Ramakrishna Mission Vidyapith, Deoghar

Appeal

Dear Friends,

Ramakrishna Mission Vidyapith, Deoghar - a branch of Ramakrishna Mission, Belur Math, is a well-known premier non-profit Educational institution - the first ever Residential School of the Ramakrishna Mission. It organises a large variety of programmes related to Formal and Non-formal Education, Moral and Spiritual uplift of the Masses, Vocational Training to the poor and young people, Rural Development time to time. With a Monastic staff of about 15, resident staff of more than 100, and a total staff strength of more than 150, the Ashrama serves 500 resident students, and rural people of the localities through its numerous programmes and activities, some of which are listed below:

Educational Activities: Secondary and Senior Secondary School

It is an establishment comprising two sections, namely the Secondary Section and the Senior Secondary Section (+2). They are housed in two different campuses in their respective hostels. It is permanently affiliated to the Central Board of Secondary Education, New Delhi and its performances in Board Examinations have been consistently commendable, for which there is enormous demand for admission from all over the country. The school has an effective strength of 500 students from classes VI to XII. Besides academic studies, boys are being trained in music, art, games and sports, debate and discourses, martial arts, yoga, vyayam, gymnastics etc. under the guidance of able instructors. The Vidyapith has 15 dormitories for the boys to reside. Apart from academic pursue, daily morning and evening prayers in the shrine and assembly in the school are fascinating to watch. A sincere attempt is being made to combine the ancient and the modern - Vidyarthi Vrata - a reminder of our ancient Gurukula System on the one hand and Cyber Education symbolic of HI-TECH modernism on the other. The teacher and taught ratio is 1:15 that is the maximum of its own in our country to pay special and proper attention to our students.

Inter - dormitory/ inter School - inter College Competitions

To promote and foster a sense of healthy contests, the inter-dormitory competitions are held every month; the best dham, senior and junior group are awarded. To facilitate all round development of a student, stress has been laid both up on academic as well as upon extra-academic activities; as such the boys have been exposed to different National - Level competitions like debate, recitation, elocution, quiz, creative writings, organising seminars, science clubs, discussion on dissertations, preparation of wall magazines, etc.

Every year we conduct Inter School/College competitions for Speech, Debate, Recitation, Music, Art, Essay, Quiz, etc. among the school in and around District Deoghar. A good number of participants recorded every year. We give prizes to 1st, 2nd, 3rd and special prizes for every competition as well as each participant are awarded with a Certificate of Honour and some gift-books for their encouragement.

Library

The Vidyapith has a splendid Library for the students and staff for each of Secondary and Senior Secondary Section. As on date there are (21041 in Secondary library and 3536 in Senior Secondary library) books on different subjects like Sanskrit, English, Bengali, Hindi, etc. There are 44 periodicals and 11 Newspapers.

Publication

The Vidyapith has continued with unabated interest in the religious publications like Sangeet Sangraha, Sangeet Mala, Sadhan Sangeet, Bachcho Ke Sri Ramakrishna, Vivekanander Katha O Galpa, Vivekananda Ki Laghu Kathaein, Atma Vikas, Sri Ramakrishna, Ma Sarada and Swami Vivekananda a publication in Santhali.

Vivekananda Balakendra

Swami Vivekananda visualised: "Let New India arise out of peasant's cottage grasping the plough, from beside the oven of the fritter seller .......". To translate Swamiji's vision into a reality, a band of dedicated Monks of the Vidyapith started Vivekananda Balakendra, a free study-coaching unit. The Institution caters to the needy, poor and under-privileged children mostly drawn from ST, SC and OBC communities. The Vivekananda Balakendra also imparts Vocational training in Electric Motor Winding, Electric Wiring, Electric Arc Welding, and Computer etc. The Vocational section is an accredited unit of National Institute for Open Schooling (NIOS). We provide free tiffin - boiled eggs and milk daily, free books, free clothing etc. to the approximately 300 boys and girls. A small library is also maintained for them. Boys and girls perform morning and evening prayer in their shrine regularly.

Relief Works & Rural Development:

Ramakrishna Mission Vidyapith, Deoghar has been working for the poor, needy and downtrodden people of the villages to uplift their social and economic status. It installed seven Tube-wells in remote villages like Santhal Badiya, Baghmari, & Gunwaraidih of Deoghar Block, Ghordaha, Jaynagara & Amgachhi of Pallojouri Block, district Deoghar, Jharkhand. We have started Water Harvesting Project for awareness among the rural people and for this we have constructed 3 Masonry Check Dams in Sarasani and Choufal (Khijuria Panchayat) of and 10 Special Water Tank in the villages Harlajouri (Harlajouri Mouza), Naya Chitkat (Mouza Lakra), Purana Chitkat (Mouza Tiket Bandh) Karni, Padanbera, Kureba, Ruderpur (Mouza Fata) Jamua (Mouza Bara) of Deoghar district. Every year we distribute about 2000 blankets to the poor and old people of the locality.

