For nearly two decades, a philanthropic initiative rooted in Odisha's Kendrapada district has been quietly transforming lives through education and healthcare support. Spearheaded by a professor based in the United States, the work is executed via the Banchhanidhi Das & Srimati Devi Charitable Trust, established in honour of his parents. The professor personally reviews, approves, and funds all projects, while a board of family members handles the on-ground execution in his native place.
A Legacy of Learning: Scholarships and Educational Support
The cornerstone of the trust's work is its extensive scholarship programme. For the past 18 years, the initiative has consistently supported hundreds of students annually. Selection is based on academic keenness and financial need, with candidates recommended by three to four faculty members to the trust.
The scholarship structure is detailed: approximately 200 Plus II and Plus III students receive Rs 1,000 each per year, while another 200 students from classes VI to X are granted Rs 500 each annually. Cumulatively, the trust estimates that around 10,000 students have benefitted from this financial aid. Notably, 85% of the recipients are girls, a deliberate focus stemming from the founder's belief in the critical importance of educating women.
The educational philanthropy extends beyond school-level scholarships. The professor, an alumnus of NIT Rourkela, has also created significant endowments at his alma mater. These include two separate endowments of $25,000 each for general scholarships and an additional Rs 18 lakh endowment specifically to reward the gold medallist in civil engineering.
Beyond Scholarships: Holistic Social Work in Odisha
The trust's mandate goes far beyond education. It provides crucial financial aid to cancer patients, a support system for many families facing medical crises. Furthermore, the trust has established an e-library with an initial donation of Rs 1 lakh and runs programmes to assist children with cerebral palsy.
Current projects also span other districts. In Gunupur, Rayagada district, the trust supplies an orphanage with books, stationery, umbrellas, solar plates for lighting, utensils, blankets, and woollen clothes, with contributions worth Rs 50,000. In villages around Damanjodi, Koraput, the trust, in collaboration with a non-profit, has distributed clothes and educational material worth Rs 1 lakh to adults and children.
Humble Beginnings and a Future-Focused Vision
The professor's social journey began modestly in 1963, when he and a friend, heeding their mathematics teacher's advice, helped cremate an old man and supported his family in Kendrapada. However, large-scale social work in Odisha commenced in 1995, two years after he attained a full professorship in the US. His annual visits to Odisha for social work have been a constant since 1976, with projects gaining significant momentum from around the year 2000.
Financially, the commitment has grown substantially. Initially, the trust spent about Rs 5 lakh per year across all projects for a decade. In recent years, the annual outlay has increased, reaching approximately Rs 15 lakh last year. While the professor is the primary donor, family members also contribute smaller amounts annually.
Looking ahead, the founder has a pragmatic plan for sustainability. He intends to create a Rs 1.5 crore corpus fund, which will be managed by his son, a computer scientist in the US. The proceeds from the interest generated will be used to perpetuate the scholarship programme indefinitely. He also hopes to inspire his Indian colleagues in the US to initiate similar efforts in their native districts.
His philanthropic spirit is not confined to India. In the United States, he began social work around 1988, volunteering extensively with the National Alliance on Mental Illness. He has also set up a substantial $750,000 fund at Brown University, Rhode Island, to support needy students from Asia and Africa, and contributes through the American Society of Mechanical Engineers.
