Rising from a humble background to retire as a Bank Chairman, Shiv Prakash Shrimali leads a school in Kuchaman City. Guided by Swami Vivekananda’s ideology, he dedicates his post-retirement life to providing affordable values-based education, believing that true success lies in the balance of self-confidence, honesty, and selfless service to society.

Retired Senior Banker Shiv Prakash Shrimali currently serves as the Chairman of Aarya School of Excellence in Kuchaman City, Rajasthan.

Shrimali retired from the banking sector on September 30, 2019, holding the distinguished position of Chairman. However, for Shiv Prakash Shrimali, retirement was merely a change of assignment, not a cessation of activity. He had only one goal: never to truly retire from life.

Demonstrating this resolve, he joined a new assignment on October 1, 2019, the very next day after his official retirement. He moved to a location known as Kuchaman Valley near Sambhar Lake, where a friend of his had a massive 400-Bigha land project. He took charge of the operations there, ensuring the work became regular and streamlined.

During his stay in Kuchaman, amidst the quiet savings of time, a profound inspiration struck him. He realized that for 42 years—comprising 18 years in state government roles and over 20 years in banking—he had taken a great deal from society. It dawned on him that life has a cycle; after decades of receiving, there comes a time when one must "give back." He believes firmly that every individual should hold this thought: having drawn from the community's resources, one is obligated to return the favor.

This thought crystallized into a specific vision: how to best serve the society that had nurtured him. He decided that his contribution would be to instill good values in children, specifically transferring the ideology of Swami Vivekananda to the next generation.

He set a qualitative metric for his success, believing that if out of 500 students, even 50 were to genuinely follow this righteous path and ideology, his life’s purpose would be fulfilled. With this noble aim, he established the Aarya School of Excellence in Kuchaman.

The creation of the school followed a structured process of planning, implementation, and execution. The planning phase was beautiful, conceived while sitting at home, visualizing the project.

The implementation phase saw the construction of the building, transforming a concept into concrete reality. Finally, the execution phase involved giving the building a complete shape and commencing operations.

However, as the school began to function, Shiv Prakash Shrimali faced the harsh realities that often accompany such ambitious endeavors. Despite his honest work, income resources were limited. He poured his entire retirement corpus—every penny of his investment—into the project and also sought financial assistance from his son in the USA. With these funds, he constructed a magnificent building, designed to resemble a traditional Gurukul.

Once the school became operational with a staff of 16 to 18 people and a fleet of buses, financial challenges began to surface. His fixed pension was approximately Rs. 1.04 Lakh, yet the monthly operational cost to pay staff salaries and maintain the school stood at Rs. 1.50 Lakh. This deficit created a significant mental struggle.

He references a common business axiom in India: it takes 1000 days (approximately 3 years) for any new venture to reach its break-even point. Before this period, losses are expected. Currently, he is navigating this difficult phase, having faced a financial crisis for the last two to two-and-a-half years.

Despite the financial strain, his resolve remains unshaken because his intentions are pure. He draws strength from an English poem written by the American poet Angela Morgan—- "When Nature Wants a Man."

He believes that these trials are simply nature's way of strengthening his foundation. His philosophy is clear—those who dared to jump cleared the ruins, while those who remained merely thinking were left behind. Since his retirement in September 2019, six years have passed (referencing the timeline up to December 2025), and he notes that he has been busier in this "third phase" of life than he was even during his chairmanship of the bank.

Aarya School of Excellence Chairman Shiv Prakash Shrimali advocates that keeping oneself busy with good intentions is the ultimate secret to good health. He shares a remarkable statistic from his professional life: when he retired, his medical leave account had lapsed by 170 days. If he had wished, he could have sat at home for his last six months of service by availing of this leave. Instead, he worked until his very last day, September 30.

In his entire 40-year tenure, he never took a single day of medical leave because he simply never fell ill. He shares this not for self-appreciation, but to show society, young people, and fellow senior citizens that work acts as an "antivirus." If one continues to work with a good purpose, disease does not come close.

