The road less traveled was the one I chose instead of spending my entire tenure in plush comfort which spelt mouthing pleasantries in an endless round of receptions and ceremony. Although in recent times few constitutional offices in our democratic polity have been subjected to rigorous scrutiny by the media, the courts and the political class, as the office of the Governor, it has in no way deterred me from establishing my own sensibilities, beliefs and convictions about the power of the common man and civil society.

The initiatives I have taken in my tenure so far are simply a deep and abiding faith in the decency and dignity of the ordinary citizen. Today, 100 bright young boys and girls from Uttarakhand are receiving a scholarship of Rs.25000/- each year for their professional studies. This initiative will continue uninterrupted. My friends have contributed generously for the corpus to provide this support in perpetuity. More than 1800 young children and adults have undergone cleft lip and cleft palate surgery free of cost;450 home toilets have been constructed in village homes at a total cost of Rs.22 lakhs. Dehradun today has India's most modern centrally air-conditioned four storied Blood Bank and 170 Tsunami affected children are receiving financial support for their sustenance and education. These are some of the projects undertaken and accomplished.

The Him Jyoti Boarding School for girls is a bold initiative aimed at providing opportunities for quality education to bright girls from economically disadvantaged families. Unarguably, 'the hand that rocks the cradle rules the world'. These girls are merely waiting for their revolutionary energy to be tapped and Him Jyoti School's sole endeavour is to help them emerge vibrant, dynamic, sincere and perfect in all spheres of life. The onus lies on the society to make a difference in their lives as the role given to women in society is a measuring rod and true index of its civilizational values.

Him Jyoti School is receiving support from all who believe in the magic of education to empower women. It will be a matter of great joy when some day, a girl from the Him Jyoti School rises to the office of the Governor of a State.
 

Sudarshan Agarwal
Mentor
Former Governor of Uttarakhand and Sikkim
Himalayan School Society