Ramakrishana Mission Boy's Hostel
(A Unit of Ramakrishna Mission Ashrama), 3 Maharajapuram Santhanam Salai, T.Nagar, Chennai 600 017, Ph: 044 - 2814 3514 / 3896
E-mail: rkmchennai@gmail.com, Web: www.rkmissionchennai.org
Introduction
Ramakrishna Mission Boys’ Hostel is a Unit of the Ramakrishna Mission Ashrama, T.Nagar, Chennai 600 017, a branch of Ramakrishna Mission with its Headquarters at Belur Math, Dist. Howrah, West Bengal, started by Swami Vivekananda. This Hostel was started in the year 1934 in a rented building at Venkatanarayana Road with 13 boys of the Ramakrishna Mission High School. Later in the year 1942, it was shifted to the present premises.At present the Hostel has strength of 60 boys studying from 6th to 12th standard in the Matriculation Higher Secondary School of the Ashrama.
The Ashrama has got 1 Aided Higher Secondary School (Main), a self-financed Higher Secondary School (South), a Matriculation Higher Secondary School, Ramakrishna Mission Science Center & a Nursery and Primary School.
Aims And Objectives
The aim of this institution is to give the students an education which molds their character into integrated personalities; to develop clean and disciplined habits; and to give good moral and Spiritual training. Great care is taken to build up their character in keeping with Swami Vivekananda’s ideals of Self reliance, Service and Dedication. Proper stress is also laid on leadership training and patriotic way of living to enable them to be responsible citizens of our nation.
Location
The Hostel is located in the Ashrama campus which provides a serene and congenial atmosphere for the all-round development of the students.
Administration
The Hostel is maintained and supervised by the monastic members of the Ramakrishna Order. The monastic members are assisted by experienced and dedicated staff. In all the matters of administration, selection of candidates, discipline, mess arrangements, etc., the decision of the Secretary/Warden shall be final. The Secretary/Warden reserves the right to alter, add or delete any of the rules and regulations without any notice.
Curriculum
The curriculum and examinations are as prescribed by the Department of Education, Tamil Nadu.
Entrance Test and Admission
The admission is open for VI to VIII Standards based on an entrance test conducted in (i) English (ii) Tamil and (iii) Mathematics. Only the boys who have studied up to the previous standard in English medium (with Tamil as the first language) are eligible for admission. In addition there will be an interview.
The admission is for One Year Only. The re-admission for the following years up to X standard will depend upon the overall performance and behavior of the boy. Besides this, the relationship of the parents and the guardians maintained with this institution will also be taken into account.
The application should contain the nomination of a Local Guardian and his/her address. The nominated local guardian must have a genuine concern for the boy and must be helpful in taking care at the times of need.
Boys, suffering from contagious or chronic or any other serious diseases, such as fits, etc., or having some constitutional defects and who are in the habit of bed wetting, are not eligible for admission. If any boy is found not eligible after admission on account of the facts not revealed earlier, he shall be removed from the hostel forthwith.
Age of the Boy
For Standard: VI: Completed 10 years and less than 11 years (as on 31st July)
VII: Completed 11 years and less than 12 years (as on 31st July)
VIII: Completed 12 years and less than 13 years (as on 31st July).
Amenities
- A Shrine and Prayer hall.
- A library with valuable books/magazines for formation of good character and intellectual development.
- T.V. and indoor games at specified hours.
- Playground for outdoor games.
General Routine
The Routine of the day starts with Prayer and Meditation. Throughout the day the boys are kept engaged in studies and various types of extra-curricular activities which help their all-round development. (Details in Appendix I).
Student's Requirements
A list of articles required for the use of the boys is given in Appendix II. The parents are requested to equip the boys with all the required things at the time of admission/re-admission.The old boys can use the bed etc.provided during the previous year.
