50 Villagers Programme

Started by Dr. Bharat Saran in 2013-14 in Barmer village of Bikaner, the 50 Villagers Service Institute was meant to support 25 children from class 11 and 25 students from class 12, to study and prepare themselves to become future doctors. The second center was picked by Shana International School under the able guidance of Dr. Kamlesh Chandra Chairman of the school and an educator in Bikaner. 

Since 2022, Haldiram Educational Society has supported such meritorious children who come from marginal parts around Bikaner and are unable to support themselves post high school education. All of the children picked for the programme are exceptionally bright but lack financial means to give wings to their dreams to become doctors. Nearly 160 students of the wider 50 Villagers movement have become doctors since its founding.

Employing the unique gurukul system of education, boys are supported with boarding and lodging along with training in life skills, environmentally sustainable practices and self-discipline through a one-on-one tutoring methodology. Girls are enrolled on merit basis and visit the school in regular working hours only. All costs are borne by Haldiram Educational Society. 

Since then, most children have scored more 95percent. The first batch has already cleared their NEET and have been absorbed in top medical colleges in the country. Students study for three hours at a go. They maintain a journal that records what they have studied with status marked as A, B or C depending on whether they have understood, not understood or need clarity respectively in that top. Children are encouraged to inculcate the habit of self-study and peer-to-peer learning. Only when problem solving fails these two methods that the teacher steps-in. Books of study are NCERT and therefore mostly self-explanatory.