Rajiv Gandhi Charitable Trust

Last updated

Rajiv Gandhi Charitable Trust
Founded2002
Founder Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi
Type Non-governmental organization, Indian Trusts Act 1882
Focus Education, Healthcare, Poverty Reduction
Location
Area served
India
Method Community Mobilization, Empowerment, Capacity Building, Service Delivery
Key people
Sonia Gandhi, Chairperson
Deep Joshi, CEO
Website www.rgct.in
www.rgmvp.org
www.igehrc.org

The Rajiv Gandhi Charitable Trust (RGCT) is a registered non-profit institution which was established in 2002 by the Indian National Congress. Named after the 6th Prime Minister of India, the trust is headed by the former president of the Indian National Congress. [1]

Contents

Board of Trustees and Management

The Board of Trustees as well as the Management of the Rajiv Gandhi Charitable is heavily influenced by the Indian National Congress.

Board of trustees

Post in the TrustTrustees
Chairperson Sonia Gandhi
Rahul Gandhi
Business ExecutiveDr Ashok Ganguly
Charted AccountantBansi Mehta
Kanishka Singh

Management

Post in the TrustTrustees
CEODr YSP Thorat
Deputy CEOGajraj Mahendra
CEO & Director, IGEHRCDr Sanjay Dhawan

Initiatives

Rajiv Gandhi Mahila Vikas Pariyojana

Rajiv Gandhi Mahila Vikas Pariyojana (RGMVP) is a flagship program of the Rajiv Gandhi Charitable Trust (RGCT) which "aims to build and strengthen the community institutions of the poor". [2] It is a rights-based initiative that works for poverty reduction, women’s empowerment and rural development in the backward regions of Uttar Pradesh. The main activity of RGMVP includes organising poor rural women into community institutions in the form of Self Help Groups (SHGs) - each consisting of 10-20 women - that act as social platforms to address issues of financial inclusion, healthcare, livelihood, education and environment. The organisation has "the belief that the poor have a strong desire and innate ability to overcome poverty". [3]

RGMVP has been designed by RGCT and National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) with technical assistance from the Society for Elimination of Rural Poverty (SERP) for promotion, credit linkage and federation of SHGs in select districts of Uttar Pradesh. [4] The programme has been visited by the Microsoft Chairman, Bill Gates [5] [6] [7] and the British ex-Foreign Secretary, David Miliband. [8]

Indira Gandhi Eye Hospital and Research Centre

Indira Gandhi Eye Hospital and Research Centre (IGEHRC) was established by the Trust (RGCT) in 2006 to address a requirement for quality and affordable eye care and eliminate curable blindness in Northern India and Asia. Currently, two hospitals are operating in Uttar Pradesh: a secondary level facility in Amethi, and a tertiary level hospital in Lucknow. Two additional centres are operational in Gurugram. IGEHRC aims "to provide timely and affordable world-class eye care to all segments of society". [9] Regular community outreach programmes are organised in rural areas to provide quality eye care and to create eye care awareness among the rural population. [10]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sonia Gandhi</span> Indian politician (born 1946)

Sonia Gandhi is an Indian politician. She is the longest-serving president of the Indian National Congress, a social democratic political party, which has governed India for most of its post-independence history. She took over as the party leader in 1998, seven years after the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi, her husband and a former Prime Minister of India, and remained in office until 2017 after serving for twenty-two years. She returned to the post in 2019 and remained the President for another three years.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rahul Gandhi</span> Indian politician (born 1970)

Rahul Rajiv Gandhi is an Indian politician. A member of the Indian National Congress (INC), he is currently serving as the 12th Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha and as the member of the Lok Sabha for Rae Bareli, Uttar Pradesh, since June 2024. He previously represented the constituency of Wayanad, Kerala, from 2019 to 2024, and Amethi, Uttar Pradesh, from 2004 to 2019. Gandhi served as the party president of the Indian National Congress from December 2017 to July 2019 and is the chairperson of the Indian Youth Congress, the National Students Union of India, and a trustee of the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation and Rajiv Gandhi Charitable Trust. He is a member of the Nehru–Gandhi political family.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Priyanka Gandhi</span> Indian politician

Priyanka Gandhi Vadra is an Indian politician and a general secretary of the All India Congress Committee. She is the daughter of former Prime Minister of India Rajiv Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi, sister of Rahul Gandhi, and granddaughter of Feroze and Indira Gandhi, making her a member of the politically prominent Nehru-Gandhi family.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Amethi</span> Town in Uttar Pradesh, India

Amethi is a city situated in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. Gauriganj is the administrative headquarters of the Amethi district. This district is a part of Ayodhya division in the Awadh region of the state. Amethi was 72nd district of Uttar Pradesh which came into existence on 1 July 2010 by merging three tehsils of the erstwhile Sultanpur district namely Amethi, Gauriganj and Musafirkhana and two tehsils of the erstwhile Raebareli district, namely, Salon and Tiloi. The town is part of the Amethi Lok Sabha constituency and Amethi Assembly constituency, which became reputed as a stronghold of the Indian National Congress party. The Congress leaders belonging to Nehru-Gandhi family won several elections from Amethi during 1980–2014. In 2019, Smriti Irani of Bhartiya Janta Party won this seat. Irani was defeated in 2024 by Kishori Lal Sharma of Indian National Congress.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rajiv Gandhi Foundation</span> Indian non-profit organisation

