Trust Members | Board Members

Gandhidham Collegiate Trust Members

(Founder President Revered Late Kaka Prabhudas Tolani)

Revered Kaka Shri Pribhdas S Tolani was born on 25th August 1893 at Larkana, Sindh (now part of Pakistan). He was one of the richest Zamindars (landlords) of Sindh province. Gandhidham-Adipur being in a remote corner of India, there was little facility for higher education in these twin towns till late 1950s. Revered Late Kaka Pribhdas S Tolani came to this region with a mission to spread higher education among the people of Kutch. Although he had lost almost entire wealth in Sindh in aftermath of partition of India, he came to Mumbai in 1949 and built up a thriving construction and shipping business. But it was his determination that he would dedicate all his earnings to the development of education. He started this by taking over a small private engineering college and starting other new colleges with only 12 students in late sixties at Adipur and setting up Gandhidham Collegiate Board along with the Maitri Mandal. That small college was expanded by Kaka P S Tolani with his own resources into a polytechnic. Soon after in 1967 courses in mechanical and electrical were added at the polytechnic. In 1968 separate buildings for polytechnic and arts college were added and a science college was started. In 1970 Kaka brought more resources from his own earnings and added new laboratories and workshops to polytechnic. Then there was no looking back. Kaka kept pouring his own money most generously into higher education facilities at Adipur, Kutch.

Mrs. Anjana Hazari, MA - Trustee/President

Mrs. Anjana Hazari, daughter of Revered Kaka Tolani and currently the President of Gandhidham Collegiate Board and Tolani Foundation, was born on 15th November 1932 at Larkana (Sindh) Pakistan. After the Partition of India, in 1947, she came to Bombay and carried out her further studies. She completed her B.A. in 1953. Her father, in those days when girls’ education was considered secondary, inspired her to continue further study; she then completed her M.A. in Sociology.

In 1957, she got married to Mr. Bulchand Hazari and then moved to U.S.A. in 1974 and engaged in the business of exporting cloth from India to America. In 1980, the Hazari couple moved to Indonesia where they started cloth manufacturing business.

While in Indonesia, Mrs. Anjana Hazari had an opportunity of working as an English teacher at the School for Mentally deprived children. For two years, she spent her time in development of such underprivileged children.

In 2000, Mrs. Anjana Hazari returned to India and took up the working of Gandhidham Collegiate Board and Tolani Foundation into her hands. She spent her considerable time in Community wing of Tolani Foundation Gandhidham Polytechnic by moving around in villages like Satapar, Nagalpar, Khambra, Ratnal, Varshamedi, Tuna, Khedoi etc. and spread the use of technology called “Smokeless Chulah”.

Mrs. Anjana Hazari has now taken up the task of introducing the new institutes in the VidhyaMandir Campus. Recently, due to her efforts, Tolani Institute for Excellence was established with the objective of providing training for professional courses to the students of Kutch. Tolani Institute of Commerce was established as a self-financed English medium college. And in June 2006, Tolani Institute of Law was established to offer the degree course in Law.

Her ultimate aim is to keep the light of knowledge lit up by her father illuminating and spreading the light of knowledge for all.

Dr. N. P. Tolani, PhD – Trustee

Dr. N.P. Tolani was born on 15th February 1924 in Larkhana (Sindh) Pakistan and received his primary education there. In 1945, he graduated in Agriculture (B.Sc.) with 1st Class Honors with distinction and stood 2nd in the University of Bombay. In 1947, he obtained his Masters in Agricultural Engineering with high honors from Cornell University in U.S.A. He returned to Cornell University to pursue Doctoral studies in Agricultural Economics and achieved the unique distinction of completion his course of study as well as outstanding research work to earn his Ph.D. in a brief period of 22 months.

Dr. Tolani developed a passion for community services and social development through philanthropy. From the 1960s he assisted his father to establish the Tolani Colleges in Adipur, near Kandla, which impart education in Arts, Sciences, Engineering, Commerce, Management and Home Science among other fields. In the late 1980s Dr. Tolani established the Tolani College of Commerce in Mumbai, which is recognized as a high quality institution for commerce in the Mumbai metropolis. A decade later, with vast experience in shipping, Dr. Tolani committed himself to developing a world class Maritime Institute near the town of Talegaon in Maharashtra. His inspiration to establish a campus based institution came from Cornell University, which arguably has one of the most beautiful campuses in the world.

