Maharishi D. K. Karve

The nineteenth century was a period when the emancipation of women became a matter of prime concern for socio-religious reformers. Over the years, women were exploited, kept backward and were made victims of many degrading customs like sati, female infanticide, purdah, child marriage, polygamy, etc. The reformers saw these customs to be perverted practices born of ignorance and fear and blind acceptance. Since women were denied education, they also lacked awareness of their rights.
Thus the change is women’s status is the most important symbol of social change.

By the second half of the nineteenth century individual activists as well as reform groups focused on women related issues and their activities provided stimulus and an atmosphere to improve the status of the Indian women. One such champion of the cause of women’s emancipation was Maharishi D. K. Karve  worked relentlessly for the cause of women. He encouraged widow remarriage and founded schools for girls and widow homes in Pune. He also founded the first Indian Women’s University in 1916 which later came to be known as SNDT Women’s Univeristy.

In 1891, he started teaching mathematics in Fergusson College and continued teaching for the next twenty-three years. He established the Vidhawa Vivah Pratibandh Nivarak Mandali, a society to encourage widow remarriage. The interest received on the society’s fund, collected through donations, was used to financially help widows who wished to remarry.

Karve constructed a small house at Hingane village near Pune in 1900 for the school and started his mission for women’s education from this house.

He founded the Mahila Vidyalaya  (Women’s School) in 1907. Here, women were taught such subjects like child development, health, home science etc. Karve later on modified the courses to match changing requirements and times.

Reputed leaders like Mahatma Gandhi, Sawarkar and Pandit Nehru visited the institute and praised Karve for his efforts.

After his retirement from Fergusson College in 1914, he devoted all his time in developing the Mahila Vidyalaya.

In 1916 he founded a university for women. This is considered to be the first University for women in India. Karve became the first Principal of a college affiliated to this university. In the next year, a teacher’s training college was added. This college was later named as Shrimati Nathibai Damodar Thackersi College. The medium of instruction in this college was Marathi. However, other specialized courses were also conducted like English, the language of knowledge, nurses training etc.

Deciding to give more attention towards educating women in rural areas, he founded the Maharashtra Gram Prathamik Shikshan Mandal (Society for elementary education in rural Maharashtra).

The Banaras Hindu University felicitated him with an honorary degree in 1942. He was honoured with the title of Padma Vibhushan in 1955 and the Bharat Ratna in 1958 at the age of 100, by the Indian Government.

Maharshi Karve was also known in Maharashtra by the nickname  Anna (Eldest Brother). Anna spent a dedicated lifetime of 105 years in social service.