Under the Chief Minister’s Samruddha Panchayat Raj Abhiyan, the Education Department of the Nashik Zilla Parishad conducted the ‘My School – My Pride’ initiative from October 23 to 26, which received an overwhelming response from citizens, alumni, teachers, and villagers across the district.
During this campaign, 58,995 alumni from 3,240 Zilla Parishad schools participated and were felicitated by their respective schools. Collectively, the alumni contributed Rs 65.76 lakh in cash and materials worth Rs 2.74 crore, making a total contribution of Rs 3.41 crore toward the development of their former schools.
This initiative was conceptualised by Omkar Pawar, IAS, Chief Executive Officer, Zilla Parishad Nashik. With Diwali as the backdrop, the campaign aimed to reconnect former students—who had returned to their native villages—with their schools, rekindling memories and strengthening their sense of pride and belonging.
Over the four-day campaign, schools hosted alumni gatherings, cleanliness and beautification drives, tree plantation, and book donation activities. Alumni also gifted schools with educational and sports materials, TV sets, public address systems, RO filters, solar power units, and solar lights. Many schools used these contributions to beautify their premises, with enthusiastic participation from local villagers as well.
Rebuilding Emotional Bonds
This initiative not only fostered the development of schools but also revived emotional ties and affection toward education in rural areas. Every alumnus expressed gratitude toward their school and proudly declared, 'My Zilla Parishad School.'
The campaign successfully recreated emotional bonds between students and their schools, setting an inspiring example for other districts across Maharashtra.
Pawar said, “Everyone feels a desire to give back to the school that shaped them. Through ‘My School – My Pride’, we gave that emotion a tangible form. The school is the soul of a village, and education is the foundation of progress. This is the message Nashik district has conveyed through this initiative."
