I remember the time when tall buildings fascinatedme and my dad’s tool kit was my best friend. I remember how I had a place for gadgets and mega structures in my heart when that bug in me would do nothing but prompt me to open the toys that were brought for me to play with and would play Lego blocks building tall structures. I remember how my mom and dad realized my field of interest and how this fascination to know about the inside, got me here. I remember where I was and where I am now with everything that motivated me in between – This is ME!

I was a little naughty kid ‘Ramandeep Singh’ who was as funny as a clown and as observant as a microscope. With the good words around for the Akal Academy, Muktsar my well read family with my parents being Lecturers at Govt. Schools admitted me to this Academy, the best that could have ever happened to me! I remember how magnificent my life was at Akal Academy, the way this school changed my life and motivated me with the Spiritual and Academic studies as well.

This school in short made me a gentleman, one instilled with all good qualities and a SIKH with values, so much so that I got baptized in class 10^thalongwith my sister and could feel the power to conquer the world within. With my interest in being an engineer, my dreams were no less challenging.

I always studied independently – upkeeping with Akal Academies’ No-Tuitions culture I too never took any external academic support even for my entrance examinations including IELTS where I scored a smashing 8.5 score and was also offered a job, but keeping the faith in myself I always wanted to go study and then work. I then applied for engineering in Canada and got through it after which I interned with Honda in Canada before landing into a full-time job with TSUBAKI CANADA LTD. – a Japanese Auto Part Maker Company, where I worked as Quality Supervisor for 4 years before taking the bold call of quitting the job to pursue my independent business – the world of mega structures and more!

I then took the leap of faith backed by my strong belief in Almighty – I gave up this job and moved into Real Estate sector, where, now I am buying, selling and developing land & beautiful homes. My aim was always to put myself into a position wherein I could do something on myself and not a Job.

I am very happy that god has always helped me in all my endeavors so far and shall continue to be on my side for the rest of my life. In 2009 I received Canada’s PR status and with Almighty’s grace this year (2013) I have received citizenship and have made a beautiful house in Brampton.

With such a blessed life, I dedicate myself to The Kalgidhar Trust, Baru Sahib for being a guide in my life, for giving me this lifestyle and this confidence to face the world this far from my hometown and making me a real estate master!

~ Ramandeep Singh,
~ Brampton, Toronto, Canada (Alumnus Akal Academy, Muktsar)

Power Finance Corporation spends its CSR on Renewable Energy project at rural school Akal Academy, Reeth Kheri, Patiala. PEDA implements the First 5 KW Solar Photo Voltaic Power Plant.

Power Finance Corporation (PFC), a leading Navratna Public Sector Undertaking of Govt. of India has been consistently rated as ‘Excellent’ for its performance. Recently, PFC decided to fund a CSR project of Punjab Energy Development Agency (PEDA) to bring Renewable Energy Solar Photo voltaic Power Plants in Punjab’s rural schools chain of Akal Academies run by The Kalgidhar Trust, Baru Sahib.

PFC was set up in 1986 as a Financial Institution (FI) dedicated to Power Sector financing and committed to the integrated development of the power and associated sectors. PFC has entered its Silver Jubilee Year in 2010, is a Schedule-A, Nav-Ratna CPSE in the Financial Service Sector, under the administrative control of the Ministry of Power.

Punjab Energy Development Agency was formed in as a state nodal agency for promotion and development of renewable energy programmes/projects and energy conservation programme in the state of Punjab under Mr Bikram Singh Majithia, Minister for Environment & non-Conventional Energy.

PEDA began the successful installation of the First 5 Kilo Watt Solar PhotoVoltaic Power Plant at Akal Academy, Reeth Kheri, Patialarecently as an initial push to the implementation plan.Akal Academy, Reeth Kheri will benefit from this Solar Plant where this solar plant will help cater to the energy needs at the academy and the hostel with reduced electricity bills and energy efficient classrooms! The objective of the project is to provide clean energy for affordable lighting, fans and uninterrupted hours of functioning of computers.

“As of now we will be installing Solar Systems in 45 of the Akal Academies out of 98 in Punjab. Today we are here to set up the first Solar System at Akal Academy, Reeth Kheri. Till date we have installed the largest standalone Solar System of 200 KW at Akal Academy, Baru Sahib. We wish to thank Mr MK Goel, CMD, PFC and PEDA for supporting this cause”, said Mr. MP Singh, Advisor – Solar toKalgidhar Trust, which runs 129 rural schools.

“This gives me a great pleasure to announce that Akal Academy, Reeth Kheri is the first school in Punjab to avail the benefits of the Solar System that has been installed here. Our campus holds around 1900 students with the hostel facilities as well, a campus this big running on solar power will add on to our contribution in saving environment.” mentioned,Principal – Akal Academy Reeth Kheri.

About 45 similar SPV projects have been commissioned for Akal Academies placed in different districts of Punjab. Hail the efforts that have been initiated!

