Celebrations as MES turns 150
Ex-student Arun Firodia will be felicitated; rally on Thursday by students, alumni and teachers
As Maharashtra Education Society (MES) — one of the oldest educational societies of the city — steps into its 150th year on Thursday, the authorities have lined up a series of events for the next one year to celebrate its existence.
Three social reformers and revolutionaries — Vasudeo Balwant Phadke, Laxman Narhar Indapurkar and Waman Prabhakar Bhave — came together in 1860 and formed the Poona Native Institution, which later came to be known as Maharashtra Education Society.
Chairman of the governing body of MES Ravindra Wanjarwadkar, its vice-chairman Pramod Gorhe, member of the governing body Suresh Chitale and chief executive officer of MES Anil Valsangkar on Monday discussed the society's plans with the media.
The society runs Abasaheb Garware College, MES Perugate Bhave School, Vimalabai Garware School and Rani Laxmibai Girls' Military School. The society has 51 educational institutes in six districts. According to the society's office-bearers, the celebration will start from Thursday and a rally will be taken out by students, alumni and teachers from the wada at Tapkir Lane in Budhwar Peth where Phadke, Indapurkar and Bhave stayed. The rally will culminate at Bhave School in Perugate. The society has decided to felicitate educational institutes, non-government organisations and various study centres, which have completed 100 years of existence. These include Deccan Education Society, Deccan College, Pune Vidyarthi Griha Seva Sadan, Camp Education Society, Sassoon Hospital, CoEP and Niwara old age home.
A cultural programme will be held on Thursday evening and Padma Bhushan Vasant Gowariker and industrialist Arun Firodia, an alumni of the Bhave School, will be present.A file photo of the Abasaheb Garware College which is run by the Maharashtra Education Society.