Kudos for Anand Mahindra

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 It is no mean achievement to be the biggest donor in the history of Harvard University's Humanities Center. Anand G. Mahindra has once again drawn global attention to India's big- heartedness and respect for higher education and culture. Mr. Mahindra, now Vice Chairman and MD of Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd, has had an illustrious career and is an eminent member of various educational, economic and cultural bodies both in India and abroad.

Among other notable donors to the Harvard University have been names like NR Narayana Murthy of Infosys Technologies. His family and he has donated $5.2 million to Harvard University Press earlier this year. The list of Indian patrons to ivy-league institutions in the US and UK is getting longer and well done too. It not only helps to put the names of big business houses from India on the patron's list and have education centers named after Indian tycoons, it also encourages Indian students studying in these institutions to aim higher and perform better in academics. The entire country is very proud of these philanthropists and may their tribe increase.

What does come to mind, however, is that, why is there such a rush to offer largess to institutions that are already well established and doing fine on their own merits? Why does charity not begin at home? Donating $10 million to an American University in one’s mother’s memory is laudable, but why not spend a fraction of that astronomical sum on Indian girls who are forced to discontinue higher studies because the education infra-structure is so poor in our homeland? Why not promote the cause of the studies of Humanities in our own universities and colleges? Is it not a fact that Indian students are considered to be the best all over the world? Then why not offer courses and facilities in India so that students can study and do well and take the country ahead with them? Why not foster a culture of academic excellence on our own soil?

There are a good many people and business houses that invest a lot towards the education sector in our country. The Birla’s have been pioneers in this respect, the Tata’s have also invested a lot in the education and sporting arenas and so have numerous others. Shiv Nadar, founder of HCL Technologies, donated more than  Rs 550 crore this year towards the country’s education sector. Wipro is also a big donor in the field of primary education in India. The country’s youth is no doubt indebted towards these philanthropists for their generosity, but, there is need for many more super rich citizens to come forward and carry on with these humanitarian deeds for India to be truly uplifted.