Mr. Mohan K. Chandnani – Trustee

Born in Sindh on 1st March 1932, Mr. Mohan K. Chandnani, an engineer by qualification started his career with ‘Standard Vacuum Oil Company’ (SVOC) with operations department. When SVOC was nationalized and transformed into ‘ESSO’ he continued to work with ‘ESSO’ too. Thereafter, he migrated to America and then Libya to gain global work experience. He took premature retirement and came forward to work with Gandhidham Collegiate Board. He worked for 13 years with GCB. And now he is one of the trustees and is very actively participating in the activities of Tolani Foundation.

Mr. Bulchand G. Hazari - Trustee

Born on 14 April, 1929 at Patna, Mr. Bullu Hazari completed his entire studies till his Masters in History from Patna, Bihar. He also completed his Diploma in International Relations in 1954. He worked with “Standard Vacuum Oil Company” Bombay which was then nationalized in 1970 as “ESSO”. Then he took up job with “Transworld Airlines” and worked in Sales in Senior Management. After that, he worked with Jet Airways in setting up the whole organization. He also has rich and vast experience of working in a global environment. He actively participates in the activities of GCB

Ms. Krishna Bhambhani - Trustee

Ms. Krishna Bhambhani is the trustee of Gandhidham Collegiate Board and Tolani Foundation Gandhidham Polytechnic. She has been a teacher, principal of Gandhidham Maitri Mandal (GMM) schools and has spent all her life looking after educational matters. Presently, she is active President of GMM and has wide ranging interests in social and cultural issues concerning the Adipur-Gandhidham Township. Because of her efforts, GMM has been able to start a college for teacher training i.e., B.Ed. with Hindi medium in the Adipur-Gandhidham township.

Gandhidham Collegiate Board Members

(Founder President Revered Late Kaka Prabhudas Tolani)

Mrs. Nirmala Gajwani – Board Member

Born in Keswani family in Rohri – Sindh on 28th December 1928, Dadi Nirmala Gajwani took her education upto first year of Arts but left studies to early marriage. She married Dr. Hassanand Gajwani, an Eye Specialist.

It was first in 1952, when Dr. Hassanand Gajwani had been transferred as Medical Officer Incharge Eye Specialist in the Government Hospital of Bachau Taluka, Dadi Gajwani entered in the active social life when she took up the cause of the education of the females in the rural areas of the Bachau Taluka by starting 10 Balwadies/ Nari shallas, at a time when all the male members always opposed the women literacy. Dadi personally interacted with the Village Surpanchs’ and the influential male members of the Village Panchayats, and explained them the need of female education after the country got freedom. In appreciation of her contribution and selfless services to the poor and weaker sections of the Society particularly in rural areas of Bachau Taluka, the Government in 1954 nominated her as a Convener of Social Welfare Project. In 1958, Dadiji was appointed as Chairman of Kutch Social Welfare Board. Dadiji spent most of her time in the given task and visited each and every Centre/ Institutions aided by the Social Welfare Board in Kutch to ensure effective functioning and accomplishment of the projects undertaken.

In 1960, Dadiji established Mahila Gruh Udyog Co-operative Society at Bhuj, to impart training to the women in Art of Embroidery, Sewing and Handicraft, to enable them to earn their bread on their own.

The services rendered by Dadi Gajwani in the District were very closely watched and noticed by the leading and selfless political Stalwarts at that time which brought Dadiji an additional responsibility to the post of Chairman, Education Committee at the District level. During her tenure as Chairman, Education Committee, Dadiji introduced the Common Examination system in all primary schools in Kutch, increased number of primary schools from 450 to 700, trained 350 girls to work in Balwadies at Village level and the construction of Primary School Buildings.

