https://indianmasterminds.com

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

‘Roopantran’: A Forest Fire of Different Kind

It started with the transformation of just one school in Uttarakhand, and that too after a kind Government officer decided to foot the bill from her own pocket so that kids could study in a proper atmosphere. Spurred by the move, the state Government is now replicating it in all the districts of the hill state.
Indian Masterminds Stories

It started with a single act of good intention, and like a forest fire, spread out to 13 districts of Uttarakhand. Back in 2015, when Geetika Joshi, a 2010 batch Uttarakhand state civil services officer, took the initiative of contributing her own funds to transform a ramshackle government primary school in Ranikhet, she perhaps did not realize that it would kick-start a chain reaction.  No wonder her small efforts have turned out to be a big educational initiative for the state government.

The initiative is now called `Roopantran’. In 2018, the then Chief Minister of Uttarakhand, Mr. Trivendra Singh Rawat, launched it as an educational scheme to modernize the government schools in the Almora district.

The concept which started with a single primary school in Tarikhet block of Almora district has now expanded to more than 160 government schools all over the state. In an exclusive interview with Indian Masterminds, Geetika Joshi who is now serving as the Deputy Education Officer in Kashipur district spoke about how she got inspired and how the implementation of an idea got scaled up to a level she had not foreseen.

INITIAL STEPS

Speaking about it, Ms. Joshi said “When I got posted as the DEO of Tarikhet block in 2015, I came across an old dilapidated building near my office which was actually a government primary school. As it is a hilly area, the children studying there were suffering from the cold due to the poor infrastructure and facilities. This struck me hard and I immediately thought of contributing some bit of my own salary to improve the condition of the building, in particular its leaking roofs.”

“Initially with the help of my friends, husband, and other family members I planned to collect some funds which I could put in for the transformation of the school. Gradually, we beautified the building and improving the infrastructure adding facilities like smart tv, etc. This also led to a reduction in absentee students,” she added.

Ms. Geetika Joshi taking stock of the situation

An amount of more than Rs 2.5 lakhs was raised by the officers’ family to modernize the primary school. The school got a decent transformation but the initiative taken by the government officer was lacking the traction it should have actually got.

A HELPING HAND FROM AN IAS OFFICER

The noble initiative taken by Ms. Joshi got its first real recognition after IAS officer Himanshu Khurana stepped in as the Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) in Ranikhet, in October 2017. This was the first individual posting of the 2015-batch IAS as he just completed his under training and foundation course in LBSNAA.

While speaking with Indian Masterminds, Mr. Khurana said “As it was practically my first posting, I called a meeting with all the departments to review their work. So, when I reviewed the education department, I came across the initiatives taken by officers like Geetika Joshi. Considering the efforts made by them I visited the school where the initiative was taken. After reviewing their work, I was highly impressed and wanted to focus on transforming individual schools in the area.”

Adding good quality furniture

“Initially it was a small effort, as we planned on improving the school’s infrastructure by adding good furniture and beautifying the schools with painting etc. To make studies more interesting, we installed basic smart TVs where slides and other learning material can be played”, he added.

The timely intervention by the IAS officer was the only thing that was needed to boost the concept of Ms. Joshi in the eyes of the administrators. Soon after transforming another school in Ranikhet, Mr. Khurana took the concept in front of the then DM of Almora, Eva Ashish Srivastava. Ms. Joshi said, “The DM also visited the school and admired the transformation we made out of the old dilapidated building.”

Transformation

Things picked up pace thereafter. the DM pushed the sanctioned budget from the Untied Fund. Mr. Khurana said, “A huge contribution was also made by the local MLA, Karan Singh Mahra, out of which good quality furniture was procured. Other than that, we also asked the local people and departmental officers to contribute in any way possible.”

Children engaging in sports

LAUNCHING `ROOPANTRAN’

All these small steps resulted in excellent outcomes, and the initiative got recognized by the state government in April 2018, when former CM Trivendra Singh Rawat launched it in the entire Almora district.

The main objective of the initiative was to provide a safe and fully facilitated environment for the children, which would increase their presence in schools and improve their learning level. Facilities like smart TV, projectors for joyful learning, basic needs of students like notebooks, sweaters, shoes and school bags, clean washrooms, colour-painted walls, etc. were being provided.

