Remembering Vidya Sridhar: The Great Educationist

Dr CP Shrimali Jun 07, 2021

On June 1st in the evening when I learnt 'Vidya is no more', we all were shocked and stunned. It was unbelievable. She had shown signs of improvement in the hospital and had not seen this coming.
My association with Vidhya Sridhar, wife of my ex-colleague Prof Sridhar Raghavan, began in 1977. This was when Sridhar and I, along with joining MDI in Feb-March. She was the daughter of a professor and had an MA in English from Osmania University, Hyderabad. At this university, she came in contact with Prof. Sridhar Raghavan, who was pursuing his MBA. They were family friends, as well.

Our relationship grew as we had many common interests and dreams of contributing to academics. After coming to Delhi she Completed her B.Ed and M.Ed and also joined as a teacher in a private school in Safdarjung enclave where they shifted from Shantiniketan. She carried with her the desire to set up a school for young kids.
When we moved to the MDI campus again, we were neighbours in a block of four flats with a big garden. Soon, an informal school for the children of gardener’s, dhobi, construction labour, drivers and domestic help was set up. Our home garden became the place where all four professors’ wives used to teach children, under the leadership of Vidya Sridhar, up to the 5th standard by pooling in books, study materials, toys, etc for the kids. Soon number swelled to over 20 and classes were held from 3 to 6 pm. This continued for many years. Sridhar and Vidya made several drafts of the project report for a school.
Around that time Hero group lost their illustrious son, the late Shri Raman Munjal, who was instrumental in setting up the hero Honda plant at Dharuhera. The group decided to set up a school Mrs Raman Munjal Vidya mandir at Dharuhera under the chairmanship of Mrs Raman Munjal. Vidya Sridhar joined as the first teacher in that school to realise her dream as well knowing fully the difficulty of commuting from Gurgaon. With support from the Munjal family, the school became the best school in the region. It only grew stronger under her leadership as headmistress from day one to principal and Director next.

I remember she used to bring batches of students from Dharuhera to Gurgaon for special coaching for competitive exams. She was respected by all principals of the Gurgaon Rewari region for her continuing efforts in building high-quality educational institutions. She remained in touch with parents of students, ex-students and took care of each teacher. Munjal’s gave additional responsibility of running vocational education centre in the school after classes for kids were over. Vocational education included teaching stitching, cooking, pickle making, papad making, rakhi making, deepak making, candles and many such activities for widows, village girls and rural community with which she was connected.
When Prof Sridhar Raghavan, the best finance professor at MDI suffered from Alzheimer disease at 56 years of age and needed round the clock attention, Vidya looked after him like a nurse cum doctor for over three years. A doctor from Europe came to see Sridhar and commended the kind of care given by Vidya which a hospital cannot provide. The doctor even wrote a case study on Vidya. After the death of Sridhar, she completely dedicated herself to her school from 8 am to 8 pm. After formal retirement at 62, she was requested to mentor principals and continue association with institutions. The day before her hospitalisation she visited the school in the evening, despite the coronavirus pandemic.
Vidya has been a great mother. Both the sons are CEOs with the best of Education from India and abroad. In fact, we used to call her 'Annapoorna' because by 7.30 am, rice curd, sambar, idli, dosa batter would be ready in the house for all members of the family, visitors, even servants and neighbours. She looked after her father-in-law mother-in-law like her own parents even after Sridhar’s passing. In MDI campus when MBA students visited home it was a norm to feed them home food and take care of them as parents.

She was ever ready to help people around her.

Her death leaves a big void difficult to fill.

Dr C P Shrimail has been an education leader, an able administrator and was associated with MDI for 3 decades, retiring as the Director of MDI, Gurgaon. Dr CP Shrimali got to know Mrs Vidya Raghavan as she was the wife of Prof Dr Sridhar Raghavan of MDI and Dr Raghavan and Dr Shrimali were colleagues at MDI as professors. He wrote this dedication in light of her passing.