Remembering Social Reformer Maharshi Karve, Who Set Up Indias First University For Women

Image Credits: Wikipedia, SNDT University

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Remembering Social Reformer 'Maharshi Karve', Who Set Up India's First University For Women

At the time of its foundation in 1916, the university had only five girls, but today it has over 70,000 students in 26 colleges, three secondary schools for girls and 38 university departments.

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Today marks the birth anniversary of Dhondo Keshav Karve, also known as Maharishi Karve. Dhondo, who imbibed his mother's teachings as a child, is famous for dedicating his entire life to the cause of women's empowerment.

Dr Dhondo Keshav Karve was born on April 18, 1858, into a low-income family in Sheravali village in Maharashtra's Ratnagiri district. After passing his matriculation exams in 1881, he enrolled himself at Elphinstone College in Mumbai. Ten years later, in 1891, he began teaching mathematics at Poona's (present-day Pune) renowned Ferguson College.

It was a time when the country was undergoing revolutionary change. Karve met great reformers like Rajaram Mohan Roy, Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar, Vishnu Shastri, Pandita Ramabai and Jyotirao Phule, agreed with their viewpoints and pledged to work to improve the situation of women, particularly widows, in the country.

According to New India Samachar, Karve married Radhabai when he was 14-years-old. However, in 1891, she died at a very young age while giving birth to a child. The incident had a profound effect on the avid educationist.

Crusader Of Women's Rights

Following this, he not only deliberated on issues such as child marriage and the complications caused by early pregnancy but various other social topics.

In 1893, Karve established the Widow Re-marriage Association. To set a good example for others, he married Godubai, a friend's widowed sister, for which he was ostracised by society. However, he stood firm to all the societal pressures and established the country's first school for widows in Hingne, Pune.

Parvati Athawale, Karve's widowed sister-in-law, was the school's first student. Later, in 1907, the social reformer founded the Mahila Vidyalaya, a residential school for girls in Pune. The echoes of Karva's work grew to such an extent that Mahatma Gandhi himself wrote in his honour in his weekly paper 'Indian Opinion'.

Apart from education, Karve also worked on the issue of casteism. He established the 'Maharashtra Village Primary Education Committee' to promote education in the villages, which gradually opened 40 primary schools in various areas. He also founded 'Samata Sangh' with the goal of teaching people that all humans are equal.

Women's-Only University In India

In 1914, Karve resigned from his job and devoted himself entirely to his organisation. Knowing about the Women's University of Tokyo in Japan, he also decided to start a women's-only university in India and travelled abroad to raise funds for it. He laid the foundation for the university with a donation of about Rs 2.5 lakh, but due to a lack of funds, the work was halted midway.

Lending his helping hand, Mumbai's well-known industrialist Vitthaldas Damodar Thackersey donated Rs 15 lakh to the institution, which was later renamed Shreemati Nathibai Damodar Thackersey (SNDT) University, in honour of Thackersey's mother.

At the time of its foundation in 1916, the institution had only five students, but today it has over 70,000 students in 26 colleges, three secondary schools for girls and 38 university departments, including art, management, technology, humanities and home science.

In 1955, he was awarded the Padma Vibhushan and India's highest civilian award Bharat Ratna in 1958. The social reformer passed away on November 9, 1962 at the age of 104.

Also Read: 'Radio Aksh': India Gets Its First Exclusive Radio Channel For Visually-Impaired People In Nagpur


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Writer : Tashafi Nazir
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Editor : Shiva Chaudhary
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