Achieving 100 percent in an SSLC Board Exam is a vision that appears in the dreams of every student, but few wake up to it as a reality. 625 out of 625 in SSLC Board exams! That is some achievement; and the achievement belongs to Sixteen-year-old Dheeraj Reddy M P a student of Shri Sathya Sai Sharada Niketanam, Maradevanahalli, Dudda in Mandya district.
With perseverance, learning, and commitment,all things are possible. As beautiful as the word ‘success’ sounds, tons of hard work pile up in the background, before it is attained. And that is something that none, but the achiever can see.
Dheeraj’s parents are teachers, and possibly he learned from them that, all that teachers look for in a student, is that their tireless efforts bear fruit in the form of success…Indeed, Dheeraj credits his success to their ongoing support throughout his journey to perfection.
His parents who reside in Kolar district along with his elder brother, who is also an IAS aspirant, are, according to him, the true inspiration for his accomplishment. English is one of his favorite subjects. “My goal is to stop corruption and make our country free of corruption…” The talented young man plans to study his PU in Muddenahalli of Chikkaballapura District. Can’t wait for the 12th Board results, as we all know who’s going to top the list!.
Karnataka’s SSLC exams were initially scheduled to be conducted from March 27 to April 9, 2020, however, the exams were postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic followed by the nation-wide lockdown. The Board later conducted the exam from June 25, 2020, to July 4, 2020.
The COVID9 pandemic and its aftermath had put a spanner in the works, almost. But for Dheeraj and his friends, it was just the additional motivation they required. Stuck at home during the lockdown, and with a lot more time to prepare, prepare, prepare, Dheeraj did just that, prepare, but without anxiety about the future. He was more than ready when the Government announced the schedule!
Dheeraj says he might have imbibed the motivation to aim and score high by his mother when he was just a toddler. He recalls, “When I was in LKG, my mother was the headmistress of my school who inspired me to study well and score 100 out of 100 every time.”
But why to go to Mandya to study I ask. “Well, while I was studying in the 8th grade, my elder brother was studying in Muddenahalli, Chikkaballapura District, at the Sathya Sai Baba Institute. When I used to visit him, the serene environment on the campus, with the teachers dressed in white, and the presence of Sri Sathya Sai Baba drew me to it. I wanted to study in just such a space. So, for my 9th and 10th std, I joined the Shri Sathya Sai Sharada Niketanam, Maradevanahalli.”
Maybe it was meant to be, and it turned out exceptionally well.
The perfect 10
Remember Nadia Comaneci, the Romanian Gymnast who scored a perfect 10 at the Montreal Olympics in 1976?
The sight of the 1.5m 14-year-old gymnast Nadia Comaneci standing next to a digital scoreboard showing a mark of 1.00 at the Olympic Games Montreal 1976 is one of the most instantly recognizable sporting images of all time. The watching world quickly realized what it had witnessed: the first perfect routine by a gymnast in Olympic history. For the Romanian, it took a little longer to register. She had scored a perfect 10 and the scoreboard had no answer!
The arena’s scoreboard struggled to deal with the diminutive Romanian’s brilliance. History recalls that OMEGA, the Olympic Games official timekeepers and scorers since 1932, had asked organizers before the 1976 Games whether the scoreboards needed updating to accommodate four digits. They were told it was not necessary.
Not in the case of Dheeraj. 3 Digits were sufficient, and the scoreboard was up to the task.
But Dheeraj followed an exemplary achievement routine that proved perhaps, other than his brilliance, to be the cornerstone of his success. It was embedded in his DNA at the residential school he studied in which was part of the E1E1 imitative, an initiative for classy rural education in the gurukul tradition put together by the alumni of the Satya Sai Institutions…
The campus environment that is a part of this initiative fosters both academics and values and takes a holistic approach to education that nurtures the head, heart, and body.
