the hour

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TAKING OVER CHARGE OF THE KALGIDHAR TRUST IN 1965 AFTER HIS GUIDE/ MENTOR MR. TEJA SINGH (MA. LLB, AM HARVARD) PASSED AWAY, IQBAL SINGH AFTER RETIRING IN 1987 OPERATIONALISED THE MISSION OF "COMBINING MODERN EDUCATION WITH FAITH TO PRODUCE GOOD GLOBAL CITIZENS". HE STARTED A 1 ROOM SCHOOL IN 1986 WITH ONLY 5 STUDENTS WHICH TODAY IS A CHAIN OF 111 CBSE AFFILIATED ENGLISH MEDIUM SCHOOLS, 24 COLLEGES, 2 PRIVATE UNIVERSITIES BENEFITTING AROUND 60,000 RURAL STUDENTS. THESE INSTITUTIONS ARE IN DEEP RURAL HEARTS OF NORTH INDIA "AWAY FROM URBANISATION" IMPARTING VALUE-BASED EDUCATION TO RURAL MARGINALISED CHILDREN WHO OTHERWISE ARE EXPOSED TO THE MENACE OF DRUGS AND ALCOHOL ABUSE IN RURAL NORTH INDIA. FURTHERING THE CAUSE OF WOMEN EMPOWERMENT IN RURAL AREAS BY SETTING UP EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS DEDICATED TO WOMEN, TEACHERS TRAINING PROGRAMS AND EMPLOYMENT CENTRES WITHIN THE VILLAGES. TODAY MORE THAN 2000 RURAL GIRLS ARE BEING IMPARTED FREE TEACHERS TRAINING TO BE INDUCTED INTO OWN SCHOOLS. WITH MILLIONS OF BENEFICIARIES/VOLUNTEERS WORLDWIDE, MR. IQBAL SINGH HAS BEEN WORKING RELENTESSLY IN THE DIRECTION OF IMPARTING EDUCATION IN THE RURAL MARGINALISED AREAS OF NORTH INDIA. HE BELIEVES THAT RURAL CHILDREN ARE GETTING PUSHED AWAY FROM THE MAINSTREAM AND CANNOT REALLY CONTRIBUTE MUCH TO THE NATION'S GROWTH HENCE THE DRIVE TO "EDUCATE-ENSHRINE-EMPOWER" THESE LARGE MASSES IS THE NEED OF THE HOUR. NOW, ABOVE 86 YEARS OF AGE, HE IS VIGOUROULY WORKING TO ACHIEVE THE SHORT TERM GOAL OF 150 SCHOOLS BY 2013 AND LONG TERM GOAL OF 500 SCHOOLS WITHIN THE NEXT DECADE.