Born and raised in the culturally rich city of Bikaner, his life began under the nurturing guidance of his parents, Sohanlal Shrimali and Sajjan Devi. He completed his entire formal education in his hometown, earning both his graduation and post-graduation degrees from the prestigious Government Dungar College, Bikaner.

Growing up in a large household with six siblings—four elder sisters, himself, and a younger brother—his childhood was a tapestry woven with joy and happiness, despite the underlying financial constraints. His father, an ordinary government official, bore the responsibility of supporting an eight-member family with limited income.

Yet, Shiv Prakash Shrimali reflects that his childhood, though full of struggle, was rich in values. The immense sacrifices and blessings of his parents ensured that he received a solid education grounded in high moral standards.

Although his mother had not studied beyond the third grade, she possessed a profound wisdom that shaped his worldview. She introduced him to the powerful ideology of Swami Vivekananda. The family was among the founder members of Sri Ram Krishna Kutir in Bikaner, a place his mother visited religiously on every Ekadasi.

It was in this spiritually charged atmosphere that Shiv Prakash Shrimali began absorbing the teachings of Swami Vivekananda from the tender age of five. He reveres his father as a true "Karma Yogi"—a man who worked with absolute honesty, loyalty, and dedication to sustain the family. This combination of his mother’s spiritual guidance and his father’s relentless work ethic became the inspiration that allowed him to complete his studies with integrity.

When it came to choosing a professional path, there was a difference in vision; his mother aspired for him to become a doctor, but his own heart was set on the banking sector. With unwavering focus, he began appearing for competitive exams at the age of 18. By the grace of God and his persistent efforts, he was selected at the age of 20 to join the State Bank of Bikaner and Jaipur as a Clerk. This marked the beginning of an illustrious career that spanned four decades.

Rising through the ranks solely on merit and hard work, he eventually retired from the prestigious position of Chairman of a Gramin Bank, having also served as the Deputy General Manager (DGM) at the State Bank of India.

Throughout his 40 years of service, which included extensive work in rural areas, his fundamental way of thinking remained unchanged. Guided by the teachings of Swami Vivekananda he had followed since childhood, Shiv Prakash Shrimali operated with a single mission: to work with absolute honesty.

As he progressed from a clerical role to become a Manager of small, medium, and large branches, he was always at the forefront of operations and public dealing. In every transaction, he remembered his father’s golden advice: never to cheat.

His father had cautioned him that while the banking sector offers opportunities to earn money through wrong means, doing so would destroy your voice, extinguish the warmth in your eyes, and shatter self-confidence. He believes that such practical wisdom, imparted by a father with limited formal education, is a lesson not taught even in elite universities.

These deeply ingrained values allowed him to navigate his professional life with immense self-respect. By maintaining excellent conduct with the public and ensuring a harmonious balance with his family, his 40 years of service passed with grace and fulfillment. He regards his ascent from a Clerk to the highest positions of banking leadership as a "golden service," attributing his success entirely to the blessings of God and the solid moral foundation laid by his parents.

Retired Gramin Bank Chairman Shiv Prakash Shrimali balances his professional achievements with a deeply fulfilling family life. He is supported by his wife, Lalita Shrimali, who has been a pillar of strength throughout his life. His legacy of values has been successfully passed down to the next generation; his son, Saurabh Shrimali, is an accomplished Computer Engineer and Manager working in the USA, and his daughter-in-law is also employed in the service sector in the United States.

Furthermore, his daughter serves as a National Trainer for the POSH Act, contributing significantly to creating safe workplaces. With this close-knit family, he lives a life of contentment and happiness. He attributes this familial harmony and personal growth primarily to two fundamental pillars: strong self-confidence and absolute honesty.