Dheeraj explained. “My routine started when I woke up at 4 in the morning. Then we would do yoga and exercise for a while. Later, we used to have study classes for 2-3 hours. Making it much easier as teachers used to clarify our doubts in the study class. This was followed by a prayer. Regular lasses would end at 3:30 pm. Snacks and games followed, and then we would wind down reciting prayers, studying the Vedas, and devotion. Lastly, we would have normal classes to revise that cleared our topics for the day.” How could he not score cent percent?
Despite his academic achievement, we must appreciate that Dheeraj goes beyond academics too. He is an exceptionally good orator and has won several awards at Science Debates. He is sharp, but he is also polite and a favorite of his teachers, not just his parents!
But Dheeraj says, “My efforts are limited by time and ability. It is the divine presence of Shri Sathya Sai Baba that has made a difference. Everything is from his grace. And my parents love is the greatest gift.”
The mantra that he gives out to aspiring toppers, “Concentrate a 100% while studying, ignore negative thoughts. Make sure your concepts and points are clear. In case you have a doubt, clear it immediately. Do your best and offer the rest to God. “
The Each one Educate one initiative: Education for transformation(indeed!)
Dheeraj has climbed the pinnacle of SSLC by his own efforts and hard work, but as he himself says, his perfect 10 is the result of his parents love and support and the holistic education he received in the gurukul tradition under the E1E1 imitative at the Shri Sathya Sai Sharada Niketanam, Maradevanahalli, Mandya.
What is this E1E1 imitative that is producing such brilliance?
It is a rural education initiative on the principle that every individual in society has a responsibility and is therefore a stakeholder in rendering this noble service to society.
The initiative’s name flows from this principle – It is aptly called Each one Educate one! And the name stands out and rests on four pillars – but they are strong pillars unlike the pillars of our democracy perhaps. These are
- Education as A Service to Society provided free of cost
- A Rural Focus and Rural Bias
- The provision of Holistic Education: residential campuses, life skills with a strong foundation in values through Community Living. Academics, Sports, Arts, Culture, Spirituality, Frugal Living, Societal Responsibility, Leadership Development, Self-Reliance are all aspects ingrained in the life in the campus.
- Society as a Stakeholder in Education: Every individual in society has to discern the kind of society he/she wants to live in and invest in modeling an education system that will help us get there. Currently, they have a donor base of 900 and a volunteer base of around 250 persons helping them out.
Today the E1E1 initiative has 24 schools spread across 16 districts of Karnataka with new schools planned in Kolar, Haveri, Doddaballapura, and Kodagu districts of Karnataka and in Madurai, Tamilnadu. They hope to have 15000 students on their campuses by 2023.
The Inspiration: Sri Sathya Sai Baba
But this kind of big picture thinking does not come without inspiration. One does need motivation in some form or the other. For the proponents of this initiative, the inspiration is the life and legacy of Sri Sathya Sai Baba whose championing of the ideal of Education as a Service to society has transformed many lives, families, and communities.
The E1E1 initiative has been launched and managed by the alumni of the Sri Sathya Sai Educational Institutions, who, having been beneficiaries of this free education, now endeavor to pass this benefit on to many others and champion the growth of this model of education.
How does it work?
It works through two schemes: Each one, educate one and Each one, embrace one. Mathematically that means half the population is expected to educate the other half across the 600 + districts in India.
Under the Each one, educate one program, all students in the initiative’s partner schools are provided education at no cost; and the Each one, embrace one program offers a full scholarship to children who come from underprivileged backgrounds.
So, a child benefits, yes. But how? A child on any of the E1 E1 partner campuses benefits from good and wholesome education – that would mean that an environment and logistics that foster both academics and values and one that nurtures the head, heart, and body.
Join hands to further the cause
Theirs is a story replete with challenges, but worth joining forces with, for it serves a purpose – the greater glory of our nation and solves a major lacuna in our governance model, despite the Right to Education Act.
How can you help?
- Become an E1E1 Champion – Spread the word of this initiative
- Sign up as a volunteer – Help manage the program
- Facilitate town halls on the subject in your area – to enlighten and encourage participation
- Contribute – take the responsibility of educating one or more children (eligible for 80 G Deduction)
Of course, to each, his own of course depending on his / her circumstances.
