Maa Gramyashree (Junior) College

Maa Gramyashree (Junior) College is located in Naradapur, which is up in the Keonjhar district of Odisha. It’s a junior college, so we’re mostly dealing with students who are just finishing their regular schooling and getting ready for the next step. The location in Naradapur is quite quiet compared to the bigger towns. Our building is modest, just a few blocks of classrooms and a small office space for the administration. The pin code here is 758047. We have a small staff of teachers and a couple of people who help with the cleaning and maintenance. It’s the kind of place where everyone knows everyone else’s business. We don't have a lot of the modern bells and whistles you might find in a city college. Our desks are made of heavy wood, and we still use traditional registers for almost everything. During the monsoon, the rain hits the tin roof and makes a lot of noise, so we sometimes have to shout a bit to be heard in class. The students mostly come from the nearby villages and walk or bike here every day. We don't do any big marketing or have any glossy brochures. People just know where we are and what we do. It’s a very plain, honest sort of place where we just focus on getting through the syllabus and helping the kids get their certificates so they can move on with their lives.