The Light of Education: The Story of Narayanaswamy's Dedication

Born on June 10, 1967, in Kallanduru village, Kolar taluk, as the son of Srinivasappa, Narayanaswamy's name today isn't just that of an individual; it's synonymous with education and selfless dedication to social service. His life journey is like a river, starting as a small stream and growing into a vast ocean that illuminates the lives of thousands of children.

Laying the Foundation for a Literary Journey

Narayanaswamy's educational journey began at the Government Junior Primary School in Kallanduru. His schooling continued at the Government Senior Primary School in Mangasandra for middle school, then Parsighanahalli for high school, Kolar Junior College for pre-university, and V.V. Puram, Bengaluru for his degree. He further strengthened his academic foundation by completing his M.A. at Manasagangotri, Mysore Open University.

The Beginning of a Teaching Career and Remarkable Transformation

In 1992, Narayanaswamy began his teaching career at the Government Junior Primary School in Koragandanahalli. This school initially had only eighteen students. However, thanks to Narayanaswamy's tireless effort and commitment, over the next 26 years, student enrollment at the school rose to 65! This extraordinary change reshaped the school's history, and poor children from the village began attending without hesitation.

The Dream and Reality of the 'Notebook Bank'

Narayanaswamy was deeply moved when he saw that the school children lacked notebooks for writing. To solve this problem, he conceived the idea of starting a 'Notebook Bank.' Around the same time, when a friend asked him for a surety for a bank loan, Narayanaswamy requested, "Please get notebooks for our school." This Notebook Bank, which started with his friend's help, later expanded with the support of well-to-do villagers. They collected a ₹50 donation from each affluent individual and began purchasing and distributing notebooks to government school children.

Aiding the Service: A Flood of Donors

Narayanaswamy's selfless efforts attracted many donors. Through Muniraju, the brother of IPS officer Sri Devaraj, he met Sri Devaraj and explained his vision. Devaraj introduced him to the Cosmo Foundation. The Cosmo Foundation began providing free school bags and stationery to all children in Kolar taluk every year. Later, bags were also made available by Rajasthan Yuva Manch. Through his efforts, a unique scheme was developed where children received as many books as they wrote from donors. This initiative spread throughout the village, and then colleagues, especially the then CRP Veeranna Gowdru, joined hands with him. Through their combined efforts, notebooks became available to the entire cluster every year.

Service Expanding from District to State and National Levels

Narayanaswamy's hard work didn't stop there. His efforts to provide notebooks to the entire taluk were joined by corporate giants like Epson India Limited and Samsung India Limited. At the request of these companies, all government schools in Kolar district received free notebooks, projectors, smart class systems, water filters, smart science kits, digital libraries, and many other facilities. From then until now, crores of books have reached government school children. His contributions have reached remote villages 60 kilometers from Kolar town.

Narayanaswamy's Contribution to Quality Education

His efforts to transform government schools into quality and modern institutions bore fruit. Through the Cosmo Foundation, government school children began receiving free uniforms. Additionally, every government school gained smart class systems, modern science kits, laptops, projectors, digital tools, and hand devices. Class Saathi Company provided hand clickers worth ₹3 lakh, and Samsung Company provided 75-inch smartboards to 57 schools. With the help of Future India Trust Bangalore, schools received colorful tables and chairs. He also improved the educational environment by whitewashing many schools.

Personal Sacrifice and Community-Oriented Thinking

Narayanaswamy's service was not limited to school children. He provided financial assistance to many poor children from PU to medical college admission at his own expense. He also provided infrastructure to several schools. When there was a shortage of teachers in 8 schools in his cluster, he hired teachers using his own salary to ensure children's education was not disrupted. Every year, he honored and encouraged students who scored the highest marks in SSLC and PU. He recognized and encouraged teachers who performed well by awarding them the 'Savitribai Phule Award.' At his own expense, he spent ₹1 lakh to install zinc sheet roofing on dilapidated government junior primary schools, such as the one in Tumata, Bangarapet taluk, preventing leaks during rain. He also whitewashed many school buildings, including the Block Education Officer's office in Kolar.

Shoe socks are being distributed by Cosmo Foundation and notebooks by RK Foundation, with support from companies like Bill Gates Company and Maruti Medicals. Maruti Medicals donates approximately 50,000 books annually. His efforts were not limited to Kolar but also extended to needy districts like Chikkamagaluru, Kodagu, Bijapur, and Bagalkot for notebook distribution. Sri Devaraj, Uday Kumar (founder of Sahyadri College), Nagesh Manjunath, and Suresh Babu, president of the Government Employees' Association, were among those who donated to him.

In Memory of Ancestors, For the Future of Children

In memory of his grandmother, he adopted the Government Senior Primary School in Begli Hosahalli every year on July 31st, providing ₹50,000 for notebooks and stationery for the past ten years. For Subhash School in Kolar, where children come from extreme poverty, he has been donating ₹50,000 annually on his children's birthdays. When the headmaster of the Government High School in Tyavanahalli asked for help, he promised to help if the school showed progress. When the children achieved excellent results, he spent ₹1 lakh to install pipelines for electricity and water supply to the entire school.

A Path of Service Even in Retirement

He transferred from the Government Senior Primary School in Koragandanahalli to the Government Junior Primary School in Guddannapura, where he took voluntary retirement. At that time, as a sweet memory of his retirement, he made a fixed deposit of ₹20,000 for each of the 15 children in the school, facilitating their future education. He gave ₹10,000 for the education of an orphaned child in Rajakallahalli who had lost both parents. He also gave ₹25,000 to another child facing financial difficulties to complete PU at Morarji School, without even asking for the child's name!

The Pinnacle of Selflessness: An Ideal Social Worker

Narayanaswamy shared his heartfelt sentiments, saying, "Until now, I have dedicated my entire salary to social service, specifically for children's education. Despite this, my wife has never questioned why I do this. She has immense respect for me." He expressed his pain that despite all his service, he took voluntary retirement due to being externally sidelined by the department.

Whenever he attended meetings or functions, he opposed being honored with garlands and shawls. He would advise everyone, "Spend this money on the children."

Narayanaswamy's life is an exemplary model for the field of education and society. His sacrifice, commitment, and selfless service have brightened the future of millions of children. His name will forever shine as a beacon of education not just in Kolar but across Karnataka. His work will continue to inspire future generations.