Sarada Charitable Dispensary:

Under the guidance of qualified doctors, the Dispensary has been serving the poor people of the locality almost from its inception. It treated more than 1300 patients during 2006-2007 in Allopathy and Homoeopathy disciplines. There are provisions of a pathological wing, ECG and X-ray units for both Indoor and Outdoor patients. The Dental clinic well equipped with modern facilities and Computerised Diagnosis of disease in Homeopathy departments is happy inclusions. We have also installed a Semi Auto Analyzer in the pathological laboratory. We have also set up a modern eye-clinic, a new Physiotherapy unit, ENT department in addition to department of General Medicine, Cardiology, Orthopedics & Gynaecology which had already been working, E. E. G. Machine has been of immense benefit to the people of Santhal Pargana Division. New Indoor Medical unit has been set up to take medical care of the boys pertaining to Senior Secondary Section. Apart from this, there is a small Medical Ward of 12 beds for the inmates of the Ashrama in its premises. Ample measures were taken to upgrade our Pathological Laboratory. A new X-ray Machine has been installed in the indoor department to facilitate treatment of our boys. A TMT machine, a USG and Echocardiogram facilities have further strengthened our Charitable Dispensary. A PFT machine and a Fully Automated Haematology Analyser have been installed for welfare of poor patients. We have started Ayurvedic, Physiotherapy and Naturopathy mode of treatment also with the help of qualified doctors.

Our Immediate Need:

1. Recently the unprecedented rain for two weeks without break caused a little bit of disastrous situation in Vidyapith. The hostel roofs were leaking and altogether 25 buildings were found to have damaged roof with seepage of water. Consequently the students had to sleep on wet beds. The wardens also were no exception to this. The school building in the Higher Secondary Section has been badly damaged because the roof of the Chemistry Laboratory got cracked and the Laboratory Apparatii were all wet for two weeks. Recently the rain has stopped though; there is no certainty that it will not come again. Some experts were called from Kolkata to give advice regarding roof treatment and waterproof lamination - the best of its kind for old buildings. The lamination will cost about Rs. 46.55 per Sq. ft. and the total cost for all the damaged roofs will cost approximately Rs. 34.5 lakhs, plus other contingency expenses.

2. Of late the underground electric cable from the Generator Room to the Outdoor Charitable Dispensary, Dormitories, School building and Vivekananda Balakendra has been found to be so damaged that we cannot afford to supply power to the X-ray machine or other electrical gadgets as well as the study of the students is also getting affected. We also have an auditorium which needs power supply during load shedding but the cable is gone beyond repairable condition. The specified cable e.g. 50 sq. mm, 3½ core of length 2500 Meters will cost about Rs. 4.3 lakhs that we need urgently.

3. We have to face a lot of problem due to scarcity of proper guesthouse. Hundreds of devotees are coming every year to stay here and we have to show our inability, which is very heartening for us as well as very difficult for the poor guests who want to visit Vidyapith, Deoghar but due to heavy charges of Hotels they afraid to come here. The total project will cost about Rs. 30 lakhs.

4. The boundary wall of our institution is severely damaged in some places. We want to replace the damaged portion with new construction and for this an amount of Rs. 12 lakhs is required.

5. We have started an awareness project called "Rainwater Harvesting Project" in Deoghar district of Jharkhand state. We are demonstrating this project in rural areas by constructing check dams, special water tanks. Deoghar is a hilly area and there is no way to store the rainwater without knowledge of Rainwater Harvesting. Previous year we have constructed 10 Special Water Tanks and 3 Check Dams. To run this project about Rs. 10 lakhs will be required.

6. We have a small poultry farm at our Salona Tanr campus. At present it was situated in a building that is not suitable for Poultry Farm. We want to shift it in the same campus but at different place by constructing a new shed and for this about Rs. 5 lakhs is required. We want to use the vacant building for other more useful purpose.

I shall be very happy if you kindly contribute whole or part of the total project so that we can serve the people in better way. Any contribution made to this organization is exempted from the Income Tax under Section 80G of I. T. Act. All Drafts/cheques in this regard should be drawn in favour of "Ramakrishna Mission Vidyapith" payable at Deoghar With my best wishes and namaskar, looking forward to your co-operation as early as you feel convenient.

Yours faithfully,

(Swami Sarvagananda)

Secretary Dated - January 22, 2008