Moral and Spiritual Training
The Hostel activities are based on the ideals of Bhagavan Sri Ramakrishna, Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi and Swami Vivekananda. A spiritual atmosphere is maintained through prayer, meditation and Celebration of religious festivals. Prayers are held both in the Morning and Evening comprising devotional songs, Upanisad and Gita Chanting. During the Lunch and dinner sessions Bhagavad Gita is chanted. This is to inculcate in boys the sense that food is divine. Vidyarthi Homa is performed every year. On this occasion all the new boys will take 5 Vows, which are the Code of Conduct for a student.These Vows draw the minds of the students towards higher values of life and inculcate a sense of brotherhood among them. Throughout the year training and orientation will be given in Quiz, Essay Writing,Recitation of inspiring passages, Devotional Songs and chanting of our scriptures.
Hostel Charges
The Annual Hostel Charges are Rs.33,000/- which has to be paid in three installments of Rs.11,000/- each. The first install¬meant has to be paid at the time of admission. The Hostel Charges cover the expenses relating to board & lodging, hair cutting and other normal establishment expenses.
Initial Expenses
A sum of Rs.1500/- towards the initial expenses, such as bed, mosquito net, plate, tumbler and sports materials has to be paid at the time of admission. No refund will be made (details in appendix iii) if the boy leaves or is removed from the hostel in the middle of the school term by the warden for any act of indiscipline or in warden’s opinion, the presence of such a boarder is detrimental to the healthy functioning of the hostel.
Bills And Payments
Apart from the payment at the time of admission/re-admission three bills will be sent at the end of August, November and February, to the latest available address. These bills include the actual school fees, medical, and other personal expenses, besides the second or third installments of the hostel charges. No deduction from the hostel charges will be allowed for the period of absence.
The payments may be made to the warden of the Hostel by a Demand Draft drawn in favor of Ramakrishna Mission Boys' Hostel on any Chennai branch of a nationalized bank. It should not be drawn in the name of any Swamiji. If the amount is sent by M.O., the boy’s Name, Class, Roll no. and the sender’s address must be written clearly in the space provided for communication. <u> The payment by cash is not encouraged. The remittance should be made in such a way so as to reach on or before 15th September/December/March.
Normally the bills, circulars, etc. will be sent directly to the parents, except where a different person is authorized to pay the bill. It is the duty of these authorized person(s) to inform the parents about the contents of the circulars etc. and do the needful.
The fines are imposed only to bring discipline among the boys. If any parent/guardian is found to be paying the fines repeatedly, the boy will be sent out of the Hostel. If the boy is withdrawn or removed from the Hostel for any reason it is left to the discretion of the Secretary/Warden to fix the amount to be refunded.
If the boy is withdrawn from the hostel in the middle of the academic year, he has to pay the full fees of the year.
Late Remittance
For the remittances received after 15th and before the end of the month, a fine of Rs.25/- will be levied and Rs.50/- for remittances between 1st and 7th of the following month. Later the boy will be sent to the local guardian/parent; besides, a sum of Rs.100/- will be debited to the boy’s account.
The Bills are sent in such a way so as to reach the Parents/Guardian on or before 7th of Sept./Dec./March. In case the bill is not received on or before the 7th of the specified month, please take a Demand Draft for Rs.11,000/- and send it with a requisition letter for a Duplicate Bill, so as to reach us before the 15th. If any local cheques/DD is returned unpaid, a fine of Rs.25/- will be debited to the boy’s account. Some parents are in the habit of sending the remittance late. In such cases, the boy will be disqualified himself for re-admission in the following year.
Laundry
Laundry facilities are provided for washing and ironing the clothes of the boys on payment basis. The total cost for the number of pieces of clothes washed will be included in the subsequent bills.
Vacation And Outings
The boys are permitted to go home only during quarterly and half-yearly holidays. On special request they may be allowed to go home during the Pongal and Deepavali festivals. The boy will be allowed to go out only on depositing the out-pass by the parent/guardian. They should make use of this occasion to provide the children with the required stationery items.
The parents should strictly adhere to the timings prescribed for taking out and to bring back the boys. If a boy fails to return on the scheduled day, a fine of Rs.25/- will be levied. Prior permission should be obtained if the boy cannot return in time under extra-ordinary circumstances.