The Rajiv Gandhi Foundation was established on 21 June 1991. The foundation works on a range of issues including development of knowledge, health, disability, authorization of the destitute, livelihoods and natural resource management. Its current focus areas are community welfare, literacy, health and special programmes for children and women. All donations to the foundation are tax deductible to the extent of 50 percent under section 80G of the Income Tax Act.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development</span> Government owned All India Financial Institution and Regulatory Body

The National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) is an All India Financial Institution (AIFI) and an apex Supervisory Body for overall supervision of Regional Rural Banks, State Cooperative Banks and District Central Cooperative Banks in India. It was established under the NABARD Act 1981 passed by the Parliament of India. It is fully owned by Government of India and functions under the Department of Financial Services (DFS) under the Ministry of Finance.

Satish C. Sharma was an Indian politician. He represented the Indian National Congress party, and was a former member of the Union Cabinet in the Government of India. Sharma's political career was boosted by his closeness to both Rajiv Gandhi, and after his assassination, his wife and the de facto political power center of the Congress party, Sonia Gandhi. He held seats in the Lok Sabha at the behest of both the Nehru - Gandhi family and the electorate.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Petroleum Technology</span> Public university in Raebareli under IIT kanpur

Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Petroleum Technology (RGIPT), in Jais, Amethi, Uttar Pradesh, India, is a training and education institute focusing on STEM and petroleum industry. It is also known as IIT JAIS. It was formally opened in July 2008.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rae Bareli Lok Sabha constituency</span> Lok Sabha constituency in Uttar Pradesh

Rae Bareli is one of the 80 Lok Sabha (parliamentary) constituencies in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. It is considered to be a bastion of the Indian National Congress. From 1967 to 1977, the seat was held by former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, and from 2004 until her appointment to the Rajya Sabha in 2024, by Sonia Gandhi.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Amethi Lok Sabha constituency</span> Lok Sabha Constituency in Uttar Pradesh, India

Amethi is one of the 80 Lok Sabha constituencies in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. This constituency covers the entire Amethi district and was created in 1967. Like its neighbouring constituency Rae Bareli, it is considered to be a bastion of the Indian National Congress. Its first member of parliament (MP) was Vidya Dhar Bajpai of the Indian National Congress (INC) who was elected in 1967 and held his seat in the next election in 1971. In the 1977 election, Ravindra Pratap Singh of the Janata Party became its MP. Singh was defeated in 1980 by Sanjay Gandhi of the INC. Later the same year, Gandhi died in a plane crash. This forced a by election in 1981 which was won by his brother, Rajiv Gandhi. Gandhi went on to represent this constituency until 1991, when he was assassinated by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). The subsequent by election held the same year was won by Satish Sharma of the INC. Sharma was re-elected in 1996. Sanjaya Sinh of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) defeated Sharma in the 1998 election. The widow of Rajiv Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi represented this constituency from 1999 to 2004. Her son, Rahul Gandhi, was elected in 2004. He was the fourth MP from the Nehru–Gandhi family since 1980 to represent the seat. Gandhi held the seat till the 2019 election when he was defeated by a margin of 55,000 votes by the BJP's Smriti Irani. Irani was defeated in 2024 by a margin of over 1.67 lakh votes by Kishori Lal Sharma of the Indian National Congress.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nehru–Gandhi family</span> Indian political dynasty

The Nehru–Gandhi family is an Indian political family that has occupied a prominent place in the politics of India. The involvement of the family has traditionally revolved around the Indian National Congress, as various members have traditionally led the party. Three members of the family—Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi—have served as the prime minister of India, while several others have been members of parliament (MP).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sanjaya Sinh</span> Indian politician

Sanjaya Sinh, also known as Sanjay Singh, is an Indian politician and a former member of the Rajya Sabha. He was twice elected to the Legislative Assembly of Uttar Pradesh during the 1980s and held state ministerial posts. In 1990, he became a member of the upper house of the Parliament of India, which is known as the Rajya Sabha, and in 1998 he was elected to the lower house, called the Lok Sabha. His term in the 12th Lok Sabha session lasted until the following year. Subsequently, in 2009, he was successful in obtaining a second term in that house as a member of the 15th Lok Sabha representing the Sultanpur constituency of Uttar Pradesh. He represented the state of Assam in the Rajya Sabha. He resigned from Rajya Sabha and Indian National Congress to join Bharatiya Janata Party on 30 July 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Amethi district</span> District in Uttar Pradesh, India

Amethi is one of the 75 districts of the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. This district is a part of Ayodhya division in the Awadh region of Uttar Pradesh. It covers an area of 2,329.11 km2. Gauriganj is the administrative headquarters of the district.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Indian Institute of Information Technology, Allahabad</span> Public university in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh

