On 23rd August 1944, the SKE Society was brought in existence under the Society Registration Act in the British-era state of Bombay. Little did the small group of dedicated and enlightened philanthropists know where this simple act would lead.
Now, as SKE Society celebrates 75 years of substantial contribution to education in India, we look back at the the moments in time that defined who we are today!
The year was 1944 when a group of educationalists and philanthropists who firmly believed in the power of education, aspired to make it affordable and accessible to thousands of youth in Sawantwadi and Southern part of Ratnagiri District. Their faith was rewarded with the enthusiastic patronage of Rani Parvati Devi of Sawantwadi.
Moving To Belgaum
The project faced its first setback when an outbreak of malaria in Sawantwadi and an inadequate number of students in the college forced the management to move the college to Belgaum. However, the college was placed in the able hands of similar minded local philanthropists and educationists like Dr. G. V. Herekar, Shri Annasaheb Latthe, Shri Vasantrao Herwadkar, Shri Baburao Thakur, and others. Their noble intentions got a further boost when the Maharaja of Jamkhandi, Rajesaheb Patwardhan, offered them his summer palace to house the college. Which is why today the students of SKE Society enjoy studying at a campus that sprawls over 28 acres of land, which include a playground, a botanical garden and a number of buildings that house the various courses offered. The Society also possesses 23.16 acres of mango groves and other trees adding to the lush green cover of the campus.
The Society runs educational institutions offering education from KG to PG. Two Marathi and two Kannada medium schools offer good education in the mother tongue up to SSLC. The P.U. courses in Science, Arts and Commerce prepare the students for professional and non-professional courses. Within the campus itself, the students can join the graduate courses in Arts, Commerce and Science and also Courses in Business Management and Computer Applications, M. Sc (Organic Chemistry) and M. Sc. (Biology). A certificate course in ‘Yoga Studies’, for students and for the general public, speak volumes about the concern of the South Konkan Education Society for truly “Empowering the Individual with Knowledge”. An IGNOU Study Centre is attached to RPD College and has been recognized as the Best Study Centre in the region.
To further help deserving but needy students, the S.K.E. Society has set up the South Konkan Empowerment Charitable Foundation out of its own resources, and gives scholarships and prizes every year to meritorious as well as to needy students. Generous donations to this fund from Col. Ramnathkar, Shri A.K. Kalburgi, Shri U. A. Digikar and many other donors including Staff and Management members, have helped the Society to enhance the assistance given every year. The Foundation also supports organizations which take care of special children and helps out during natural calamities as well.
Just like the youth who passed through our halls, the SKE Society and its institutions have grown and evolved over the years. However, we have a long way ahead of us and would encourage our alumni to support our students in any way possible. There are buildings to be built and students’ fees to be paid. Give to the future generations what the past has given to you.
