Gururaj Karajagi

Gururaj Karajagi is a teacher and a philosopher. He has authored a series of 15 books entitled Karunaalu Baa Belake in Kannada which is highly inspirational and widely published. In Total, he has published 22 books. He has edited a huge compendium of articles on almost every aspect of education and this is brought out as a book entitled, Shikshana Shilpa. 
His daily morning talks on All India Radio have made him a household name in Karnataka.
Dr. Gururaj Karajagi’s contribution to reformations of primary and secondary education has made an impression in the field. This has been demonstrated by the institution, Academy for Creative Teaching, that he has built, which truly is an expression of the philosophy of Dr.Karajagi, through which he has handheld over 90 schools and trained over 200,000 teachers. It touches the lives of over one lakh students each day across the world. The training module on creative teaching with an
emphasis on Indian Culture is unique.
Dr.Karajagi has conceived and developed a model of teacher training beyond the conventional pre service programs such as Bachelor of Education, and Diploma in Education In 2001, there were no organized and systematic teacher training programs of high quality. Dr. Karajagi was the Founder Director of International Academy for Creative Teaching, formed under the Chairmanship of Raja Ramanna, the great Nuclear scientist of India. The institution started the first Post Graduate Diploma in Creative Teaching a one-year intensive teacher training programme. The Academy conducts half yearly Certificate Course in Creative Teaching and the Finishing School
for Teachers which is three months rigorous program.
His finest contribution to education is the creation of the Creative Teaching Model. It is a model which in experiential learning is promoted with a primary focus on relationships and the experience of gaining knowledge. The emphasis is both on the process of learning as well as the product of learning. The model is simple, comprehensive and is universally applicable across levels of education, be it at kindergarten, secondary, degree or professional learning. It is aimed at exploring the different facets of knowledge and lends itself beautifully to 21st century teaching and learning needs. It has four quadrants, Sensorial, Emotional, Intellectual and Spiritual. They are inextricably interwoven. Creative Teaching Model thus encompasses the spectrum of teaching learning practices, co scholastic areas and links with the community. The effective integration and implementation of it across all domains would result in a confident, empathetic, socially committed and valued individual who makes no compromises with quality and believes in being part of the solution rather than the problem. Academic achievement is thus not a forced phenomenon but a natural consequence. Through a program called Empowering Teachers in Rural India young teachers from completely rural areas are trained in a programme called Finishing School for Teachers. This has empowered over 2500 teachers to acquire teaching jobs and they continue to teach in rural villages. This has largely led to an increased quality of primary and secondary education for the rural children.
He is a philosopher and a teacher. He makes an impact that goes far beyond the classrooms and has inspired millions of people through online channels. He has published his lectures in over 800 videos in a You tube channel, called Knowledge is Spherical and they are viewed more than 20 million times and they are inspiring, patriotic, optimistic, rich in experience and for a common man and many a people, it continues to have lasting impact on the listener and are life changing and lifesaving many times. His contribution in taking the ancient Indian wisdom to the present young generation is exemplary. His talks on Vyasa, Rama, Krishna, Gautama Buddha, Mahavira, Adi Shankara, Madhvacharya, Allama Prabhu, Basava, Akka Mahadevi, Swami Vivekananda, Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Bhagavad Gita and Isha Upanishad.
== Early life ==
He attended a Gurukula for six years to study Upanishads from the traditional Masters and later obtained his Doctorate in Chemistry from Karnatak University, Dharwad. He went on to become the Principal of a Bangalore at the age of 29 years. Dr.Karajagi had the privilege of associating by working with literary giants such as Dr.D. V. Gundappa, Dr. Masti Venkatesha Iyengar, Dr. D. R. Bendre, Dr. Vinayaka Krishna Gokak and many others, published papers in International Science Journals and also wrote 2100 columns in a Kannada daily newspaper, was the Chairman of the Bangalore University Cricket selection Committee for several years, offers philosophical discourses on TV channels and he is considered as a brilliant orator and institution builder. He has traveled widely both in the East and the West lecturing at Universities, Corporations, and literary groups. He has conducted over 2000 training programs.
He has authored a series of 15 books entitled Karunaalu Baa Belake in Kannanda which is highly inspirational and widely published. Totally, he has published 22 books. He has edited a huge compendium of articles on almost every aspect of education and this is brought out as a book entitled, Shikshana Shilpa. His daily morning talks on All India Radio have made him a household name in Karnataka.
== Social contribution ==
Through his profound determination and enduring energy Dr.Karajagi has traversed every village of Kalyana Karnataka which is in the north eastern part of the state comprising of six districts and known to be one of the most backward areas of the country, to talk to school children, college and University students, parents and general public on various aspects of education, parenting skills, human Values, happy family values, Indian culture, patriotism and being positive. Through this program he has reached out to over a million people so far.
He has lectured on the Philosophical beauty of the songs of the Dasa s of the 15th Century in a bilingual TV channel Sri Sankara TV. More than 500 episodes were
transmitted all over the world. Little over 100 Vachana s of the 12th Century Shivasharana s were also explained through the same channel.
Giving lectures at the Gokhale Institute, founded by Dr. D.V. Gundappa, of Kannada and inaugurated by Mahatma Gandhi, on various aspects of philosophy, Culture of India and about those great lives that have illuminated lives of countless millions.
== Awards/ Recognition – State ==
1. DD Chandana award for outstanding work in education, by the Doordarshan. (2013)
2. Kempegowda Award by the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagar Palike. (2019)
3. Rajyotsava Awards (2019) the highest civilian award by the Government of Karnataka for the contribution to Education. (2019)
4. Served as the Member of the Karnataka Knowledge Commission and as the Chairman of the Teacher Development Group. (2011 to 12)
5. Served as a member of the State Resource Group for the implementation of Total Quality Management in the colleges of Karnataka. (2001 to 2005)
6. Serving as the Life Fellow of the Electrochemical Society of India. (Lifetime)
7. Served as a Member of the Syndicate of the Bangalore University, Bangalore. (1989 to 92)
8. Served as the Member of the Syndicate of the Karnataka State Law University Hubli. (2013 to 2016)
9. Served as the Member of the Governing body of B.L.D.E.Medical University. Vijayapur. (2008 to 2011)
10. Served as the Member of the Governing body of the Devaraj Urs Academy of Higher education and Research, a deemed University, Kolar. (2009 to 2012)
11. Serving as the Trustee of the Samyukta Karnataka, a leading publishing house that brings out Daily, weekly and Monthly publications. (2017 to )
12. Serving as the Member of the Advisory Board of Sri Satya Sai University for Human Excellence, Muddenahalli,Chkkaballapur District – 562101 (2018 to )
== Awards/ Recognition Received by the Applicant/ Nominee – National - Maximum 250 words are allowed ==
1. Allahbad Moulana Sabbhavana Award for the contribution to education in general and Sufi literature in particular.
2. Nominated as the Member of the Governing Body of the Indian Institute of Advanced Study, Shimla, which manages and controls the working of the Institute.
3. Nominated as the Member of the Governing Body of Atmiya University, Rajkot. 
Category:Indian educators
Category:Indian philosophers
Category:Karnatak University alumni