I will be sharing some of the works that has been/ are happening in the field of education in India. My knowledge about them is only to the extent of web. Hence, I request you to share your real experience if you have been/are associated with any of such works. Thank you!


Tilonia(Rajasthan), in middle of nowhere, is a village where its 47*C in summer and sometimes it doesn’t rain for 6 yrs. The water table was 50ft 35 yrs ago and now its 350 ft. “You don’t know how lucky you are ladies and gentlemen with water.” says Bunker Roy, addressing to an Pop!Tech Conference in 2005 held at Camden, Maine. But “it the only village in India already in 21st century. It has fibre optic cables, iron steam facilities, broadband, rainwater harvesting, video conferencing and if you order their handicraft from www.tilonia.com you will get any handicraft within 7 days to United States.”

It’s a place where Robert McNamara and McGeorge Bundy spend a night just to experience the revolution that is happening here…the revolution called “The Barefoot College”.

Sanjit ‘Bunker’ Roy is more than just the founder of The Barefoot College. He is an engineer, an architect, influencer (TIME 100 in 2010), educator…you may call him anything but he doesn’t hold any paper degree for any of such qualifications. He has used simple but effective traditional ways to transform many places in India like Tilonia, Sikkim and abroad like Afghanistan, Africa.

In 1972, he established the Barefoot College, a non-government organisation that has been providing basic services and solutions to problems in rural communities, with the objective of making them self-sufficient and sustainable. These ‘Barefoot solutions’ can be broadly categorised into solar energy, water, education, health care, rural handicrafts, people’s action, communication, women’s empowerment and wasteland development.

The Barefoot College is built for the poor and built by the poor. The basic philosophy of the college is “one must demystify and decentralise technology right under the community level”. “The farmer and his family must be covered with the basic minimum needs like education, health, water, employment…where they must manage, control and own the whole process”, this is the uniqueness of the college. Hence, one would find barefoot engineers, doctors, teachers, etc. Anyone with a paper degree is not allowed in the college and is looked upon as not trust worthy, greedy and intolerant.

Why barefoot…because millions of people live and walk barefoot. It’s a place where “learner is the teacher and teacher is the leaner” says Bunker Roy. The poor people said they have had enough with people holding a paper qualification. So people don’t get degree from this college.

Barefoot College is a place which has already influenced our ministries to make two changes in Indian Constitution (minimum wage and right to information) and policy changes in the state of Sikkim and Rajasthan. It has trained more than 3 million people for jobs in the modern world, in buildings so rudimentary they have dirt floors and no chairs. It doesn’t need any support from UNESCO, World Bank, IMF or our government. It’s self-sufficient for the greater good of humanity.

P.S. This is just a teaser. Pls refer the following links to explore the world of Tilonia and The Barefoot College

Barefoot College: http://bit.ly/amVYx

Tilonia: http://bit.ly/dpuXau

Bunker Roy: http://bit.ly/xMDOl [Recommend: Pls click on “Aruna Roy” too]

Pop!Tech: http://bit.ly/akIqTM

Ney York Times: http://nyti.ms/a7O7G9