Inside a bamboo hut in Bhagalpur, a free classroom for govt job aspirants

Patna: In Bhagalpur’s Ghantaghar locality, a baton of gratitude for success in life is being passed on to young people aspiring for what many in Bihar seek most – a ‘sarkari naukari’.

They are mentored free of cost through Ashirwad Nisulk Shikshan Sansthan.The person behind the initiative is Gopal Krishna Jha (45), who teaches more than 300 students five days a week without charging any fee. The institute functions from a thatched bamboo hut. Gopal is employed as an assistant in a state-owned insurance company, but his decision to give back to society dates back to his undergraduate days at Tilka Manjhi Bhagalpur University (TMBU).The beginnings of Ashirwad are linked to the period following the Bhagalpur communal riots, which left lasting scars on the city. More than a thousand people were killed, many were displaced and normal life remained disrupted for years. Several TMBU students were forced to vacate their hostels and were shifted to sadar hospital.“Students affected by the riots were staying in the sadar hospital. Five of us used to go there regularly.

There was nothing much to do except studies. While preparing for govt competitive examinations, we also started helping other students,” Jha said.Classes were held in a dilapidated hall inside the hospital premises. Teaching and learning went on simultaneously. “Four of my friends cracked the exams and got posted in different parts of the country. The teaching continued, but later a govt order asked us to vacate the hospital,” Jha added.Those years shaped Jha’s future in more ways than one. He secured a govt job, developed a method of tutoring competitive exam aspirants and decided to work with underprivileged students. “My father, a postal department clerk, had purchased two-kattha land at Ghantaghar. I didn’t have money to build a concrete structure, so I somehow built a bamboo hut and started teaching there,” he said.Initially, students were charged only Rs 5 for photocopying question papers.

As the number of aspirants increased, entrance tests were introduced to ensure that only committed students joined. With no funds to hire teachers, former students who cleared examinations returned to teach voluntarily at the institute, which has since produced several govt officials.Naimish Kumar, now a deputy collector posted in Katihar, credits the institute for his journey. “Ashirwad was more than an educational centre for me.

Gopal sir guided us when I had no resources. He continues to do yeoman service to society,” he said.Current student Vinu Kumari, who comes from a poor background, said the support had been crucial. “Had there been no help from Aashirwad, I would not have reached the banking service interview stage,” she said.Acknowledging the initiative, DSP (law and order), Bhagalpur, Navneet Kumar, said. “Institutions like Ashirwad directly benefit the poor. People like Gopal have set an example by giving back to society,” he said.