight schools in Ludhiana district, which are associated with the Punjab School Education Board.
The aim is to help the needy children who drop out of school without completing their school education due to family circumstances."
Bharti foundation is running eight schools in Ludhiana district alone, where there are 556 students and 20 teachers. These schools are associated with Punjab School Education Board.
Rakesh Bharti said the students in these schools were very poor. "At the Laddowal School, we have some students whose parents can't afford even Rs 15 as the school fee for three months. The school is providing them education free of cost."
Mittal said there was a major need to open such schools in the country. "If we do not take this initiative, it will have dire consequences. After five years, about 26 crore (Rs 260 million) children between the age of 6-10 years will be without proper schooling."
Mittal added that Nehru Siddhant Kendra Trust, Ludhiana, will finance the entire schooling of 10 percent students at the Sat Paul Mittal School, so that meritorious students of low and medium income group may get the opportunity to study in a good public school.
