Source: HT
Context: The Gokhale Institute of Politics and Economics (GIPE) has demanded the appointment of a neutral administrator for the Servants of India Society (SIS), citing alleged financial mismanagement.
About Servants of India Society:
- What is SIS?
- The Servants of India Society (SIS) is a historic socio-political organisation committed to public service, civic engagement, and national education. It aimed to build a cadre of selfless leaders devoted to the upliftment of India.
- Established on: June 12, 1905 (2025 marks its 120th Anniversary as well)
- Place: Pune, Maharashtra
- Founders: Gopal Krishna Gokhale, G.K. Devadhar, A.V. Patwardhan, N.A. Dravid
- Objectives:
- Train individuals for public service in a religious and nationalistic spirit.
- Promote education, civic duty, and political awareness through constitutional means.
- Encourage youth engagement in national development.
- Activities in Pre-Independence Era:
- Played a pivotal role in India’s freedom movement through political education.
- Produced leaders like V.S. Srinivasa Sastri, Hriday Nath Kunzru, A.V. Thakkar.
- Gokhale mentored Gandhi and also funded Sabarmati Ashram’s setup.
- Advocated constitutional reforms, social service, and nation-first ethics.
- Post-Independence Contributions:
- Expanded focus to education, women’s rights, rural upliftment, and disaster relief.
- Operates schools, rural development programs, and child welfare initiatives.
- Promotes sustainable agriculture, clean water access, and healthcare camps.
- Stands for gender justice, fighting child marriage, widow discrimination, and inheritance inequality.
- Gokhale Institute of Politics and Economics, a UGC-affiliated body founded under Servants of India Society.