Co-operation/Discipline (A Note to The Parents/Guardians)
Parents/guardians and relatives of the boys are re¬quested not to give eatables, pocket money, or provide them with costly things like gold chain, ring, watch, cell phones and any electronic gadgets etc. If the students are found to possess any such things, it will be confiscated and in addition a fine of Rs.500/- will be levied. All varieties of printed T.Shirts, Jeans and fashionable dresses are not allowed for use in the Hostel premises.
The future of your boy needs your whole heated blessings. The boy should be encouraged to adhere to the discipline which is the way of life at the Hostel. All the parents and guardians are re¬quested to attend the Vidyarthi Homa and the Hostel Day.
The parents/guardians are requested to co-operate with the authorities by following the rules of the Hostel. Parents should have full faith in the objectives of the Hostel and cooperate with the authorities in inculcating the objectives in the minds of the children. When the students remain with their parents during holidays they should be exhorted to follow the daily routine of the Hostel. Attempts must be made so that they spend their time usefully and not to expose them to other undesired T.V broadcasts and other Media which may affect their learning ability and molding of Character.
The parents should write to us, well in advance, and get permission for any functions for which the local guardians intend to take the boy out. However the local guardians should not take the boy out quite frequently thus causing disturbance to the boy’s studies and the hostel routine. The local guardians are expect¬ed to help the hostel authorities by looking after their boys in case of any urgent need. Only the parents/guardian can esquire and correspond about the boy. The boys are not to have any contact with outsiders without the knowledge of the authorities. In case of violation of these rules or if the boy misbehaves or commits any serious mischief disciplinary action will be taken against him. Any change of address should be informed immediately to the Hostel Office.
Telephones
The telephones in the Hostel are mainly meant for administrative purposes. Only in case of emergency, the parents/guardians may make the calls.The boys are not allowed to have direct telephone communication. Any message for the boy can be conveyed to the hostel authorities and the same will be passed on to the concerned boys.
Physical Fitness
The boy must be physically fit. If the boy has an attack of any infection or contagious disease, the local guardian should take him home for treatment etc.The Hostel provides wholesome vegetarian food. The boy should have no restriction about diet. If he is found allergic to any of the items, he will be considered as not suitable for the hostel life.
Care of Personal Belongings, Etc.
The boy must take care of all his personal belongings. The Hostel will provide lockers with padlocks for safe keeping. The authorities are not responsible for the loss of any personal articles. Parents are requested to have all the clothing, bed sheets, blankets etc. marked with the boy’s initials with marking ink or by sewing. At the end of the academic year, the boys may carry all their personal belongings with them.
Link Between The Past And The Present
The Vidyarthi Homa and the Hostel Day serve as a meeting point between the old and present students. They also help the old students to keep in contact with the Ashrama. Therefore, all the old students, parents and guardians are requested to attend these functions.
Help Us to Serve The Poor
The Ashrama maintains a few poor and meritorious students with free or partly free of charges. The parents and the public are requested to help us to serve the deserving students. For details, please contact the Secretary/Warden.
Conclusion
The students are the precious wealth of our Nation. They need good education which should not be just a means for earning their livelihood. There is a need to create a new band of youngsters who would go to the various parts of the world carrying the great heritage of our Motherland. The general public, we hope, will realize the benefit of good education that is provided by the institution and extend their helping hand.
Appendix I
Hostel Charges
The Annual Hostel Charges are ₹ 33,000/- which has to be paid in three installments of ₹ 11,000/- each. The first installment has to be paid at the time of admission. If the Hostel Charges are paid in lump sum at the time of admission, a rebate of ₹ 500/- will be allowed.
* Hostel will arrange these items for the new boy. The readmitted boys can use their previous year’s bed etc.
* Hostel will arrange for all the Boys.
* The Hostel Charges cover the expenses relating to lodging & board, hair cutting and other normal establishment expenses