In order to educate the students about the stature of women in Sikhism, Akal Academy located in Cheema Mandi recently organized a seminar in collaboration with International organization “Sikhs Helping Sikhs”(SOS).

For the event, SOS’s Punjab Coordinator Satnam Singh Salohpuri and Dr. Pradeep Kumar Jain, SLIET – Head Training & Placement were amongst the special guests. In the seminar, Mr. Satnam Singh informed the students during his speech about the strong legacy of women in the Sikh heritage; he gave several examples of sacrifices & martyrdoms to the students whilst motivating them with his speech. He also mentioned that in present time’s we all must together fight against the social evils like female feticide & Dowry, to uproot its completely from our society.

On the occasion, Dr. Jain shared certain key aspects on personal development with the student, which could guide the students to the doors of success. Also during the event, a story book related to Sikhism names ‘Babaniya Kahaniya’ was released. During the event, Principal Baljeet Kaur paid special homage to Satnam Singh Salohpuri whilst Academy’s Vice Principal, Manjeet Kaur thanked all the guests mentioning “Akal Academy today is a chain of 129 rural schools thanks to the immense efforts of the Kalgidhar Trust Baru Sahib.”

You can too be a part of this wind of change of Rural Transformation here – http://goo.gl/Wb9T2n

~ Deeksha Singh
~ New Delhi, 17th Feb ’14

I, Harmandeep Kaur, now a mother of a 2yr old daughter, am writing this letter to Baru Sahib’s Kalgidhar Trust to express my love & a beautiful experience I am having now, for it’s the time I am preparing to admit my little daughter to Akal Academy Muktsar.

It seems that time is rolling backwards, offering new beginnings forward. I am currently working as a Medical officer at Muktsar Civil Hospital ever since after completing my MBBS post doing my schooling from Akal Academy Muktsar.

Whatever I am today, which includes not only academics, but my life…including all the Gurbani I am connected to, from values I learned to the profession I am into, for everything I am, is a blessing of Baru Sahib & having attended their Akal Academy.

From the days of school, I still cherish memories of classes, friends, extracurricular s & those extra hours of schooling that always came as a support & relaxation for my busy professional lecturer parents; those extra hours put in by the teachers helped a lot of parents at the village since most of them were either illiterate or were not educated enough or in a position to afford tuitions for their children.

Also, I would like to share with other parents that there was a considerable difference I noticed amongst children of our school & other convent schools, contrary to popular beliefs, our students were none the less, if not better than any convent school students when it comes to having proficiency in spoken English – I remember our students having better performances on various occasions, examinations & competitions compared to children of other schools on the context of English language; thanks to great teachers, our students gelled really well & easily at all places.

For the society at the village, I wish the girls become or rather are allowed to be more independent, which I feel is currently lagging. Also, to the parents of my native place & areas of vicinity, I would want to say that Akal Academies are free of Drug-Alcohol addictions, which is a major problem in Punjab , but, the environment is totally secured, clean & safe compared to any other school in Punjab, hence I would recommend that parents should admit their children to Akal Academies.

Our Family previously moved to New Delhi from Muktsar for a couple of years, but now we have returned to Muktsar just because we wish our daughter to study at no other school but the Akal Academy, like I did – I feel that explains my love for Baru Sahib adequately as there can be no amount of words sufficient enough for me to express how I feel about Baru Sahib & Akal Academy. Gur-Fateh.

Yahoo on Wednesday, 12^th February, announced the appointment of Gurmit Singh as Managing Director for Yahoo India.  As MD, Gurmit will oversee Yahoo’s business in India, responsible for its growth in the country, a company release said, adding that he will report to Yvonne Chang, VP & Head of India and South East Asia, Yahoo.

“With over 20 years of experience, Gurmit brings with him a deep understanding of the Media & Entertainment industry in India. Most recently, Gurmit was the CEO of Forbes India at Network 18.”

Commenting on the appointment, Yvonne Chang, VP & Head of India and South East Asia, Yahoo said, “Gurmit comes to Yahoo with a strong track record of delivering growth. His understanding of users and advertisers will be a great asset for Yahoo as we bring a number of product innovations to India. Yahoo is a loved brand in India, and we are very happy to have a leader of Gurmit’s caliber leading the team.”

Commenting on his appointment, Gurmit Singh said: “An Internet industry pioneer, Yahoo is now at a very exciting point in its journey. It truly reflects the energy and spirit of the world’s largest startup. Working together with an extraordinary team in India and colleagues across the world, I am looking forward to unlocking the full potential of Yahoo products and services in India.”

Gurmit has worked with Sony Music, Hindustan Times, India Today Group, Rajshri Media, Marico Industries and most recently Network 18. He received his Masters in Business Administration from the Faculty of Management Studies (FMS) at the University of Delhi. He is also a University Gold Medalist in Mechanical (Production) Engineering from Osmania University, Hyderabad.

