Rotary International Turns 100 in India

The world’s largest service organization, Rotary International headquartered at Chicago has a strong historical connect to erstwhile Calcutta and now Kolkata. What began as the first Rotary Club in India and mainland Asia in 1919 at the Peliti's Restaurant is now 3,700 plus clubs with over 140,000 plus members across India as India celebrates 100 years of Rotary’s existence in these parts. The organization has focussed itself on spreading Total Literacy across India as part of the Rotary India Literacy Mission after successfully partnering with the Government of India, UNICEF, WHO, CDC and State Governments to make the country a Polio free Nation. The organization has played an important role in the Nation-building and its importance in India’s development has been immense over the past many decades working hand in hand with Government and the non-governmental agencies and the contribution of Rotary in eradicating Polio in India has been a benchmark for any such service organization providing support in form of the vaccines and the role has been acknowledged by the Government of India and globally it has contributed over Rs. 270 crores across 122 countries and 2.5 billion children immunized. In India, Rotary has contributed over 10% of the global amount spend. Rotary’s philanthropic arm The Rotary Foundation along with Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation have been pioneers in this support.

 

The organization has also done excellent service in the areas of Disease Prevention and Treatment, Water and Sanitation, Maternal and Child Health, Basic Education and Literacy, Economic and Community Development. Though the single most important and biggest contribution in these 100 years of Rotary in India has been its role to make the country a Polio free Nation. 

 

As part of its latest mission of Total Literacy across India under the aegis of Rotary India Literacy Mission acknowledged by the Government of India for the pioneering initiative of Total Literacy and Quality Education in India. To achieve the goals, RILM, has designed a comprehensive program called "T-E-A-C-H" where T is Teacher Support, E is E-learning, A is Adult Literacy, C is Child Development and H is Happy School.  It aims to cover all the states of India 2022 as part of its initiative being led Shekhar Mehta a past Rotary International Director who has been selected as the Rotary International President in 2021-22.

 

A centennial summit is being organized on 14th, 15th & 16th February 2020 at the Biswa Banga Convention centre where Vice President of India Venkaiah Naidu along with International President Mark Maloney shall be present with over 5000 delegates from across the world.