Gujarat has the potential to become the education hub of the country, said Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel as he presided over the 153rd Annual Prize Distribution Ceremony of Rajkumar College (RKC) in Rajkot on Saturday. “Gujarat has followed the tradition of remaining at the top in every sector since the foundation of this college. This is a matter of joy and pride for all of us,” Patel said, as he heaped praises on the rich history of RKC in Shastri Maidan. Founded in 1868 by the princes and chiefs of Kathiawar — the current Saurashtra region — of Gujarat for the education of children of rulers of the erstwhile princely states of the region, RKC is among the oldest schools of the country and is the founder member of the Indian Public Schools Conference. “For centuries, this land of Saurashtra has been associated with spreading education and knowledge. People of Gujarat are enjoying the juicy fruits of the seeds sown by the public-loving rulers of Kathiawar one-and-a-half centuries ago,” said the CM. The alumni of the school include poet Kalapi, diplomat Sujan Chinoy and a host of others who went on to become well-known cricketers, soldiers and bureaucrats. The CM also recalled littérateurs such as Nhanalal Kavi and Balvant Thakor who served as teachers at RKC.
