KEELARA

    The Establishment of the People’s Education Society at Mandya can be said to be a highly important voluntary effort made in recent years  for the progress of the district. Encouraged by the idea of an over-all educational advancement of the district envisaged by the five-year Plans, eminent social workers of the Area, under the guidance of Sri K.V. Shankaragowda, founded  and registered this public institution in 1958, with the following objectives:-

1.        Promotion  and encouragement of education including basic and nursery education, training of children and adults for citizen ship and of women in domestic science and training in handicrafts, cottage industries and ;other useful crafts and arts amongst the population of the locality to be determined by the rural areas.

2.        Harnessing of the energies and resources of the people to promote civilized life and social service and for the instruction in and diffusion of useful knowledge .

3.        Establishment of colleges , schools and other educational institutions of various kinds in important places as may be determined from time to; time by the Board of Management.

4.        Establishment and maintenance of or giving of grants to organizations, ashrams and institutions of any kind  connected with any of the aforesaid activities.

5.        Establishment and maintenance of or giving of grants for the benefit of poor homes for women and children, maternity homes , child welfare centres  and ;other institutions of similar nature such as ante and post natal clinics.

6.        Taking over or affiliation of colleges, schools , hostels and student – homes belonging to or managed by other institutions or sanghas or local self-governing bodies or the State Government for purposes of management and control.

7.        Training of men and women for carrying out any of the aforesaid activities

8.        Rendering of help by grant and contribution to any existing of help by grant and contribution to any existing institution or that may be established hereafter or to; any person or persons carrying on or undertaking to carry on such activities in the locality to determined by the Board of Management from time to time.

9.        Any other activity incidental or germane to the aforesaid activities .

10.     All activities , institutions and organisations maintained or assisted from the funds of the Society shall  be non- communal and non-political.

The Society made strenuous efforts for collection of funds for starting an Engineering  College and with active public support established the P.E.S College of Engineering at Mandya in 1962.  Training facilities in three major branches of engineering, Viz., Civil, Mechanical and Electrical , have been provided in this college. About 60 acres of land on the south –western boundary of Mandya tow were secured and a campus for this  College has  been developed on this land. This college has about 450 students at present (1967) . In 1964, the society opened a polytechnic at Mandya, However, at present admissions to this institution  have been discontinued and only the final year students are being coached. The Society took another forward step by establishing a College of Science at Mandya in 1966. This College has nearly 160 students at present (1967-68).