The story of National Kannada Education Society in Bombay, is a saga of true grit, perseverance foresight and shrewdness of a band of young men from the state of erstwhile Mysore dedicated to the cause of promotion of Kannada. Tracing the path tread by them in their enterprise, through the ever rippling sands of history is sheer excitement. Most of these pioneers have already passed into history, thus making it difficult to trace each and every one of their foot-steps.
The primary school was started in May, 1926 in the Mysore association under the initiative of Sri.Chandrashekhar Sharma the 1st secretary of Mysore association Bombay who felt the need of the school for the young.
The school made the humble beginning with 2 teachers with a peon 504rs pm, this humble beginning could not sustain due to lack of funds and the school has to close down 1929. In 1937 the then Dewan of Mysore state Sri. M. Visvesarrya visited the Mysore association. At a banquet hosted in his hounor Sri. M.V appreciated the association effort to promote Kannada culture and sports, chided the members of the association for not paying attention towards education.
This gave a imputes to Sri R.V Murthy a journalist and a letter editor of the weekly commerce, broached the subject with his close friends Sri.Narayan swami and RD Char, Sri N.S Gubbi, Sri B.N Murthy, Vidwan Mahuly, Gopal Acharya joined the team and formed a society and unanimously named it as National Kannada Education Society Bombay so has to inculcate a sence of Nationalism amoung the peoples who will make up the fouth coming Nations. Thus in may,1939
N.K.E.S was born on a Sunday afternoon. Vidwan Mahuly Gopal Acharya was the first president of the society, the school made a humble beginning with eleven children in the first batch at Karnataka sangha where room was hired on devdhar road in matunga in the second year it goes to 17 later two room was rented in keerti terras in mahilashram road in king circle. Later in 1947 after the Second World War the army vacated the barracks in the sion and with the help of Dewan
Bahadur Rama Swami and Sri Gubbi apart of the barracks was allotted to N.K.E.S by the B.M.C.
In 1946 the B.MC allotted six plots on road number 9 of the sweri wadala state. Finance was scares funds were raised by selling old news papers and old furniture by the lady member smt vahidehi char let a brigade of ladies for door to door collection. This temple of learning was designedby the reputed architect of the city build many metropolis came forward to design this institution not none other than Sri. B.V.S Iyengar. Sri R.D char with his megnimous contribution of rs50000 the dream of founding father for this temple of learning came to true with the Bhoomi Pooja of the Society’s Building was celebrated in the month of Oct,1953 by the president Sri. R.D Char. The New building was ready and completed its southern wing in 1956 and on 14th june,1957 the first batch with its dream come true made a beginning in the new premises. The Visvesarrya Wing came up 1960 in gratitude of the grand old visionary who inspired the members of Mysore Association then. Today in the same wing stands the Sir M. Visvesarrya Institute of Management & Research with its programs M.M.S affiliated to University of Mumbai, 1st Batch passing out in 2012.
The School celebrated its silver jubilee in 1964 his highness Sri Jayachamaraja Wadeyar erstwhile Maharaja of Mysore grace the occasion. In 1989 the school celebrated golden jubilee, Diamond Jubilee was celebrated in 1998-99. The Society is heading towards platinum jubilee in the year of 2014 completion of 75 years in the field of Education.