~ Deeksha Singh
~ New Delhi, 14th Feb ’14

Young 3^rd & 4^th Graders of Akal Academy Sangha gave a marvellous performance & won 16 medals for the Academy in the recent Olympiad tests. The 16 medals included 2 Golds & 2 Silvers in – Mathematics, Science & English each, 2 Bronze in Mathematics, 1 Bronze in Science & English each.

“We are very proud & happy that these young rural students have portrayed such performance & showcased confidence no less than city school kids in the popular Olympiad test. This indeed gives us great sense of achievement both personal & towards the goal of the organization, the Kalgidhar Trust, Baru Sahib of bringing about a Rural Transformation. I am typically happy about the performance in English language test”, quoted Headmistress Ms. Baljeet Kaur whilst sharing the details of the test results.

~ Ramandeep Singh
~ New Delhi, 14th Feb ’14

Sometimes I feel that I am in some kind of a transition dream; from my father’s paddy fields at village Thandewala to being a Technical Assistant Manager at Fastway Tranmission Pvt. Ltd. Ludhiana. This journey brought a paradigm shift from a simpleton family to the age of digitization, amidst HD monitors, Digital boxes & LEDs. My plaything and toys consisted of old cartons, wooden discards and empty tin boxes. But now, my life revolves around cable meshes & the responsibility of handling 350+ channels.

I, Manpreet Singh could’ve well been a petty farmer, like my father, had I not been fortunate enough to receive my schooling from Akal Academy, Muktsar. Through my letter, I wish to convey all that’s has occupied a permanent place in my heart – Love, that, like a tree, will only keep blooming further as long as I live.

As a student, I was no brilliant but with blessings of God Almighty & the efforts of the teachers, I could always manage to score decent & my school instilled into me much more that academics. It imbibed into me the values & the spiritual element – the Nitnem; Our Heritage; Knowledge of our religion & much more from those Sakhis that our teachers narrated with such great intent.

Travelling to school was a real challenge. The school was 11 Kms away from my village, but my farmer father would escort me to school each day until the bus service started finally in the later years, as eventually the students’ strength was increasing.

I credit my school for most of my interest & knowledge of sports & arts. It was at school that I developed interest, learned & participated in various sport games & art workshops; the extra-curricular observed ensured that each child is participating whilst the P.T. teachers paid equal attention towards motivating everyone to be a part of the activities; +1 & +2 years were much filled with playing & all about games.

Amongst teachers, I wish to pay my regards to Akhvinder SIr, who gave us a strong foundation in English language & also our Principal Madam Sukhraj Kaur, who strongly motivated all the students at the school to work hard & perform well. Besides the regular school teachers, I also have memories of a very special external faculty, Jasmine Sir, who had especially come from Tamil Nadu to teach us Mathematics – he provided us an incredible base on the subject.

The Academy did a great job in improving the education situation in the village, but unfortunately, at my village not everyone could afford to send their kids to school, several of the families lived BPL & many of the village children remained out of school for that reason. But recently I have learnt that Akal Academies are running special programs like DeedaDay.in & other ancillary initiatives to provide free education such deprived children through sponsorship programs, which I feel can change the situation drastically.

As for the society, I desire more safety for people in our society, especially for people at the village & women, where Drug-Alcohol abuse is causing much damage.  I wish there are more Akal Academies & similar schools; infact, all Govt schools should adapt the values based schooling model like Akal Academies run by The Kalgidhar Trust, Baru Sahib. A secure environment for students, especially for women alongside spirituality really makes a huge difference – I sincerely thank Akal Academies & wish even more success to the Baru Sahib’s Kalgidhar Trust in their noble endeavors. Gur-Fateh.

Atam Pargas Social Welfare Council (APSWC), Ludhiana, recently organized a Principals Conference on ‘Efficient Teaching: Methodologies and Responsibilities’ at Akal Academy Dhanal Kalan, Jalandhar on February 8, 2014.

More than 150 school principals/teachers from different districts of Punjab participated in the conference organized with the support of The Kalgidhar Trust, Baru Sahib. Principal Narinderpal Singh (Retd.), Paritbha Vidhalya, Delhi talked about the teaching methodologies of Guru Nanak and inspired the teachers to develop their personality in the light of Gurbani; he discussed about the Great massacre of Sikhs that happened at Kup Rahira near Malerkotla during these days in 18th century and encouraged the teachers to be proud about the rich heritage and motivated them to come up as efficient nation builders.

Dr. Varinderpal Singh, Chairman APSWC encouraged the teachers to accept their professional responsibility with passion. He cautioned the decline of moral values in the society and emphasized the need for adopting value based teaching methodologies. He also sensitized the importance of handling little minds with responsibility and sincerity. While giving examples from day to day life he urged the teachers to adopt practical approach to tailor the minds of the students to lead a purposeful life. To achieve this objective effectively, the Council exhibited the ‘Jeeveey  Gurbani Naal-Play way book series’ meant for students of 2nd to 9th standard.

