Occupation Educationist Spouse(s) Yudishter Kumar | Website Official web site Name Rajni Kumar | |
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Born March 5, 1923 (age 101) ( 1923-03-05 ) England Awards Padma Shri
Gr8! Women Award | ||
Greetings to springdalian parents form dr rajni kumar the veteran the patron
Rajni Kumar (born 5 March 1923) is a British-born Indian educationist and the founder of Springdales Group of Schools. The Government of India honored her in 2011, with the fourth highest civilian award of Padma Shri.
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Biography
Rajni Kumar, née Nancie Joyce Margaret Jones, was born on 5 March 1923 in England. She graduated from the London School of Economics in 1941, married her co student, Yudhishter Kumar, at the age of 23, moved to India and took up the Indian name, Rajni.
In 1950, she joined a local school, Salwan Girls School, as its Principal and worked there till 1955. During this period, she joined the National Federation of Indian Women, in 1953, as one of its founder members. In 1955, Kumar started her own school, Springdales School, as a kindergarten in the living room of her house. The institution, has over the years, grown to four schools in India and one in Dubai and is reported to have over 6000 students in its rolls.
Kumar is a former chairperson of the Lady Irwin College and vice president of National Bal Bhavan. She has taken part in the Global Peace Conferences in Geneva and the World Congress for the Rights of Children in Moscow. After her retirement in 1988, Kumar is involved with the Springdales Education Society as its chairperson. She is also associated with the Delhi Schools Literacy Project, an initiative under the National Literacy Mission.
Kumar was felicitated by the Government of South Africa on the International Women's Day in 2005. A recipient of the Gr8! Women Award, Kumar was honoured by the Government of India in 2011 with the fourth highest Indian civilian award of Padma Shri. In 2012, she was awarded the Order of the Companions of O. R. Tambo (Silver) by the Government of South Africa.