30/08/2026
𝐄𝐤𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐡 𝐑𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐝𝐞 𝐣𝐢 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐄𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐌𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐑𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐭𝐞 𝐇𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐀𝐫𝐮𝐧𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐥 𝐏𝐫𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐡
Arunachal Pradesh : The story of 𝐄𝐤𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐡 𝐑𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐝𝐞 𝐣𝐢 and the growth of the Vivekananda Kendra in Arunachal Pradesh is closely connected with the expansion of education into some of the region's most remote areas. Ranade, a devoted follower of Swami Vivekananda, believed that education should not merely provide academic knowledge but should also build character, confidence, social responsibility and a sense of service.
In the 1970s, Arunachal Pradesh had many remote communities where access to formal education was extremely limited. Recognising this challenge, Ranade worked with the then administration, including Chief Commissioner K.A.A. Raja, to develop an educational network that could reach areas far from the major towns. In 1977, Vivekananda Kendra began establishing residential schools in remote parts of Arunachal Pradesh. These institutions later became known as Vivekananda Kendra Vidyalayas (VKVs).
The idea was simple but ambitious: take education to the children rather than wait for children from remote villages to come to existing educational centres.Residential schools were particularly important because scattered settlements, difficult terrain and limited transport made conventional day schools difficult to operate in many locations.
An important part of the initiative was the deployment of 𝐉𝐞𝐞𝐯𝐚𝐧𝐯𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐬, or dedicated life-workers. Rather than treating education as an outside intervention, these workers lived and worked among local communities. They travelled to difficult-to-reach areas, understood local conditions and gradually built relationships with villagers. Their work extended beyond classrooms. It involved community interaction, education, cultural activities, health awareness and encouraging young people to develop confidence and self-reliance.
The VKV model was also envisioned as a way of strengthening national integration while respecting the diverse cultural traditions of Arunachal Pradesh.
Students were exposed to academic education alongside values such as discipline, service, cooperation, respect for elders, responsibility towards society and pride in India's civilisational heritage.Over the decades, these schools became part of the educational landscape of Arunachal Pradesh, with generations of students going on to contribute to their communities and to different fields across the country.
The larger lesson from Eknath Ranade's initiative is that nation-building does not happen only in major cities or through large institutions. Sometimes it begins with a school in a remote mountain village, a teacher willing to live there, and a commitment to serve.
The VKV story therefore represents more than the construction of schools. It is a story of education, service, community engagement and connectivity across the remote hills of Northeast India. Eknath Ranade's vision was rooted in a simple principle: reach the people, live among them, educate them and empower them.
fans Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region, Government of India PMO India
