My Second Innings – Jalandhar School of Careers & Opportunities

I retired from my diplomatic career (IFS) on December 31, 2010. At my ‘Good Bye’ Reception hosted for the Diplomatic Corp in Minsk (Belarus), my last station of posting, I said that it was not the end of journey for me. I had just finished my first innings in the game of life. My second innings was yet to begin. The day has come when I am all set to start with my cherished dream of opening a school as my post retirement activity. It took almost a year to come up with a suitable venue and building, Vidya Niketan, at a plot at Bootan Mandi (near Buddh Vihar) in Jalandhar, my native place. Jalandhar School of Careers and Opportunities have been announced which will unfold step by step. I have started sitting at the School from today April 1, the FOOLS DAY. My greetings to all of you on the occasion.

The Mission and Vision of the School to provide much needed guidance and help to the young students, particularly the weaker sections of the society, at affordable costs. The objective is not to run a commercial entity with profit motives but to make a social and personal endeavor to repay the debt of gratitude which I owe to the community. It will be done under the aegis of Pritam-Sodhi Vidya Trust which my immediate family has decided to establish after the name of our parents. The lofty ideals of self-help and self confidence as stipulated in the Buddhist thought “BE YOUR OWN LIGHT” will be the guiding principle of the School. Yet another guiding force with us would be to prepare the young people for “LEARN to EARN”. I don’t believe in academic degrees alone. I believe in preparing ourselves to enter life in a meaningful way. The catch word is to earn ones bread and butter with dignity. That is what my parents taught me.

I wanted to write more but I am not in that mood but still I want to post this today. I would pick up the threads later. Kindly wish me luck.