In 1967, Dadi Gajwani was elected to Gujarat Legislative Assembly when she took up various issues related to scarcity of water, education and medical facilities and set up of industry in the district, a few as below: -

• Construction of Tappar Dam
• IFFCO Project at Kandla
• Hospitals and Educational Institutes

The State Government having strong confidence in the able leadership and administrative skill of Dadi, nominated her as Member on the following District/ State level Committees:-

• Member of State Education Committee
• Member of Gujarat Social Welfare Board
• Member of Gujarat State Woman Co-operative Societies Board
• Member of All India Women Welfare Council, Gujarat Branch
• Member of Gandhidham Development Authority
• Member of Gandhidham Collegiate Board In 1973,

Dadiji started Gandhidham Gruhudyog Mandli imparting training in Embroidery, Knitting, Ambar Charkha, Papad and other handicraft items. In 1975, Dadiji received the best Social Worker Award from the Central Social Welfare Board, the only person from Kutch to receive such an Award. Dadiji established a Working Women Hostel with all basic facilities on a 2.0 acres land in Gandhidham. She established Sadhu Vaswani International School in 1966.

Dadiji has been associated with the Gandhidham Collegiate Board as a Member on the Board of Trustees for past more than 30 years. Even at this age of 78 years, Dadiji has been actively participating in the proceedings of the Trust for the cause of providing best education facilities to the children of this growing township.

Dadi Gajwani is associated as a Chairperson on The Sindhu Resettlement Corporation Ltd. and Divine Life Society, a leading medical Hospital in the twin township Gandhidham-Adipur.

During the killer earthquake, Dadiji came to the help and rescue of the people who lost their shelter and belongings. Dadiji drafted the Rehabilitation Plan providing for allotment of SRC Ltd. to ‘NGOs’ and other Social Organisations such as Sadhu Vaswani Mission, Dubai Textile Merchants Charitable Trust, Jain Seva Samiti, Aradhna Housing Society and many others who have built and distributed more than 1000 houses to the earthquake victims.

Dadiji is growing in age but not in her thoughts and ideas. She is still full of energy and strength and still possesses the skill to undertake and accomplish the projects of development activities.

Dr. Ramesh Vaswani– Board Member

Dr. Ramesh Vaswani is a child specialist who lived in U.S.A., joined Gandhidham Maitri Mandal in 1995 to look after the health and educational issues pertaining to the schools of GMM. He has actively taken part in day to-day work as well as computerization, development of sports ground etc. for all the schools.

Mr. H.K. Kripalani – Administrator

Mr. H. K. Kripalani, a very experienced professor, presently working as The Administrator of the Gandhidham Collegiate Board, has worked in academic position earlier with the Tolani Commerce College, Adipur. With Masters in Economics, he is also a Master in Philosophy with research on “Growth of Industrial Activity in Kandla Free Trade Zone”.

Mr. Kripalani has been a teacher in higher secondary commerce school for about a decade. Then in the year 1977 he joined Tolani Commerce College as a Lecturer of Economics. He has an experience of teaching at Post-graduation level. He has been a visiting faculty for ICWA, CA and MBA classes.

The list of past posts held by Mr. H.K. Kripalani is very long. He was the Hon. Director of Tolani Coaching Centre for Cost Accounts, Founder director of Tolani Institute of Management Studies, Principal of Tolani Commerce College and from July 2004 onwards, he is working as Administrator of Gandhidham Collegiate Board.

Mr. Kripalani has devoted his entire life in teaching and has remained with the Tolani Vidhyamandir Campus as a very devoted employee. Apart from this, his interest includes translating literature and other works from Sindhi language to Hindi and English language. He has also contributed articles to various magazines and newspapers (English, Gujarati, Hindi and Gujarati) related to social and economic fields. He also is a Registered Talker of All India Radio, Bhuj.

Mr. Kripalani has also played a significant role in his social life by working for the Kutch Management Association, currently acting as the Vice President of this association. He has also been a past President and District Chairman of Rotary International. He also is a member of Executive Committee and Treasurer of Bharati Sindhu Vidyapeeth, Adipur and is also a Life Member of All India Economic Association and Gujarat Economic Association.

GCB Ex-Officio Members