Educationist Dr. Balwant Singh Chirana, Founder of Vidya Bharati Sansthan, Sikar, transformed education through visionary institutions, overcoming hardships with resilience. A passionate Rotarian, he believes in holistic development, service to society, and living life with purpose and positivity.

Dr. Balwant Singh Chirana is the Founder and Director of Vidya Bharati Sansthan, Sikar, which was established in 1991.

Vidya Bharati Sansthan has been working in Sikar for 35 years in the field of academics. The institution runs CBSE schools, BEd colleges, STC college, a Defence Academy, and several other educational initiatives.

Dr. Chirana shares that Vidya Bharati Sansthan is one of the institutions whose contribution has been extremely significant in making Sikar grow as an education hub. It was among the first institutions to introduce English-medium and CBSE education in Sikar. At the initial stage of Sikar’s development as an education hub, Vidya Bharati Sansthan played an important role by providing education to thousands of students from Sikar, nearby areas, and across Rajasthan. Many of these students are now in good positions in their career.

Dr. Chirana further explains that Vidya Bharati Sansthan runs various educational institutions in Sikar. They operate CBSE schools up to Class 12 with all streams. For the holistic development of a child, all necessary activities are conducted at the Vidya Bharati Public School. The focus is on a student’s overall development, including communication skills, discipline, body language, general knowledge, physical fitness, mental development, and strong academic understanding. All these elements are combined in such a way that students do not feel burdened by studies and grow into better individuals. Their tagline is “Shaping a Better Tomorrow.”

Along with CBSE schools, Vidya Bharati Sansthan also runs Rajasthan Board Senior Secondary schools. Rajasthan Board education is a necessity for local students, so these schools operate in both English and Hindi medium, offering all streams. Along with the Rajasthan Board curriculum, extracurricular and personality development activities are also given priority in these schools.

Apart from school education, Vidya Bharati Sansthan runs a B.Ed college and an STC college, where future teachers are trained. These institutions aim to contribute to the development of the education system in India.

Vidya Bharati Sansthan also runs a Defence and Sports Academy, where youth are trained and prepared for Agniveer recruitment and other paramilitary forces, so that they can serve the country.

The institution provides hostel facilities and supports various government schemes, such as Shreshta Yojana and Devnarayan Yojana. Under these schemes, many students from below poverty line and economically weaker backgrounds get the opportunity to study, and their personalities undergo a significant positive change.

Founder- Director Dr. Chirana shares that the USP of Vidya Bharati Sansthan is that students often join the institution in a raw form, and by the time they pass out, they leave with strong character, discipline, and a well-developed personality. He believes that a human being is only a physical body initially, it is education that completes it by building character and personality.

Dr. Balwant Singh Chirana recalls that he had been interested in teaching since his early days.. He shares that when he was in Class 8, during summer vacations, there was a small pathshala in his village where he used to teach children. Even after Class 9, he continued teaching students.

Teaching and academics were close to his heart from the beginning. He expresses gratitude towards Shri P.D. Singh, Founder and Director of Tagore Group of Schools, Jaipur, whom he considers his role model. Inspired by him, he worked with him for a long time and learned a great deal. He strongly believes in the words of Swami Vivekananda - शिक्षा से मनुष्य परिपूर्ण होता है। He believes that without education, development is not possible—whether for an individual, society, or nation.

He shares that he comes from a small village called Chirana, near Sikar. He realized that there was a lack of metro-level educational facilities. Before this, he worked at Rajasthan Patrika. He later resigned and came to Sikar, where he started a small school. With the support of his team and the blessings of his parents, Vidya Bharati Sansthan gradually grew over time.

He also shares that even today, whenever he meets his former students and sees them at good positions, it gives him immense satisfaction. When students meet him, thank him, and share their success, he feels proud that he has been able to contribute to society, even if it is by helping just one student.

Though his native village is Chirana, located in Jhunjhunu District, around 30 kilometres from Sikar, he was born in Vallabhgarh district of Haryana. Life took a difficult turn early when his father passed away when he was just 7 years old. After this tragic loss, the entire family shifted back to Chirana, marking the beginning of a challenging phase in their lives.

During this period of struggle, his paternal uncle became his strongest pillar, taking responsibility for the family and ensuring that the children continued their education. His initial schooling was completed in Chirana up to Class 10. Later, he pursued Class 11 from Shri Digamber Jain Senior Secondary School, Sikar

From a very young age, he understood the value of hard work and responsibility. After Class 8, whenever summer vacations arrived, he would work wherever possible—even if it meant earning just ₹20–30 a day—to support his family. This habit of working during holidays stayed with him throughout his growing years.

Later, he moved to Jaipur, where he got the opportunity to work under his mentor P.D. Singh Sir at Tagore School. Alongside his job, he continued his studies and completed his graduation on a private basis and post graduation from Rajasthan University as a regular student. While working at Tagore School, he closely observed the school’s discipline, management, and educational environment. This experience planted a powerful thought in his mind—to establish a similar quality educational institution in Sikar someday.

He always had a deep interest in reading and writing, which naturally led him towards journalism. He moved to Jaipur in 1984 and officially joined Rajasthan Patrika in 1988. During his journalism career, he was offered government jobs twice, but he declined both offers, as journalism was not just a profession for him—it was his passion.