GPS Rampura school transformation

Gradually, by modernizing one school after another in the Almora district, the initiative scaled up to the state level where all the 13 districts were chosen to implement the initiative. For every district three schools were selected for transformation.

Not only that, but the initiative is also focusing on providing nutritious mid-day meals to the students.


Indian Masterminds Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Related Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
NEWS
Renewable Energy
India Must Double Renewable Energy Addition to 50 GW Annually to Hit 2030 Goal, Says S&P Global - Details Inside
THDC-resized
THDC India Commissions Nation’s First Variable Speed Pumped Storage Unit at Tehri, Marks Historic Milestone in Renewable Energy - All Details Mentioned Here
Prakash Punj, Patna Sahib
Beautification Work Completed at Prakash Punj, Patna Sahib: A New Landmark for Sikh Heritage & Tourism
Indian Railways
Indian Railways Strengthens Ticketing System with Digital Overhaul & Anti-BOT Measures - Know More
WCL Western Coalfield
WCL Achieves Record Profit Before Tax of Rs. 4,376 Crore in FY 2024–25, All Details Inside
Bihar vegetables
Historic: Bihar Exports Vegetables to Dubai for the First Time: Minister Prem Kumar Flags Off Consignment
Indian Police Services IPS Officer
3 IPS Officers Transferred in Madhya Pradesh Police Department Reshuffle; Priyanka Shukla Made AIG, Bhopal Police HQ
ICAS Service
Ministry of Finance Notifies New Indian Civil Accounts Service Recruitment Rules, 2025 - Here is All You Need To Know
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
Monika Singh
Monika Singh’s Life Beyond the Bureaucracy | Video Interview 
IAS Tushar G Nikhare
Modernising Governance: A Digital Transformation in Gangtok
IMG-20250523-WA0036
Abhishek Singh's SECRET: Vipassana, Anthropology & Smart Answer Writing | Video Interview 
ADVERTISEMENT
UPSC Stories
Divyanshu Pal Nagar IFS
5 Years, 5 Mains, 4 Interviews: How Divyanshu Pal Nagar Stumbled in CSE, Triumphed in IFS - A Lesson for Every Aspirant
Divyanshu Pal Nagar’s inspiring five-year UPSC journey shows how perseverance, disciplined self-study,...
ANUBHAV SINGH UPSC IFS 2024
9 Years, 8 Attempts, 7 Failures: How Anubhav Singh Cracked UPSC IFS 2024 with AIR 3 Against All Odds | Exclusive
Anubhav Singh’s inspiring journey to UPSC IFS Rank 3 showcases relentless perseverance, strategic preparation,...
Jogender Sihag
“I Cleared UPSC, But My Grandfather isn’t Here to Hear it,” Jogender Sihag, AIR 521, UPSC CSE 2024
"Life is short; make the most of it, whether in civil service or any other field. Just have a clear vision...
Social Media
Tiger jump Sundarban
Stunning Viral Video Shows Royal Bengal Tiger Making Spectacular 30-Foot Leap Across River in Sunderbans - See It Here
Retired Indian Forest Service (IFS) officer Susanta Nanda shared the clip online, which quickly went...
shubham kumar ias marriage
IAS Topper Weds BPSC Topper: Shubham Kumar Marries IRS Officer Priyangi Mehta in Patna; Wedding Video Goes Viral
Topper Couple Alert: Shubham Kumar, Priyangi Mehta’s Wedding Grabs Spotlight in Bihar
parveen kaswan elephant
Elephant Outsmarts Electric Fence! IFS Parveen Kaswan Shares Incredible Video!
In the now-viral 51-second clip, the intelligent giant approaches a wooden pole supporting high-voltage...
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Latest
Renewable Energy
India Must Double Renewable Energy Addition to 50 GW Annually to Hit 2030 Goal, Says S&P Global - Details Inside
THDC-resized
THDC India Commissions Nation’s First Variable Speed Pumped Storage Unit at Tehri, Marks Historic Milestone in Renewable Energy - All Details Mentioned Here
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
Monika Singh
IAS Tushar G Nikhare
IMG-20250523-WA0036
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT