Veda Kapoor

Pioneering Indian educator who revolutionized women's education in rural India through innovative mobile schools

Dr. Veda Kapoor (1905-1989) was a visionary educator who transformed rural India's educational landscape through her groundbreaking mobile school initiative. Born in a conservative Punjab village, she defied societal norms by completing her PhD in education from London University in 1932. Her most impactful work began in 1945 when she launched the first Charkha Schools - portable classrooms on carts that traveled between villages, providing girls with basic literacy and vocational training. This model educated over 150,000 girls by 1960 in regions where girls' schools were nonexistent.

Key to her success was integrating local culture with modern education. She developed multilingual curricula using local dialects and created sewing and handicraft programs that empowered women economically. Her 1958 publication Education on Wheels became a blueprint for UNESCO's mobile education initiatives globally. Kapoor's work was featured in UNESCO archives and inspired similar programs in Nepal and Bangladesh. Though less known internationally, her legacy lives on through the Veda Kapoor Foundation which continues her mission today.

Her most controversial innovation was the Mothers' Literacy Circles where adult women were taught to read through storybooks based on local folklore. This approach increased female literacy in target areas from 3% to 47% between 1950-1965. Despite facing death threats from traditionalists, Kapoor famously said, 'Education is the matchstick that lights the torch of freedom.'