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NES & SVB
The National Education Society (NES), founded in 1963, along with Saraswathi Vidya Bhavan (SVB), founded in 1983, today stands tall with 69 constituent institutions imparting quality education to 43,500 students. Our student body encompasses pre-school, graduates, and postgraduates, including PhDs in various professional areas and conventional disciplines.
National Education Society and Saraswathi Vidya Bhavan Education Group of 69 Institutions (NES-SVB Group) bears eloquent testimony to the power of one visionary, Dr. R. Varadarajan who has been working with single minded focus and far sightedness.Our visionary deserves credit for creating access to quality, value- based education in transforming some of the far-flung suburban areas of Mumbai and Thane Districts.
The seeds of NES were sown in 1963 with 7 students enrolling for learning with this young and entrepreneurial teacher in his humble 10 by 10 classroom at Bhandup, then an area known more as a settlement for blue collar workers. Back then a young man in his late teens, he had just come to Mumbai from Thanjavur with only the SSLC qualification, to start his job in a private limited company
Thus, this tiny school became the first step to write his tryst with education. Initially, there were hurdles in the path but with his steel resolve, keen passion for education and determination he forged ahead, undaunted, plodding on, going door-to-door, collecting funds and convincing the parents to send their children to school. The benefits of telecommunications and social media did not exist then. He set milestones for himself in building institution so that the God-sent children in the school could have a well laid route for their educational journey.
Thus came the first school building to house the Primary and Secondary school, followed by a Junior College. His efforts bore fruit when his first school - NES Primary School was declared as an ‘A Grade School’ by the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai. Accordingly, the required recognition was granted. The school maintained the A Grade status 1 and was also awarded a special incentive grant for Secondary School and Junior College. This provided a great impetus, not to mention the fact that as the Institutions grew, the achievements of the school, the students and the Founder too did grow. This was followed by the bar raised by SSC students achieving 100% passing results. Yet another feather in the cap -Merit Ranks secured by NES students of High School, Junior College and Degree College. This set the benchmark for all the other institutions established by him.
He did not rest on his laurels but worked harder for expansion. In the year 1983, a sister trust was formed - Saraswathi Vidya Bhavan - to offer professional education and education for the underprivileged. This educational trust was placed under the care of Mrs. Saraswathi Varadarajan. The trust established 3 Kindergarten schools followed by Primary and Secondary Schools. Special mention may be made here of SVB’s 2 schools - one at Dharavi slum locality where the children had no school in the neighbourhood, and, the second school at a remote suburb, Dombivli, on the outskirts of the city. Dombivli, being in those days, a near forest and hilly area, had been excluded from growth due to lack of educational facilities. A delegation of American education experts have offered their support for the Dharavi school in the slum, describing it as a ‘wondrous school.’ The school at rural Dombivli has succeeded in creating awakening amongst the villagers about the value of education.
The degree college in Arts, Science and Commerce under NES group was also established in 1983. Though it began operations from a makeshift structure, it was soon moved to a separate college building. NES Ratnam College today, offers undergraduate programmes like BMS, B. Com (Banking and Insurance), B.Sc. (I.T.), BSc. (Comp. Science), B.Com (Accounting and Finance) apart from conventional programmes in Arts, Science and Commerce , Postgraduate Programs in Physics, Chemistry, Commerce, Study Center of 2 YCMOU offering B.A, B.Com, and MBA Programmes, and a Centre for Doctoral Studies. The NES – SVB complex at Bhandup is now recognized for its Schools/Colleges , including the school for Hearing Impaired.
In 1993, the SVB Trust established a College of Pharmacy, followed by a College of Education (B.Ed.), D.Ed., E.C.C.Ed. etc, a well-equipped I.T. Centre and a Sports School. The trust has invested in a vast plot of land at Dombivli/Dawadi for a Self-Financed University with world class courses and infrastructure. This University is now shaping up and the Foundation Stone would be laid in 2019.
The Founder’s emphasis on quality in education led to the National Centre for R & D in Education, Science and Technology – one of a kind in India’s private sector. This R & D Centre established at the behest of Jagadguru Shankaracharya of Kanchi has been motivating educators to orient themselves towards innovative teaching. Accordingly, His Holiness Jagadguru Shankaracharya National Award for Teachers and National Eminence Award for eminent personalities of the country, were instituted in 2001. Thus this Centre has instituted at the benign command of Jagadguru, these prestigious awards to be conferred upon the best teacher in every state and eminent celebrities who walk the extra mile in their jobs and careers, and make an impact in society. The Jagadguru Shankaracharya National Award and National Eminence Awards Committee scours different corners of the country to identify the winners for this prestige. The R&D Centre has brought about a sea-change in the results of all academic institutions, where their findings and recommendations have been implemented
Not content with achievements so far, the Founder took on a special research to study changes in the educational systems prevailing in different countries. He resolved that International Baccalaureate (IB) and Cambridge (CAIE) education were the next wave in 3 school education. Thus, the first IB World School was set up in 2004-05 along with the almost parallel curriculum of Cambridge (CAIE). This school has carved its niche, with the students topping at the country as well as at world level, besides creating excellent records in sports, and several other novel initiatives like Space Science, the NES World Peace Congress, Entrepreneurship, Journalism, Value Education, the annual NES International Science and Technology Festival and so on
Today, NES-SVB Education Group stands tall, with a strong team of Management and teachers, deeply committed to their 65 Institutions. In addition to the University, there is on the anvil, a professional institute for Vocational Diploma/Degree College at Dharavi slum adjacent to the existing school, to cater to the economic needs of the community, including a National Centre for Skill Development in collaboration with Edith Cowan University, Australia, under the auspices of the National Skill Development Council, Government of India
NES-SVB Group sets a supreme example of how unstinted effort backed by strong values,dedication and total focus can transform society. Each of the localities in the 6 complexes where the educational institutions were established, have metamorphosed into educational hubs providing a stable anchor of hope and aspiration to the youth in particular and the community at large.