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Melukote College
| Sri Brahmatantra Swatantra Parakala Swamy Educational And Charitable Trust. |
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Sri Lakshmi Hayagreeva Preuniversity Arts College Melukote, Karnataka, India |
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The Pre-University College at Melukote is situated at the small town of Melkote (popularly known, amongst Srivaishnavas, as Tirunarayanapuram) in Mandya District of Karnataka. it is a Junior Arts College, providing two years of education in the Arts and Humanities Area after high school (in the so-called “10+2 “ programme) before the students enter the university. It caters to the rural communities in and around Melkote. It has currently about 200 students. The classes are being conducted in two rooms that form a part of the ancient Parakalamatham.
The college was being operated for a long time by a Private Trust as a Grant-In- Aid institution with support from the Karnataka Government. Over the years however, the management and operation of the institution deteriorated, leading essentially to a dysfunctional state. It is under such conditions that the Acharya acquired this college from the original management in 2005, to operate it as a service to society. under the aegis of the Brahmatantra Swatantra Parakala Swamy (BSPS) Educational Trust. This is a tax-exempt Trust established by the Acharya to manage the existing and planned educational and other charitable institutions. The College is still being run in the same dilapidated rooms of the Matham. There is an urgent need to move the college to a new building of its own. The Matham has found it to be essential to provide free mid-day meals (“anna daanam”) to the students since many of the very poor students walking long distances from surrounding villages are not able to attend college otherwise. The college is still being operated as a Grant-in-Aid institution. Under this arrangement, the Karnataka Government provides the salaries of the teachers. The other operating expenses, including the mid-day meals (the major component) and the administrative/maintenance costs are the responsibility of the Matham. and are being met from the meager general funds of the Matham. |
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Critical Needs 1. A new building to house the college, in order that the institution may continue to be recognized for Grant-in-Aid status by the Karnataka Government. If the Matham fails to generate the necessary funds to meet the above needs within a short time, it will likely lose the Government support, which essentially means that the college cannot be sustained any more. This will be a great set-back for the poor uneducated families living in the surrounding areas, in their struggle to get access to affordable higher education for their children. The Acharya feels strongly for these families that have remained poor and backward for ages and wishes to see that we do our share to change their life for the better. |
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The Proposed Melukote College Project
1. The Matham proposes to construct a 2-storey Teaching Building, of total area of about 9000 sift, consisting of 15 rooms. The building will be constructed at Melukote on the Matham’s land next to the existing ancient Parakalamatham buildings. It will be a basic building appropriate for a small junior arts college. The estimated cost of construction of this building, based on the first set of quotations, is about 90 lakh ($200,000).
2. The Matham will continue to provide free mid-day meals to the students. This, together with other expenses like support- staff salaries and supplies, is estimated to cost around Rs. 2000 per day or about Rs.7 lakh ($14,000) per year in operating costs. |
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Current status of the Project
We have so far raised about Rs. 30 lakh. The building plans have been approved and construction of the first floor (First Phase) has just started, even with these partial funds that have been raised till to date. As of to-day, excavation and foundation work is in progress. For viewing some photos of the college project, please click here. |
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What is needed NOW:
1. There is the IMMEDIATE need to raise an additional Rs 60 lakh required for the construction of the building within a short time in order that the building construction work may be carried to completion. With regard to the building fund, any level of contribution is welcome. Our special appeal to you, however, is to consider a major donation, if possible. Donors of Rs. 2. lakh ($5000) or above can have a room in the new building named after them with a plaque bearing their name(s) or the name(s) of any one else (such as parents, etc, whom they may wish to commemorate) placed in display in that room. With regard to operating expenses, which is a recurring annual expenditure, please consider making a continuing annual commitment. For example, how about setting aside a small amount of daily contribution and donating the accumulation to the Matham at one time every year, say on The Hayagreeva Jayanthi day, or Acharya Tirunakshtram day, etc. ? Contribution cheques may be made in the name of BSPS Educational & Charitable Trust. Please indicate either on the cheque or in a covering note that it is towards the Melukote College. Also please clearly indicate your mailing address and the name in which the receipt is to be given. Contributions made in India are deductible for Indian income tax purposes, to the extent allowed by the relevant tax rules. Please mail the cheque to BSPS Educational and Charitable Trust |
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Special note for contributors from USA:
We have established a tax-exempt organization in the US, called “Sri Parakalamatham”. Contributions made to this organization are eligible for US income-tax exemption up to the limit allowed by the IRS rules. Please make your checks payable to “Sri Parakalamatham” if you wish to take advantage of this exemption. Please indicate on the cheque or in a covering letter that the contribution is for Melukote College and mail your cheque to Sri Parakalamatham |