Bonds with Bordi

"In fulfilment of his dream for Gholvad which meant so much to him,” the Katgara family commemorated the memory of their patriarch Adi Jehangirji Katgara on his 10th death anniversary last year by making a munificent donation towards the establishment of the Katgara Polytechnic Institute in collaboration with the Gokhale Education Society (GES) in the rustic seaside locale of Bordi that borders Maharashtra and Gujarat. The newly constructed Institute building bears Adi’s bust and describes him as "a jewel in the midst of mankind.” Another plaque on the premises acknowledges that the philanthropist was a resident of neighboring Gholvad and "a distinguished student of S. P. H. (Soonabai Pestonji Hakimji) High School” on the GES campus.

Katgara Polytechnic Institute

Bust of Adi Katgara on the premises of Katgara Polytechnic Institute

Whilst the two-storeyed Institute building is nearing completion, from the Katgara contribution "of Rs 1,00,00,000,” the three-year engineering diploma courses with 60 seats each in the five engineering branches of civil, computer, electrical, electronics and telecommunications and mechanical have already commenced, stated principal P. A. Raut, Thana zonal secretary of GES.
These courses, approved by the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), New Delhi and recognized by the Government of Maharashtra, can be availed of by students who have completed their 10th standard school leaving examination. Eighty percent of the seats will be allotted to students selected through the Centralized Admission Process and 20% will be set aside as management quota seats. As a special incentive, tuition fees will be waived for certain categories like scheduled castes and tribes, and will be 50% for other backward castes. There are no Parsi faculty members and only two students from the community at the Polytechnic Institute, according to Prof P. K. Save, head of department.
The Institute will have modern classrooms with audiovisual facilities; plus a range of laboratories dedicated to computers, electronics, applied sciences (physics and chemistry), hydraulics, electrical network, and concrete technology; a CNC (computer numerical control)-machine shop and workshops to conduct practicals; as also a library, a recreation center and separate hostels for boys and girls. The students will be assessed through regular examinations conducted by the Maharashtra State Board of Technical Education (MSBTE) and the diploma holders can expect job openings in the private as well as public sector industries, notes the website of the Institute, katgarapolytechnic.com

Godrej Technical Institute in Bordi

At the inauguration of the Katgara Polytechnic last year, Dr Snehalata Deshmukh, eminent educationist and former vice chancellor of the Bombay University, urged students to avail of the higher education facilities offered by GES in different areas.
Founded 97 years ago, GES runs 121 institutions (of which 62 are ISO 9001:2008 certified) in the three zones of Bombay, Nasik and Thana with a staff of 4,000 members committed to offering quality education, states their website. "The Society is known for students’ discipline, academic excellence, professional competence and innovative programs with a track record of transparent administration,” adds the website.
The GES in Bordi has been fortunate to receive financial support from Parsi families since its inception. In 1923, the construction of the SPH High School was made possible thanks to a generous donation from her daughter Dhunbai, reveals Raut. The School became very famous in Bordi and due to its active participation in the national struggle for independence it came to be known as the Bordi National School.
Another large donation from the Godrej family in 1962 led to the starting of the Godrej Technical School to benefit senior students of grades eight, nine and 10. Thirteen years later when the department of education in Maharashtra introduced the 10+2 system (after completion of schooling in the 10th grade, students had to go through two years in junior college before pursuing graduation studies), the house of Godrej contributed towards the construction of a Junior College where pupils could study science with a technical subject. On the GES campus in Bordi there is also the N. B. Mehta College of Science and Commerce where Farzan Mazda is the lone Parsi professor. Another heritage structure on this property is Gandhi Kutir, once home to Kasturba Gandhi and Gandhiji’s children, that currently serves as a classroom for its college students.
Impressed that over 8,000 students from Thana, Dahanu, Jawahar and surrounding areas are being educated at GES run institutions, Adi’s son Homi and the Katgara family volunteered to contribute towards their cause. Besides owning 114-year-old Jeena and Company, one of India’s leading customs clearance and freight forwarding establishments providing logistics solutions to large corporations in this country and around the world, the Katgara Group also owns Trail Blazer Tours India Limited, a leading travel company, and WaterMaker India, pioneer in atmospheric water technology which provides safe drinking water from air.
Founder and director of Travel Corporation of India Private Limited (TCI), Adi was the first Indian and Asian to be appointed as the director of the International division of ASTA (American Society of Travel Agents) and recipient of the Hall Of Fame award conferred by IATO (Indian Association of Tour Operators). Adi "always wanted to do something special” to improve the lives of the local populace of Gholvad-Bordi where many generations of the family have enjoyed their holidays. The Katgara family’s ties with this area go back to the time Adi’s father Jehangirji was gifted Kapadia Cottage in Gholvad by his father-in-law Rustomji Kapadia.
"The Katgara family firmly believes in giving back to society,” notes a write-up from Adi’s daughter Meher Bhandara who describes her father as "a true philanthropist who went out of his way to help all those who approached him, often offering simple advice to solve complex issues.”