Drawing deeply from the teachings of Swami Vivekananda, Shiv Prakash Shrimali has developed a unique personal formula for success, which he breaks down into a specific score out of 100. He believes that if one keeps their self-confidence robust, 75% of any task is accomplished with minimal effort, leaving only 25% of the work to be done through physical action. Expanding on this, he presents his "40-40-20" formula for a complete personality.

The first 40% is assigned to Self-Confidence. He explains this with the phrase, "I can do it." When a person assesses a task and internally affirms their capability to execute it, they have secured these 40 marks.

The next 40% is assigned to Passion. This is defined by the phrase, "I will do it." This declaration of intent and determination brings the total score to 80 out of 100. However, Shiv Prakash Shrimali posits that a person is incomplete without the final 20 marks.

He describes this remaining 20% as "Luck," but clarifies that this is not merely divine intervention or random chance. Instead, he defines this "luck" as the "consideration of good work done for society." This score depends entirely on how much an individual has contributed to the welfare of people weaker than themselves, how much support they have offered to the helpless, and how involved they have been in social welfare.

He links this directly to the concept of "Narayan Seva" (serving God in man), a title given by Swami Vivekananda. The philosophy states that the more one engages in selfless service, the more pleased the Divine becomes. Shiv Prakash Shrimali asserts a stern calculation here: if an individual lacks these 20 marks of social service, the previous 80 marks (confidence and passion) effectively become a "big zero."

Without the component of good deeds—done not with pomp and show for just showing off but with genuine intent—a personality remains incomplete. His entire life has been based on this calculation, ensuring that his confidence and passion are always anchored by service to the underprivileged.

For the youth, Shiv Prakash Shrimali offers a message of resilience, encapsulated in a beautiful poem that has served as the foundation of his life. He recites the lines—

लहरों से डर कर नौका पार नहीं होती,
कोशिश करने वालों की कभी हार नहीं होती।
कुछ किये बिना ही जय जयकार नहीं होती,
कोशिश करने वालों की कभी हार नहीं होती।।

He emphasises that a boat that fears the waves never crosses the ocean, and those who try never lose. He draws vivid imagery from the poem: a diver who plunges into the deep sea often returns empty-handed multiple times, but his enthusiasm only doubles with each surprise, knowing that his fist will not be empty every time. Similarly, he speaks of the small ant that climbs a wall, slipping a hundred times, yet its hard work never goes to waste. He urges the youth to view success as a challenge, to accept it, and never to run away from the battlefield of struggle.

This philosophy of loving deeds (Karma) was imbibed from his father and reinforced by Swami Vivekananda’s teachings that one must do good deeds without desire. Shiv Prakash Shrimali reflects that he has continued to perform good deeds throughout his life without any expectation of reward.

As a result, God has given him so much that no desire remains left to be fulfilled. He has enjoyed every happiness life has to offer, a blessing he attributes to a simple code of conduct: never hurting the heart of a poor person, never consuming money earned through dishonesty, and always working by the sweat of his brow.

His message to society is clear: while money flows to people in many ways, true happiness belongs only to the person whose earnings are their own, born of honest sweat. Such a person possesses a high level of self-satisfaction and he understands they are the happiest persons in the world.

He contrasts this with those who, despite possessing billions of rupees, require sleeping pills to rest at night. Shiv Prakash Shrimali proudly notes that he never needed sleeping pills; the sheer exhaustion from honest hard work always guaranteed him a peaceful sleep.

This philosophy of purpose is evident in the operational model of his school. He opened the institution not for the wealthy, but for those who cannot afford expensive education. The fee structure is set at a nominal Rs. 700 per month (Rs. 9,000 per year). For this amount, he strives to provide high-quality English-medium education to children from humble backgrounds.

Although he struggles to afford the operational costs at this fee level, he keeps it low to ensure accessibility. His primary objective is not to earn money, but to transplant the values of Swami Vivekananda. He humbly acknowledges that while he is nothing compared to the great saint—not even a lamp in front of the sun—walking on the path shown by Vivekananda and working for social welfare is the highest form of service for him.