Want to help contribute in this cause of rural Transformation? You can do it here – http://barusahib.org/donate/

~ Deeksha Singh
~ New Delhi, 18th Dec ’13

JIARM – Journal of International Academic Research for Multidisciplinary, a Global Society for multidisciplinary research publishes a scholarly, peer reviewed, monthly, open Access, online Research Journal every month. The December issue published a paper “Changing Lives through Social Innovation: a case study of Kalgidhar Trust, Baru Sahib (Himachal Pradesh) India written by Dr. Pardeep Jain, Professor, Dept. of Management & Humanities, Sant longowal Institute of Engineering & Technology, Longowal, Punjab, India and Minakshi Garg, Research Scholar, Dept. of Management & Humanities, Santlongowal Institute of Engineering and Technology, Longowal Punjab, India

JOURNAL OF INTERNATIONAL ACADEMIC RESEARCH FOR MULTIDISCIPLINARY (JIARM) is an international double blinded referred and peer-review monthly online academic research journal in all the streams. The journal envisions is to create forum for review, reflection and discussion informed by the results of recent and ongoing research in every fields. JIARM encourages new ideas and works in all the fields and it publishes high quality original papers, theory-based empirical papers, review papers, case reports, conference reports/papers, technology reports, book reviews, commentaries, events and news.

ABSTRACT

Value based education is needed to empower citizens to become agents of change for better world societies. Value education is not simply the heart of education but also the education of heart as it inculcates sense of cooperation and fellow feeling among people. Value based education is the real need of the day to produce good upright human beings, who can inspire others to tread on the divine path and serve mankind selflessly. Values based education is the best way to enable society to move forward and bring about sustainable development in the world. Through such education, country will be able to harness the energyof the youth and persuade them to work for the betterment of the world now in turmoil. With increasing social evils like alcoholism, female-foeticide, drug abuse etc. the need of the houris to have a Drug free society and all mankind should be educated for a better living. For the same purpose Kalgidhar Trust is working in the direction of bringing back India’s glory by arresting drug abuse and female-foeticide. The Kalgidhar trust is working on the Sri Guru Nanak DevJi’s principles who reportedly said in 1499 that “it is a woman who keeps the race going” and that we should not “consider woman cursed and condemned, when from woman are born leaders and rulers.

The Kalgidhar Trust, Baru Sahib is an internationally acclaimed not for profit organization that works in the direction of providing Value-based Education in rural North India. Today, it runs a chain of 129 CBSE Eng Med Schools across 33 districts of five North Indian states, thereby benefitting around 60,000 rural students. It has become a trend-setter in bring a paradigm shift to addressing the cancerous drug-addiction issue through Value-based Education.

It is high time that the community understands the need to invest in ‘shrines of Education’ and social Development rather than just creating more and more religious shrines.

Read the Research Paper here: – http://www.barusahib.orgAssets/Publications/jiram_journal.pdf

~ Ramandeep Singh
~ 16th Dec ’13

The Kalgidhar Trust secures an appreciation for Good Governance practices in the Voluntary Sector!

It takes efforts, credibility and a lot of faith in what one does and once that confidence is instilled into the good work, it takes you places. This confidence and good work of Rural Transformation has won The Kalgidhar Trust, Baru Sahib, a coveted Accreditation from Credibility Alliance, an initiative by collective Voluntary Organizations who are committed towards enhancing accountability and transparency of an organization in the Voluntary Sector through good governance.

Credibility Alliance with institutional support from Ford Foundation, has emerged to be a nodal agency for good Governance practices in the Voluntary Sector with a trust among all the stakeholders through improving governance within the Voluntary Sector. Accreditation/certification of VOs would be useful for both public and private sector and also for International donor agencies to select credible organizations for funding. This mechanism preserves the autonomy of the Voluntary Sector even while establishing a robust mechanism for self-regulation.

The Kalgidhar Trust, Baru Sahib has been granted this alliance for the efficiency that is visible through the exceptional work that has been done in the field of Rural Transformation through 129 Value Based Rural Schools imparting Value Education to more than 60,000 rural students with 2 Private Universities reaching out to 6450 villages of Northern India. The CA accreditation helps The Kalgidhar Trust get recognized as an accountable, transparent and governance driven organization.

Accreditation of The Kalgidhar Trust, Baru Sahib with CA adds on to the much-appreciated work of the organization through rural transformation alongwith Elementary Teacher Training Program, running Akal Charitable Hospital and Drug and Alcohol Rehabilitation Center; and organizing Free Medical camps across Northern India. And what better gift to the community that this has been the first community organization to be accredited with CA.

Here’s to never ending motivation that keeps us growing, thank you for the love, support and care!

Inspired enough to be a part of the social cause of Rural Transformation? Contribute your support here – http://www.barusahib.org/donate/

~ Deeksha Singh
~ New Delhi, 13th Dec ’13