Jagriti
For more than fifteen years, alongside a full-time teaching career, R. K. Sharma led Jagriti — a youth organisation in Rewari, Haryana, that ran examinations for schoolchildren, training for women and campaigns for the town. What follows is drawn from the newspaper reports and photo albums of the time.
- Name
- Jagriti Yuva Sangathan (registered), Rewari, Haryana
- Standing
- Registered with the Government of Haryana; affiliated to the District Nehru Yuva Kendra, Rewari
- His role
- President — re-elected unanimously in 1997, 2002 and 2009
- Documented
- Press coverage from January 1995 to April 2011
Newspapers of the period describe Jagriti as a samajik and later a samajik va shaikshanik sanstha — a social, and educational, organisation. It worked from Shiv Colony and later Sector 3 in Rewari, with a student wing, and it worked with schools across South Haryana.
What Jagriti did
An annual talent search for South Haryana
From 1998 Jagriti held a Pratibha Khoj Pariksha every Haryana Day. By 2001 it drew about 1,400 students from some 70 schools; from 2002 it covered five districts. Merit lists, the Jagriti Trophy and free study material for students in need followed each edition.
Free vocational training for women
Six-month courses in tailoring and embroidery, beauty and mehndi, and drawing and painting, run with the Nehru Yuva Kendra. A 1998 course trained 69 women and girls; by 2002 there were three free tailoring centres in Rewari.
Competitions for children
Painting, speech, poetry, rangoli and dance competitions on Haryana Day, Independence Day, Christmas and New Year, held with schools across Rewari.
Relief and support
Door-to-door collection for victims of the 1999 Odisha cyclone; sweaters, notebooks and study material for children from poor families.
Civic campaigns
Seminars against drug abuse, Road Safety Week competitions, Hindi Diwas and Ambedkar Jayanti programmes, and a senior citizens' meet.
Tree plantation
Plantation drives, including 150 saplings planted on Shaheed Diwas in 2001.
In the papers
1999
November 1999 Amar Ujala, Rahat-Chal
Relief collected for victims of the Odisha cyclone
Jagriti volunteers went door to door in Rewari and collected four sacks of clothing in a single day for victims of the Odisha super cyclone, sent through the District Nehru Yuva Kendra.
2002
January 2002 Dainik Jagran, Amar Ujala, Dainik Bhaskar
Fourth talent search: about 1,400 students from some 70 schools
The fourth talent search examination (2001) drew around 1,400 students of classes 4 to 12 from about 70 schools of South Haryana; 51 made the merit list and the Jagriti Trophy was shared by Shishushala and Vivekanand schools.
March 2002 Dainik Jagran, Dainik Bhaskar, Amar Ujala
Free notebooks for students; vocational courses for women
On Ambedkar Jayanti, notebooks and geometry boxes were given to poor students, and three six-month courses for women and girls — tailoring and embroidery, beauty and mehndi, drawing and painting — were begun with the Nehru Yuva Kendra. A similar course in 1998 had trained 69 women and girls.
2 November 2002 Amar Ujala
प्रतिभा खोज में 1200 छात्रों ने हिस्सा लिया
1,200 students take part in the talent search
Held on Haryana Day across centres in Rewari, Mahendragarh, Narnaul, Charkhi Dadri and beyond, with papers in Haryana and Indian general knowledge, science, mathematics and reasoning. The president said the aim was to bring the talent of South Haryana's students to the state level.
2003
4 February 2003 Dainik Jagran
At the prize distribution ceremony
News photograph: Jagriti's president Rajender Sharma presents a memento to Dr Ghanshyam Mittal, president of the Kanya Bhroon Hatya Jagriti Manch, at the organisation's prize distribution.
2009
21 January 2009 Jagran City
सिंचाई मंत्री ने कहा, प्रतिभा को तो बस एक मौका चाहिए
“Talent only needs an opportunity”
At Jagriti's annual prize distribution, Captain Ajay Singh Yadav, then Haryana's minister for irrigation and public works, presented prizes for the talent search and cultural competitions and praised the organisation's work. The president, Rajender Kumar Sharma, welcomed the guests.
2011
18 April 2011 Punjab Kesari
निर्धन बच्चों को शिक्षण सामग्री वितरित
Study material for children in need
The social and educational organisation distributed free study material to 43 students. The block education officer and Dr Tara Saxena were chief guests.
From the photo albums
Show all 49 album pagesHide album pages
Recognition for this work
2002–03
State Youth Award, state level
Sports & Youth Welfare Department, Government of Haryana
2002–03
State Youth Award, district level
Sports & Youth Welfare Department, Government of Haryana
1995, 1999
Certificate of Merit for best youth work
Nehru Yuva Kendra, Rewari — Department of Youth Affairs and Sports, Government of India