The Indian Institute of Information Technology, Allahabad (IIIT-Allahabad), is a public university located in Jhalwa, Prayagraj district, in Uttar Pradesh. It is one of the twenty-five Indian Institutes of Information Technology listed by the Ministry of Education (India), and is classified as an Institute of National Importance.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kamla Nehru Memorial Hospital</span> Hospital in Uttar Pradesh, India

Kamala Nehru Memorial Hospital (KNMH) is a not-for-profit hospital in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, India. The hospital had its beginnings in 1931 as a dispensary founded by Smt. Kamala Nehru in her ancestral house Swaraj Bhawan. Gandhiji laid the foundation stone of Kamala Nehru Memorial Hospital in 1939. KNMH is the only hospital in the country for which he had collected donations. Mahatma Gandhi inaugurated this hospital in the memory of Late Smt Kamala Nehru on 28 February 1941, the date she had died in 1936. Since 1994, the Oncology Department of the hospital is a Regional Cancer Centre, recognized by Government of India.

Fursatganj Airport or Fursatganj Airfield is an under-construction domestic airport and functional airfield at Fursatganj of Amethi district in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rajiv Gandhi Mahila Vikas Pariyojana</span>

The Rajiv Gandhi Mahila Vikas Pari Yojana (RGMVP) is the flagship program of Rajiv Gandhi Charitable Trust, a registered non-profit institution, working for poverty reduction, women empowerment, and rural development in Uttar Pradesh, India, since 2002. RGMVP believes that "the poor have a strong desire and innate ability to overcome poverty." It aims to organize poor rural women into community institutions and promotes financial inclusion, health care, livelihood enhancement, education, and the environment.

The Indian National Congress (INC) is one of the two major political parties in India. The prominent members of the party are the president Sonia Gandhi, vice-president Rahul Gandhi, former prime minister Manmohan Singh and Priyanka Gandhi. INC took part in the elections alongside other members of the United Progressive Alliance. On the fourth anniversary of the second United Progressive Alliance government, the INC announced that its campaign for the election would be led by Prime minister Manmohan Singh, party chairperson Sonia Gandhi, and general secretary Rahul Gandhi.

<i>Gurugram Rajiv Gandhi Trust land grab case</i> Indian political case

Gurugram Rajiv Gandhi Trust land grab case against Robert Vadra and Bhupinder Singh Hooda is being investigated by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) as per Supreme Court of India's order. In the Gurugram Rajiv Gandhi Trust land grab scam between 2004 and 2014, then Government of Haryana administration of Indian National Congress's Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, had handed over panchayat land to the Rajiv Gandhi Charitable Trust in the name of public interest use, resulting in this trust being sued by the gram panchayat in Punjab and Haryana High Court against the land grabbing of the Gandhi family by the Hooda government. Then Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda. who also held the charge of Panchayat department at that time, had approved the grant of 5.3 acre panchayat land to Rajiv Gandhi Trust for 33 years at a rate of Rs 3 lakh per acre in January 2010, trust applied for the change of land use on 3 December 2010, which was approved on the same day.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2024 Indian general election in Uttar Pradesh</span> 18th Indian general election in Uttar Pradesh

The 2024 Indian general election was held in Uttar Pradesh in seven phases from 19 April to 1 June to elect 80 members of the 18th Lok Sabha, with the results declared on 4 June. Bypolls for Dadraul, Lucknow East, Gainsari, and Duddhi assembly constituencies were held alongside this election.

References

  1. "About RGCT - Rajiv Gandhi Charitable Trust". www.rgct.in. Retrieved 8 April 2022.
  2. "RGMVP". www.rgmvp.org. Archived from the original on 2 June 2012. Retrieved 17 January 2022.
  3. "RGMVP". www.rgmvp.org. Archived from the original on 1 June 2012. Retrieved 17 January 2022.
  4. "National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development". nabard.org. Archived from the original on 13 June 2010. Retrieved 17 January 2022.
  5. "Bill Gates visits Amethi with Rahul Gandhi, Photo Gallery". Ndtv.com. 12 May 2010. Retrieved 10 September 2016.
  6. "Gates promises to make Amethi an IT hub". The Hindu. 11 May 2010. Retrieved 10 September 2016.
  7. "Rahul takes Bill Gates to Amethi : Latest Headlines, News - India Today". Indiatoday.intoday.in. 11 May 2010. Retrieved 10 September 2016.
  8. "Rahul's self-help groups fan out over 10 districts - Express India". www.expressindia.com. Archived from the original on 22 January 2013. Retrieved 3 February 2022.
  9. "IGEHRC | Quality Eye Care | Affordable Eye Care Hospital | Rajiv Gandhi Charitable Trust". Archived from the original on 18 February 2013. Retrieved 15 May 2012.
  10. "IGEHRC | Affordable Eye Care Hospital | Community Screening Camps | Eye Screening Camps". www.igehrc.in. Archived from the original on 27 August 2010. Retrieved 6 June 2022.