In 1988, his maternal uncle expressed his wish to give him a piece of land if he ever planned to open a school. Unfortunately, his maternal uncle passed away in an accident, but he left behind this powerful thought and encouragement. Holding onto this vision, in 1991, he left Rajasthan Patrika and established a school in Sikar.

The beginning was extremely challenging. There was a lack of trained staff, no English-medium environment, and convincing parents was another major hurdle. However, his deep love for education, combined with experience and determination, helped him slowly overcome each obstacle. Within just 1–2 years, students from his institution began securing top ranks at the Rajasthan level, and Vidya Bharati soon emerged as a trusted and respected brand. This marked the true beginning of the Vidya Bharati story.

Following this success, they went on to establish a CBSE school on a much larger campus. From there, the institution continued to grow and expand.

Speaking about his role models, Dr. Chirana says that life introduced him to several people who shaped his journey. First and foremost is his paternal uncle, whom he credits for teaching him discipline, systematic living, and life values. His uncle played a crucial role in building his character and personality.

During his journalism career, he frequently interacted with the owner of Rajasthan Patrika, whose guidance and motivation left a deep impact on him. Around the same time, he also developed a close association with Bhairon Singh Shekhawat, the former CM of Rajasthan, from whom he learned valuable lessons about leadership and life. Notably, Bhairon Singh Ji Shekhawat himself laid the first brick when he was establishing his school—an unforgettable moment that continues to inspire him.

Music has always been a source of motivation for him. One song he often sings with his students is from the film Pehchaan:

‘बस ये अपराध मैं बार-बार करता हूँ, मैं आदमी हूँ, आदमी से प्यार करता हूँ।’

Another song he frequently sings in front of students is Kishore Kumar’s classic:

‘चल के तुझे, मैं लेके चलूँ, एक ऐसे गगन के तले, जहाँ प्यार ही प्यार पले।’

A song that deeply reflects his philosophy of life is:

‘एक बंजारा गाए, जीवन के गीत सुनाए, हम सब जीने वालों को जीने की राह बताए।’

Through this song, he conveys that happiness should exist in every situation. Not everyone gets everything in life, but whatever we have should be lived and enjoyed fully. Life is meant for living—not for jealousy, bitterness, or constant struggle. He strongly believes that life should be lived with joy, love, unity, and compassion, helping others while nurturing family values.

According to him, establishing multiple well-known educational institutions itself is a major achievement. He acknowledges that every phase of life brought its own struggles—from lack of resources during the early days of the school to administrative, social, and infrastructural challenges later. Yet, with support from family and friends, every problem was gradually resolved.

He believes that challenges depend entirely on one’s perspective. A hardship can feel like misfortune, a warning, or even motivation—it all depends on how one views it. With positive thinking and the intent to find solutions, struggles become manageable and transformative.

There were moments of crisis—land-related disputes, belief systems, and even incidents like a school bus accident caused by external factors, yet the institution bore the consequences. Despite this, every challenge was faced with resilience, positivity, and determination.

To the people of Sikar and across the country, he strongly urges parents to give children space to grow, instead of imposing their own unfulfilled dreams.

He feels that children begin their journey with excitement, but by Classes 11 and 12, their enthusiasm often fades due to lack of guidance. Career choices are driven by peer pressure, with most students being pushed towards becoming doctors or engineers, despite the existence of over 36,000 career options.

He believes children should be allowed holistic development—strong general knowledge, communication skills, IT awareness, and personal growth—supported by proper career counselling.

Apart from education, his second greatest passion is Rotary. Rotary is an international organisation dedicated to fellowship, friendship, and service. In 1997, Dr. Chirana joined a Rotary Club, inspired by his friend CA Sunil Mohan and Dr. Ashok Gupta, the founder of IIS University, Jaipur. This move proved to be life-transforming for him.

From an ordinary Rotarian, he rose to become the President of his Rotary Club, and later, in 2022–23, he served as the District Governor of Rajasthan and Gujarat—a highly prestigious and responsible position. Despite facing financial and business challenges during this phase, he carried out his governorship with pride, helping thousands of needy individuals.

In 2013, Rotary organised a massive medical camp where 27,000 patients were examined, and 1,300 life-changing surgeries were conducted. Rotary’s contribution to polio eradication and literacy missions in Sikar also stands as a significant milestone.

He describes Rotary as an organisation that connects you to the world, taking you to the last mile of society and offering true opportunities for service. Rotary, for him, is not just an organisation—it is a way of life.

He firmly believes that once a person’s basic needs are fulfilled, they should dedicate themselves to serving others, and Rotary is one of the best platforms to do so. It provides global networking, friendships, personal growth, and the joy of service—all across more than 200 countries.

He recalls incidents where Rotary stood by him—once when he was stranded in Israel, and another time when two Indian medical students were stuck in Kyrgyzstan, whom he helped remotely during his tenure as Governor.

To the common people of India, Vidya Bharati Sansthan Director Dr. Balwant Singh Chirana’s appeal is simple—if you are capable of helping someone, do it in whatever way you can. Life will always have ups and downs, but choosing peace, courage, optimism, and gratitude makes every obstacle smaller. He believes life is meant to be lived fully, joyfully, and meaningfully.