Veda Kapoor

Pioneering Indian social reformer who revolutionized women's education in rural India

Veda Kapoor (1905-1972) was a visionary educator and activist from India whose innovative approaches to rural education transformed the lives of thousands of women. Born in a conservative UP village, she defied societal norms by completing her education at Lady Harding Memorial School and later establishing the Village Education Trust in 1932. Her methodology combined traditional knowledge with modern pedagogy, creating mobile schools that traveled to remote areas. Through her National Rural Education Program, she trained over 500 female teachers who became community leaders. Kapoor's 1957 publication Education for Empowerment remains a cornerstone text in gender studies. Her legacy lives on through the Kapoor Institute of Rural Development, continuing her mission of education equity.