History of NKES

Tracing the footsteps of an institution is a fascinating study. The trail left by the pioneering leaders in their journey provides insightful lessons to the generations to come.

Sometimes the blowing wind masks and blurs some of the footprints in the shifting sand of time. Years later some markers of those times fortuitously become visible reminding us of events of those times.

National Kannada Education Society is fortunate that some of the memories of the earlier years are recorded diligently.

The Mysore Association, Bombay is a cultural organization which was established in 1926 in Matunga area by some enterprising youngsters from the erstwhile Kingdom of Mysore, who had moved to Bombay in pursuit of their professions. It quickly became a place of meeting for likeminded persons. One of them, Shri. Chandrashekhar Sharma, a writer and the first Secretary of The Mysore Association, Bombay felt the need of a new school. His initiative led to starting of a primary school in May 1926 in The Mysore Association premises itself. Two teachers and a peon were employed at a grand budget of Rs. 504 per annum.

It was hoped that the then Maharaja of Mysore will lend his benevolent patronage to this effort. However at the end of the first year, as no such patronage was forthcoming, the school lost the services of a Teacher. In the next year it was felt the Association could not afford to employee teachers and thereby the member themselves volunteered to do the teaching. However such voluntary effort could not be sustained for long and the school had to be closed in 1929.

In 1937, the erstwhile Diwan of the Mysore state Sir M Visvesvaraya, visited The Mysore Association. At a banquet hosted in his honour, Sir MV while appreciating The Association's efforts to promote culture and sports, chided the members of the Association for not paying sufficient attention towards education. This gave a renewed impetus to those youngsters who were involved in the earlier experiment.

It was thus on a sunny afternoon in the summer of 1939, Shri RV Murthy, a journalist and later editor of the weekly "Commerce", broached the subject with his closest friends, Shri RD Char, a well known industrialist of those days and Shri B Narayana Swamy, a lawyer practicing at Bombay. Shri Narayana Swamy jokingly said, if each of them contributed 4 children each, the school will be populated quickly. Vidwan Mahuli Gopalacharya, who had about five years back arrived in the City and had won universal reverence for his erudite scholarship, was convinced by Shri RV Murthy to become the first president of the budding Society. Soon many stalwarts like Shri M Varadarajan, Shri NS Gubbi and Shri BN Murthy joined the team. While there was unanimous agreement to name the Society as Kannada Education Society, it was Shri RD Char who suggested that the Society be named "National Kannada Education Society, Bombay" so as to inculcate a sense of nationalism among the pupils who will make up the citizenry of the forthcoming Nation. As all those involved were greatly influenced by the national fervour ignited by the Mahatma, this was apt and rightly so. Thus in 1939, the National Kannada Education Society was born.

Shortage of finance and space to house the school were more than made up by the high spirits of team. Another institution, Mumbai Kannada Sangha, had a room on rent on Deodhar Road in Matunga. The school was started in that room with 11 children as the first batch of the NKES. In the second year it rose to 17. The space was inadequate for further growth. The Mysore Association had built the Vanivilas Hall in 1934 and the Patron Association was happy to host the School there. Two rooms were rented in Kirti Terraces on Mahilashram Road, in King Circle. One served as a classroom while the other housed the Headmaster. But each year the school needed one more additional classroom and at the time of independence in 1947, it had 9 classes. The school ran combined classes to accommodate growing number of classes and children.

The army which participated in the Second World War vacated the Barracks in Sion in 1947, and part of the Barracks was given to the Sion Hospital. With the help of Diwan Bahadur Ramaswamy and Shri Gubbi, part of the Barracks was allotted to the National Kannada Education Society by the Bombay Municipal Corporation. The Barracks were very poor in shape with leaky roofs. In the monsoon the classes could not be conducted in the Barracks and those children studying at the Barracks also had to be housed in The Mysore Association.

In 1946, the BMC allotted to NKES 6 plots on Road Number 9, of the Sewree Wadala Estate. Finance was scarce after the war, but it did not deter the pioneering team. Funds were collected through donations and other means including the sale of old newspaper and old furniture by the Lady Members. Smt. Vaidehi Char led a Brigade of ladies for a door to door collection. Shri BVS Iyengar, the reputed Architect of the City who built many landmarks in the Metropolis, came forward to design the Institution. Shri RD Char led the efforts by a personal contribution of Rs 50,000. It was the dream of the founding fathers that this indeed be a Temple of Learning and so it was.

Bhumi Puja for the Societies own building was carried out in the month of October 1953 by the intrepid industrialist Shri RD Char who was then the president of the Society. The construction was completed on the southern wing of the building in November 1956 and the school came to its new abode on June 14, 1957. It was a dream come true. The BMC also leased out a playground for the School. The School by now had more divisions in each class and soon needed more classrooms, library and Laboratories. Since the Finances were poor, it was decided to rise a loan of Rs 2.5 lakhs. The Visvesvaraya Wing of the building came up thus in 1960, named in gratitude to the Grand old Visionary who inspired them. His Highness Shri Jayachamaraja Wodeyar, the erstwhile Maharaja of Mysore, graced the Silver Jubilee celebrations of the society in 1964.

The school was growing and had 1500 students in 1964. Shri PN Murthy was brought as the Principal of NKES, in 1968, who led the school through its glorious 70s. Both Academics and Sports grew side by side steam participated in many state level competitions.

In 1976, NKES opened its Junior College to enable students to aspire for Science and Commerce streams. 80s were sluggish years as the Society lost its stalwarts one by one to age. During this time great social changes were taking place in Mumbai. As the Kannada community spread out to various areas of in the growing Metropolis, full benefit of Kannada education could not be taken.

The 90s brought fresh blood and fresh thinking. Many educationists joined the society and gave new meaning to the process of education. Quality education received added impetus under the leadership of Shri BN Srikrishna, Shri Jina Gouda, Shri Subramani, Prof. HS Srinivas, Dr. Manjunath and Shri K Manjunathaiya. Changing times brought new opportunities and Technologies, which the society adopted well before other schools.

The school gained Smt Vasundhara Ramanujam as its Principal who strove to rise the quality of education through personal leadership. Smt. Saroja Rao took over as the Principal at the turn of the millennium. Under her, an young and dedicated team of teachers  who strove ever continuously to the cause of education. Similarly in the primary Smt. Darshini Amin and Smt. LB Monis charted new path in giving leadership. Education in NKES is no longer Syllabi oriented but knowledge based. Compulsory education in Computer learning, the Audio visual teaching by employing modern Technology enabled the School to pursue its ambition of improved quality in teaching. NKES has been achieving 100% results in the SSC board. The Government of Maharashtra has graded the school as A grade School.

As the Society approached the age of 70 in 2009, a new post graduate institute called Sir M Visvesvaraya Institute of Management Studies and Research was  established. This was followed by setting up of a Degree College of Arts, Commerce and Science in the year 2016.

Today nearly 3000 students study under the common umbrella of NKES. More than 17000  have passed out of the institutions of NKES and have contributed to the nation as responsible citizens.

The following is the list of major functionaries who served the NKES since inception in various capacities.