Nagaraj T, a Tamil professor from Annamalai University, goes door-to-door to collect second-hand books for the school students and for those who are preparing for the government exams and has now set up a library in an empty space at Government library. He also takes free coaching class for the students coming from the rural area in Musiri.
"I have been taking classes for the last six months for school, college, and people who are preparing for government exams. As they are coming from rural areas, it costs Rs 36 for their travel, which is expensive for them. Apart from that, when we are taking the photocopy of the question papers or notes from the textbooks, it is costlier than the actual book rate, which is difficult for them to pay," Nagaraj says. "So, I planned to collect books from people related to the exams. In the beginning, I created a WhatsApp group with college professors and other friends. Through that, I received many question papers from previous exams and many were ready to contribute their old books, which is helpful for the students now. Then, I started collecting books from neighbours, friends and relatives and decided to start a library," adds Nagaraj.
"I read a lot of books and visit government library every day, so when I was in the need for a place to start the library, which will also be convenient for the students. The librarian showed me an empty place in the library and asked me to make use of it. With the help of the staff, we set up a library with all the books. Here, they cannot borrow books, because if he/she takes it. What if another boy wants to learn the same chapter that day, that's why they are not allowed to take the books home," he adds. The place is filled with books, question papers and newspapers. There are around 136 students who visit the library daily and take down the notes. The coaching class is held at a different place, which was hired by Nagaraj.
There are 11 staffs, all professors and friends of Nagaraj, who take classes for the students. There is no fee given to them, all of them volunteered. We can also find college students preparing for government exams, who volunteer them to teach the school children when the staffs are unavailable. They even prepare mock question papers for the school students. The class is held from Friday to Sunday between 10.30am-4pm. "I don't look for any profit by teaching these children, I want them to be educated and reach a good height in their life. They come way too long to the city just for the purpose of studying. There is no awareness among the students in the city, there are so many tuition centres they pay money and teach, but here we have all professional teachers and also library were so many books are there for their reference," says the 37-year-old professor.
