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Nanabhai Bhatt (educationist)

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For Indian filmmaker, see Nanabhai Bhatt.

Nrusinhprasad Kalidas Bhatt
Born11 November 1882
Bhavnagar, Gujarat, India
Died31 December 1961
Bhavnagar, Gujarat, India
Known forEducation, Reforms, Rural Welfare, Dakshinamurti, Lokbharti

Nanabhai Bhatt, born Nrusinhprasad Kalidas Bhatt, was an Indian educator, writer, thinker and Indian independence activist. Bhatt was a contemporary of educators Gijubhai Badheka and Harbhai Trivedi. The three worked to advance rural education. Bhatt died on December 31, 1961.

Early life

Bhatt was born on November 11, 1882, in Bhavnagar. He attended Shamaldas Arts College there, where he completed his M.A.

Career

He started his career as a principal at a high school in Mahuva, Bhavnagar, Gujarat, and became a professor at Shamaldas College. From 1908-1915, the concept and fulfilment of Dakshinamurti Vidhyarthi Bhavan, a residential educational institute, was gradually accomplished. The institute was formally established in 1910.[1]

Bhatt was a thinker and reformer. He became Vice Chancellor at Gujarat Vidyapith, and during 1925-28 as Vice-Chancellor of Gujarat Vidyapith. In 1938, he established Gram Dakshinamurti, an Institute of Basic Education at Ambala, Sihor Taluka, targeting education in rural areas.

Lokbharti

He became Minister of Education in Saurashtra state in 1948. In 1953, he founded Lokbharti, a university for rural villagers who otherwise lacked access to higher education, in Sanosara, Gujarat. Lokbharti is based on the vision and message of Mahatma Gandhi of a strong and self-sufficient rural India.[2]

Bhatt founded other educational institutions such as Dakshinamurti Vidyarthi Bhavan / Dakshinamurti Vinay Mandir - Bhavnagar, Gram Dakshinamurti - Ambala.[3]

Philanthropy and other works

Bhatt devoted his life to the welfare of rural communities and education. He wrote and published books and publications from 1920 to 1959, focusing on education, religion, humanity, social science, history, self help and character development. He remained an active 'Satyagrahi' and a freedom fighter for the Indian independence movement. He was arrested multiple times for this activity. According to the famous Gujarati writer Manubhai Pancholi, Bhatt had a good knowledge of Sanskrit classical texts such as the Upanishads. A member of Rajya Sabha from 1954–57,[4] Bhatt was awarded Padma Shri in 1960 for "Social Work".

References

  1. ^ "South Asian Freedom Struggle" (PDF).
  2. ^ Gorana, Atul Pandya, Pankaj. "Lokbharti Gramvidyapith". www.lokbharti.org. Retrieved 13 November 2017.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  3. ^ Amaresh Datta. The Encyclopaedia Of Indian Literature (Volume One (A To Devo), Volume 1. Sahitya Akademi. p. 473. ISBN 978-81-260-1803-1.
  4. ^ "Alphabetical List Of All Members Of Rajya Sabha Since 1952".
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