A Life Devoted to Education: Rajendra Prasad Khaitan on Vidya Bharati’s Mission and Impact

BOSTON— After spending nearly four decades working with Vidya Bharati, Rajendra Prasad Khaitan says he has found a deep sense of peace and purpose in dedicating his life to the organization’s educational mission—and wants to spend the rest of his life continuing that service.

Khaitan, Vice President of Vidya Bharati Akhil Bharatiya Shiksha Sansthan, discusses that personal journey and his commitment to education in a new interview with INDIA New England News.

For Khaitan, his association with Vidya Bharati has become much more than an organizational responsibility. After 40 years of service, he says his continuing involvement with the organization gives him a sense of fulfillment and peace, and that he hopes to devote the remainder of his life to advancing its educational mission.

That mission operates on a remarkable scale.

To watch the full interview, please click here, or on the image below.

Vidya Bharati, widely regarded as one of the world’s largest nonprofit school systems, operates more than 12,000 schools and serves more than three million students across India. Its network reaches communities across the country, making education accessible to students in a wide range of geographic and socioeconomic settings.

But the organization’s educational philosophy, its leaders say, extends beyond academics.

Vidya Bharati seeks to combine formal education with character development, values, cultural awareness and social responsibility. Its approach places emphasis on developing students not only for academic and professional success, but also for their roles as responsible members of society.

In the interview, Khaitan reflects on the organization’s evolution and the role education has played throughout his own four-decade association with Vidya Bharati.

Joining Khaitan in the conversation is Satish Jha, a Vidya Bharati supporter and donor who has been involved with the organization’s outreach in the United States.

Jha offers a perspective on what differentiates Vidya Bharati from other nonprofit educational institutions. He discusses the organization’s distinctive educational philosophy, its emphasis on values and character alongside academic learning, and the scale and depth of its network across India.

The conversation also looks at Vidya Bharati’s growing engagement with the Indian diaspora in the United States.

Over the past several years, the organization has expanded its outreach to Indian-American families, educators, supporters and donors. That effort is aimed at building greater awareness in the United States about Vidya Bharati’s educational work in India and creating opportunities for members of the diaspora to engage with and support its mission.

For Khaitan, however, the work remains deeply personal. After four decades of service, he describes continuing to work for Vidya Bharati not simply as an organizational commitment, but as a source of peace, purpose and fulfillment.

His message is ultimately about a life devoted to education—and about continuing that service for as long as he can.