Banasthali Founder Apaji Hirlalal Shastri Birthday Grand Celebrations

JAIPUR, India - Nov. 24, 2017 - PRLog -- Born at Jobner near Jaipur on 24 November 1899 in a peasant family, Hirlalal Shastri after his early education secured the degree of Sahitya Shastri in 1920 and took a B.A. degree in 1921 from Maharaja's College Jaipur securing the first rank. From early childhood, he had a burning desire to go to some village and devote his life to the service of the down-trodden. Though he joined Jaipur State Service in 1921 and displaying qualities of hard work, efficiency and fearlessness had a meteoric rise to become Secretary in the Home and Foreign Departments, he resigned the same in 1927.

In 1929, in fulfillment of his childhood resolve, Hiralal Shastri selected a remote and backward village Banasthali about 70 Kms from Jaipur and founded "Jeevan Kutir" where he trained a band of dedicated social workers and endeavored to implement a program of rural construction. The trained workers became the heralds of political awakening in many of the Rajputana states. He himself was drawn to political arena when he was given the responsibility to reorganize Jaipur Rajya Praja Mandal in 1937 of which he was twice the elected General Secretary and twice President.

In 1939, he led the Praja Mandal's Satyagraha for achievement of civil liberties and suffered a six month imprisonment. In 1947 he was appointed General Secretary of All India States Peoples Conference and was also elected to the Constituent Assembly for drafting the constitution of India. On the installation of representative Government in Jaipur State in 1948, Hiralal Shastri took over as the Chief Minister and when Rajasthan State was formed on 30 March 1949, he became its first Chief Minister and within a short period accomplished the herculean task of integrating the diverse princely units into effective modern administration. He resigned on 5 January 1951 and later became member of Lok Sabha. Banasthali Vidyapith founded by him and his wife Padma Bhushan Smt Ratan Shastri on 06 October 1935 for education and empowerment of girls today stands as world's largest fully residential women's university.

Being a comprehensive university, Banasthali offers graduate and post-graduate programmes in a vast variety of disciplines such as Arts, Humanities, Social Sciences, Bio-technology, Bio-science, Computer Science, Mathematical Sciences, Physical Sciences, Electronics, Engineering, Earth Sciences, Fine Arts, Management, Aviation Science, Education, Home Science, Design, Pharmacy, Law, Commerce and Journalism & Mass Communication. Globally, STEM disciplines have always been considered to be a male domain. Banasthali University has broken this myth long back by bringing girls to STEM education when the world was still grappling with meager enrolment of women in these fields. The unique five- fold educational ideology of Banasthali comprising of physical, practical, aesthetic, intellectual and moral aspects of education advocates an optimum blend of these components towards all-round development of students .Banasthali alumni can be found today in all latitudes, longitudes and altitudes in all walks of life across the globe.

The 119th Birthday celebrations started on 23 Nov 2017 with Sanskriti Sandhya a cultural evening presented by students filled with melodious songs and mood lifting dances. 24 November 2017 started with Sarva Dharma prayer followed by the students rendering soul lifting songs penned by Hirlalal Shastri which included Ganesh Vandana, Naari Mardani, Jago Jago, Bharat ki Narri and the Mouj Udeli. Banasthali Music Faculty Sri Ramswaroop Rao rendered Badai Geet which had the audience asking for more. Prof Aditya Shastri addressing the faculty and students announced the QS BRICS Rankings 2018 and dedicated the same to the founder Apaji Hirlalal Shastri. He also urged Team Banasthali to aim for what Harvard is today for Banasthali tomorrow. The celebrations include a two day Mela at Laxmibhai Maidan and awesome fireworks display on 24 Nov 2017. The celebrations will conclude on 25 Nov 2017 with a grand dinner for the entire campus community.

The students and faculty who attended and participated in Apaji birthday celebrations left with beaming faces and pride that they were indeed part of an institution which is a jewel in the crown among the women's universities not only in India today but across the globe.

For more details about Banasthali see http://www.banasthali.org/

About Banasthali: The Institution which is also the largest fully residential women's university in the world has played a big role in revolutionizing women's education in the country for the last eight decades with a belief that there is a tremendous role of higher education in empowering the women. Banasthali has scripted numerous success stories in a wide range of fields, and stands tall among the citadels of learning in India today. Team Banasthali with Vice Chancellor J C Bose Memorial Award for eminent scientist recipient Prof Aditya Shastri a highly acclaimed alumnus of BITS Pilani, SUNY State University of New York Stony Brook and MIT USA is indeed racing forward to be the very best among global women universities. Proud to be Banasthali alumni who call themselves as Banasthalites can be found in all latitudes, longitudes and altitudes in all walks of life across the globe.