The impact of these books on the development of the child’s psychology was also discussed. The teachers not only listened to Dr. Varinderpal Singh with great intent but also owned their responsibility to work with new courage and devotion in their respective schools with raised hands. They were also seen keen to introduce special video DVD released by Atam Pargas in their school syllabus.

Pr. Hardev Kaur, Guru Hargobind Academey, Kothe Bagu, Pr. (Dr.) Kala Singh, Guru Arjan Dev Public School, Kartarpur, Pr. Jasdeep Mohan, Lyallpur Khalsa Senior Sec. School, Jalandhar and others appreciated the contribution of Atam Pargas to empower teaching community in the country and  called all the teachers to support the initiative of Atam Pargas with commitment.

On the occasion, Principal Harpreet Kaur, Akal Academy Dhanal Kalan while proposing vote of thanks, appreciated the workshop as wonderful experience in her life. She congratulated the young participant teachers that they are lucky to learn in today’s workshop at age younger than her. She extended all kind of support to organize these workshops at her school in future.

Be a part of this wave of Rural Transformation here – www.Deedaday.in

~ Ramandeep Singh
~ New Delhi, 11th Feb ’14

Sant Attar Singh Ji’s main branch Baru Sahib’s division of Akal Academy, located at village Bhadaur recently organized an inter-school competition in which around 77 students from 11 different schools participated.

The event observed Painting, Hand-Writing, Essay-Composition & Speech Competitions. During the competition, amongst the Special Guests – Akal University, ‘Guru Kanshi’ Damdama Sahib’s Zonal Director Principal Tejinderjeet Singh, Madam Lamba and Intercom University’s Professor Praveen were present.

After the competitions, Principal Tejinderjeet Singh motivated the children to study with a great intent whilst addressing the students; he also said that the students who receive low marks should not feel low or lose hope, but, should instead work with more determination to secure better marks next time. On the occasion, Professor Praveen provided vital information about Baru Sahib to students & their parents during his speech.

Winning participants from the competitions were presented with certificates and the teachers alongside others attendees accompanying the participants were also honored. Academy’s Principal Madam Gurdeep Kaur gave special thanks to the visiting Special Guests, Accompanying teachers & other attendees of the event.

~ Deeksha Singh
~ New Delhi, 11th Feb ’14

The Kalgidhar Trust proudly announces that Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited, Maharatna Company (a Public Sector Undertaking),under the Golden Jubilee CSR Project has extended its support for 60 KW multiple-grid interactive SPV Power Plant to be installed in two rural Akal Academies ( 30 KW each in Akal Academy, Dadehar Sahib and Akal Academy, Teja Singh Wala of Tarn Taran district, Punjab).

The agreement in this regard was signed on 6^thFebruary 2014 at BHEL office, Noida between BHEL –IVP Goindwal and The Kalgidhar Trust.

This agreement states that the power produced from these plants will be transferred to the main grid and extra power (beside Schools consumption) will be a great source of energy for the locals.

The Kalgidhar Trust – Baru Sahib is a non-profit charitable organisation focussed on providing quality education to fight against the alarming rise in drugs and alcohol abuse. With equal stress on Healthcare, Women Empowerment and Social Welfare, the organisation has been instrumental in the socio-economic uplift of the poor in the far-flung rural areas of North India.

Today the rural areas of Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Rajasthan, and the backward hilly areas of Himachal Pradesh and Punjab are dotted with 129 low cost CBSE Schools, providing modern, value-based education to around 60,000 students. The students are mostly from the deprived sections of society, admitted regardless of caste, creed, region, religion and social status. The aim is to build a total of 500 low cost schools to provide value-based education to all children at the village level.

News Coverage:

~ Deeksha Singh
~ New Delhi, 10th Feb ’14

As per the orders of Honorable Advisor, Health & Education Dr. Neelam Kaur, Baru Sahib, Akal Academy located at village Uddat Saidewala observed a Kindergarten Workshop recently on 1-February 2014.

Resource person, Ms. Gurjeet Kaur, Headmistress of the Academy, informed us about the key agendas of the workshop – the workshop observed discussions on  various strategies :

– To create maximum activities for the kindergarten children;
– How  to make children able to understand general commands in English & able to converse in English;
– Emphasis on Moral Values & General Behavior changes to attract parents attention so that their child may go n explicate good manners through habit of recitation of path, divinity poems, Rhymes at home .
– Also, a system to receive feedback from the parents was discussed.

“Several teachers attended the workshop with great enthusiasm & learnt new techniques with immense focus & dedication”, quoted the Headmistress, Mrs. Gurjeet Kaur whilst sharing her report on the workshop which was observed in light of keeping the teachers up to date with the latest & innovative techniques of providing an effective value based education to the little young students.

~ Ramandeep Singh
~ New Delhi, 7th Feb ’14