Mahatma Phule first proponent of RTE: Fadnavis

“Dada Bhuse (School Education and Sports Minister) told me that this concept will not be limited just to Pune but we will also think about how it can be taken to other Zilla Parishad schools all over Maharashtra,” added Fadnavis. The Chief Minister also acknowledged that the construction of this school was realized through the initiative of the late Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar.

Khanvadi is the ancestral village of Mahatma Jyotiba Phule in Pune district. Further, 100 labs like AI labs, Atal Tinkering Labs, and astrophysics labs were also inaugurated in Zilla Parishad Schools across the district.

When questioned about the Bharat Ratna for Phule, Fadnavis said, “State government has already sent a proposal. But at the same time as Bhujbal saheb (Minister for Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Protection of Maharashtra) said, he is a Mahatma. And there are only two Mahatmas in the country, Mahatma Gandhi and Mahatma Phule. So getting the award is good, but his personality is bigger than any award.”

Fadnavis also announced that under the Department of Skill Development, plans are in place to establish a total of 1,000 skill training centers in the future.

The Jyoti-Savitri Zilla Parishad School will provide free education to underprivileged children in the region. It began its operations from April 2, the start of the CBSE academic year.

The school also gains significance as Zilla Parishad schools are usually affiliated to the Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education (MSBSHSE). Fiat India Automobiles Private Limited contributed Rs 21 crore through its corporate social responsibility (CSR) funds while the District Planning Committee and Zilla Parishad provided Rs 15 crore for the construction of the school.