Gangasamudra, a small village in Nagamangala Taluk, Mandya district, Karnataka, could appear an unlikely start line for a transformative determine in training and social work. But, it’s right here that Dr Eregowda GB, born to uneducated dad and mom Bhadragowda and Nengamma, started a journey that may not solely defy his circumstances but additionally reshape the academic panorama for hundreds of scholars.
Eregowda’s youth was formed by wrestle. “Till the tenth grade, we didn’t even have slippers to put on,” he recalled, recalling the challenges he confronted whereas rising up. His dad and mom, although unable to offer materials wealth, provided unwavering assist for his training, supplying books and garments till he accomplished his Pre-College Course (PUC). His elder brother additionally performed a pivotal function, making certain the household remained close-knit regardless of monetary constraints.
At a younger age, Eregowda discovered a guiding gentle in Adichunchanagiri Mutt, the place he spent 15 years beneath the mentorship of Sri Sri Balagangadharanatha Mahaswamiji. Life on the mutt was austere –two meals a day – nevertheless it instilled self-discipline and objective. “The steering of Swamiji saved us motivated,” he stated.
Eregowda’s educational journey took a decisive flip when he selected to pursue chemistry, a topic during which he initially struggled. A problem from his chemistry lecturer sparked a change. “He instructed me to show myself in chemistry if I revered him,” Eregowda recounted. This ignited a fireplace inside him, spurring him to prime chemistry in his class throughout BSc, get a distinction in Grasp’s, and a PhD funded by the central authorities.
“My reference to chemistry grew so profound that, even at the moment, I can’t sleep with out studying the topic for hours. That incident modified my perspective, and I developed a deep reference to chemistry,” he stated.
In 1997, Eregowda cracked a take a look at performed by the Karnataka Public Service Fee (KPSC) and was chosen as a chemistry lecturer in a authorities pre-university faculty. Over the following 28 years, he served in numerous faculties, together with as performing principal, with a mission to extend the variety of college students from Karnataka passing national-level entrance exams like NEET and JEE.
His tenure started in Battalahalli, Chintamani Taluk, the place he circled a school with zero admissions by personally enrolling 80 science college students. “We constructed the school from scratch, with no chairs or boards initially,” he recalled. His longest stint was at Yelahanka Authorities Pre-College School, the place he served for 18 years, sustaining an annual enrolment of three,000 college students. His efforts ensured college students secured free MBBS seats while not having further tuition, proving the potential of presidency establishments. “Poor households have brilliant college students who can’t afford personal faculties,” he famous.
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Spurred by a colleague’s comment that lecturers in Bengaluru merely taught from others’ books, he launched into a mission to jot down his personal. “That remark damage me, and I made a decision to jot down a e-book,” he stated. Regardless of preliminary monetary losses, his household’s assist, significantly from his spouse, saved him going. “My spouse would keep up late with me, taking good care of our youngster whereas I wrote,” he shared. As we speak, his chemistry books are utilized by over a lakh college students and lecturers yearly throughout Karnataka.
In a daring transfer, Eregowda took voluntary retirement from authorities service to determine the Jeevith Schooling Belief, named after his son, to share his information extra extensively. His establishment achieved a outstanding 50 per cent success fee in its first batch, with 16 out of 32 college students securing free medical seats.
Eregowda’s contributions to analysis are equally talked about. His work on most cancers medication, performed beneath Professor Okay N Thimmaiah, led to the invention of 21 new natural compounds and 7 worldwide publications. “The medication we developed labored higher than current ones, however they’d too many negative effects,” he stated. Regardless of setbacks, together with a pricey experiment that failed, his ardour for analysis continued. Appointed as a scientific officer at Adichunchanagiri Most cancers Analysis Heart, he continued to contribute to medical developments whereas balancing his instructing profession.
Eregowda’s establishment emphasizes self-discipline and application-based studying by NCERT books. He counsels dad and mom in opposition to pressuring college students into fields like medication for status, advocating for alignment with college students’ capabilities. “We assess college students’ capability first,” he stated, citing an instance of guiding a scholar towards an IAS profession by way of a medical diploma.
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In 2016, he acquired the State-Stage Greatest Lecturer Award, adopted by the Aryabhata Worldwide Award, Sangama Ratna Award, Siddaganga Shri Award, Dr Abdul Kalam Lifetime Achievement Award, and the VK and BM Schooling Excellence Award, offered by Union Minister Pralhad Joshi. Trying forward, Eregowda plans to jot down a e-book on the present training situation, drawing on intensive analysis and scholar enter.
“Analysis isn’t restricted to labs; I do it by instructing,” he stated, emphasizing his ongoing dedication to training. His establishment, now three years previous, continues to develop beneath his spouse’s and son’s management, serving as a beacon for college students from underprivileged backgrounds.