Revealing this to DT Next, Kaleem said, “The idea burgeoned five years back when I found that students were always captivated by social media and smart phones resulting in them being totally ignorant about how earlier generations lived.” Hence, he set apart Rs 5,000 from his salary every month to purchase items that were rarely available nowadays and “those that the present generation had no idea about,” he stated.

He said, “I visited Vellore’s Sunday market searching for items discarded by others but which can teach present day students about how life was three decades ago.” The search helped him get an old radio, coins minted by the central government in the last century, petromax lights and an old taxi meter, that has found its place in the exhibition.

Accordingly, Kaleem’s efforts has paid off with the improved students’ enrolment into the school, which just had 4 students when he joined the institution in 2014. “I had to provide something which other schools lacked and hence hit upon this idea which today has paid dividends,” he added.

Visit news.dtnext.in to explore our interactive epaper!