This gurukulam in TN runs on the barter system

While doing his engineering in Erode, Gunasekaran’s principal told him that it was important to help students in their colleges who were unable to pay the fees to study. This advice stayed with the youngster and once he finished his education, he started an institute called Sabarmathi Gurukulam in Tiruvannamalai that trains students from a less privileged background in competitive exams. What’s more inspiring is that the institute follows the ancient gurukulam system of teaching — one can pay with money or anything they possess.

“Education shouldn’t become a burden to anyone. If you look at the statistics, around 10 lakh candidates apply for the civil service examination and other competitive exams every year. Most of the training centres in the State charge a huge fee and students drop out in between because they cannot afford it. I wanted to help the students and provide quality education. That’s how I started Sabarmathi Gurukulam with the help of like-minded individuals,” he says.

Currently, there are 90 students, including 15 girls, who undergo coaching for competitive exams such as UPSC, banking, and TNPSC. Each student is expected to pay Rs 2,400 towards their accommodation and food. At the beginning of the month, each student pays gurudakshina and this amount can be paid in three ways — in cash, by doing organic farming for two hours daily or by taking tuitions for students in nearby villages. “We came up with the gurukulam concept because the teachers at the institute should be paid and the students or their parents shouldn’t feel the pinch. Though most of the students are coming from farming backgrounds, they don’t have enough knowledge of organic farming. This is one of the best ways in which we can teach them the nuances of organic farming. During the day time, students will be busy with classes at the institute or at our 24-hour library and during the evening (from 6 to 8) they will be doing farming in the land. Some students are given the option of taking classes to school students in nearby villages,” shares Gunasekaran.

Gunasekaran tells us that even if the students don’t make it to the services, they will be equipped with a skill (farming) that they can take forward.