Vidya Gyan Website and Recent Updates

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Dear Family/Friends/Colleagues,

Greetings from Vidya Gyan’s home in Minnesota- still cold but with signs of spring around the corner. I just returned from India. Sincere appreciation and thanks to many who helped us move Vidya Gyan forward. Also sincere apologies if I could not get in touch with you because of very busy schedule and most of the time spent in my village (Kotah) to learn, relearn, and absorb the realities of the village life. It can be GOOD, BAD, CHALLENGING, and/or INTERESTING depending on your own perspective and expectations (more later) but you do get to breathe cleaner and fresh air, live and work with friendlier people, and enjoy great hospitality.
 
For me the India trip was all about Vidya Gyan and how it can be of service to impact the lives for the better. I will very certainly characterize the trip a success by most measures (you can call it my biased assessment)  but I will let you be the judge. All I hope that you feel energized and get ready to jump in the fray to help India become a sought after country for its huge potential offered by its human asserts of over 1.2 billion strong. Please remember that Vidya Gyan is always open to your ideas and tax deductible contributions to affect even incremental changes in the community of your choice- let us talk when you are ready. Thank you.
Our accomplishments since Vidya Gyan’s inception in November 2014:
1. Our website:  http://vidya-gyan.org/
2. Vidya Gyan hosted a number of District Level Officers under the leadership of District Magistrate in village Kotah- all about education, health, and development plans offered by the government ( more on  http://vidya-gyan.org/about.html)
3.(a). Vidya Gyan proudly approved a grant of about Rs. 20 lacs ($ 32,000) to fund the project KOTAH PRIDE to improve the quality of learning in the local inter college. Details at   ( http://vidya-gyan.org/photo.html )
3 (b). Access KOTAH PRIDE proposal at ( http://vidyagyan15.blogspot.in/  )
4.. Developed the following logo characterizing Vidya Gyan as a”  KEY” to success through Education, Knowledge, and Development.
5. .Vidya Gyan’s Developmental efforts:  Advocated for and planted  necessary seeds to have a branch of the Cooperative Bank opened in the village and to have Kotah access road repaired/resurfaced ( more later).
6. Completed groundwork to create a trust deed document to initiate a sister organization ( Vidya Gyan India ) to facilitate tax-deductible contributions in India (more later).
7. Initiated conversations to develop a directory of professionals who belong to Kotah and now working/retired outside Kotah; we hope to engage them in Vidya Gyan efforts.(more later)
8.. Visited several institutions and gave several invited talks on Career Development; Developed contacts/network to further the Vidya Gyan objectives..
Please stay tuned for more and keep in touch with me and Vidya Gyan’s activities. through email/phone communications, website, Facebook page, Linkedin, Tweet and Blog pages  etc. 
Best regards and best wishes.
Vijendra
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Vijendra Agarwal, Ph.D.

Co-founder and President VIDYA GYAN; a  501 c(3) Charitable Organization committed to:Encourage Education.Cultivate Knowledge. Enable Development
Founder and President of Global Solutions and Consulting 
( Former Dean of Science and Engineering) 
001-651-528-6763 Additional Experiences:  Associate Vice Chancellor, Assistant Vice President/Provost; Executive Fellow in the White House Office of  Science and Technology Policy, Fellow of American Council on Education, Consultant, and Emeritus Professor
 
 
“EDUCATION IS ONE OF THE BLESSINGS OF LIFE, AND ONE OF ITS NECESSITIES”
                                                                    
Malala Yousafzai, 2014 Nobel Peace Prize
Source: WHN Media Network