Retired SBBJ DGMShiv Prakash Shrimali holds a profound belief that walking on the path shown by Swami Vivekananda and dedicating oneself to the welfare of society is the highest form of work one can undertake. He explains that the universe operates on a spiritual principle of return, noting that there is "consideration" in everything, for even God does everything with consideration.

In exchange for his dedication to social welfare, God has provided him with strength, capability of running his school successfully, ensuring that the institution functions smoothly, and health. Furthermore, he acknowledges that the Divine provides the necessary funds despite financial challenges. He shares this insight to emphasize that when an individual engages in good work, even during times of trouble, the entire universe aligns with them and offers its support.

This connection with the Divine is central to his daily routine. Shiv Prakash Shrimali describes his morning practice where, after performing his puja for ten, fifteen, or twenty minutes depending on the time available, he asks for only one thing from the Almighty.

While most people pray to become capable for their own selfish needs, he prays, "O God, make me capable for the ultimate goal." He feels a renewed sense of capability every single day because his intention is clear and blessed. Since he is asking for strength solely to ensure the welfare and good work of society, he has found that God has never been stingy in giving.

To illustrate the nature of giving and divine blessings, Shiv Prakash Shrimali recounts a poignant incident involving a bus ride. He describes a scenario where three people were sitting on a seat in a bus. Outside, an old beggar who was fasting stood bowing down, asking for alms.

The passenger sitting on the window seat was not in the mood to help and turned his face away, ignoring the plea. However, the passenger sitting on the aisle seat heard the beggar's voice. Unable to reach the beggar directly, the aisle-seat passenger took out ten rupees from his pocket and handed the money to the person on the window seat, requesting him to pass it to the old man.

The window-seat passenger complied and handed the money over. The beggar, unaware of the true source of the donation, assumed it came from the person sitting at the window. Consequently, he showered the window-seat passenger with heartfelt blessings, wishing him happiness, health, and success for his children.

Shiv Prakash Shrimali draws a deep philosophical conclusion from this incident. He points out that while the person on the aisle seat actually gave the money, the person on the window seat merely acted as a helper or a medium. Yet, the window-seat passenger received great blessings.

In this analogy, he explains that the one sitting on the aisle seat represents God, while the one sitting on the window seat represents us. We are merely required to take a small portion of the money given by God and pass it on to the needy. By performing this simple good deed, we receive immense blessings without truly spending our own wealth, as the resources originally came from God.

He asserts that there can be no better deed than taking out a little from God's provision to support someone's livelihood or welfare.

His core message to the viewers is singular: whatever one does in life, one must perform good deeds and never hurt anyone's feelings. He passionately recalls the teachings of his parents, who warned him –

हाय बुरी गरीब की, कभी ना निष्फल जाय

He cautions that if one ignores the suffering of the helpless, their single tear can transform into a flood capable of sweeping away the offender. Therefore, the purpose of life should be to ensure that no poor or helpless person feels bad because of our actions. If we can ensure their minds are happy and we utilize the strength God has given us for their benefit, it results in good for us and our families.

Shiv Prakash Shrimali sees the tangible results of this philosophy in his own family. He looks at his son and daughter and firmly believes their success is the fruit of his parents' good deeds and the result of his own honest hard work.

He proudly mentions that his dedication and honesty have manifested in his children's careers; they work in the US with packages of 1.25 crores. His daughter is also excelling as an international trainer for the POSH Act. The well-being of his entire family brings him immense satisfaction, confirming that honest labor yields sweet fruits.

Finally, he conveys his parting message through a song, which he sings as a hobby. Addressing the public and fellow senior citizens, he advises them to stay busy, healthy, and strong, and to keep their intentions pure while doing good for others.

He sings the beautiful lines:

किसी की मुस्कुराहटों पे हो निसार
किसी का दर्द मिल सके तो ले उधार
किसी के वास्ते हो तेरे दिल में प्यार
जीना इसी का नाम है