One Rupee Revolution

A modest classroom question became a sustained experiment in social responsibility, showing how education, when rooted in sacrifice and continuity, can narrow India’s rural—urban divide

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From one-rupee sacrifices to a university vision, Prayas shows how education can become a bridge between privilege and possibility

“If you cannot come to the college, the college will go to you.” — The promise that transformed the landscape of South 24 Parganas.

The year was 2006. Inside the hallowed, high-ceilinged classrooms of St. Xavier's College, Kolkata, a question was posed that would change the path of thousands of lives. The then Vice-Principal, Rev. Dr John Felix Raj, SJ, stood before a room of bright, ambitious students and challenged their sense of social responsibility.

“You all are the privileged ones sitting in this classroom,” he noted, his voice echoing against the silence. “What can you do for those who cannot even dream of going to school?”

An uneasy quiet settled over the room. It was the silence of realisation—the recognition of a vast gap between the world of elite urban education and the stark reality of rural India. Finally, a student gathered the courage to ask: “Father, please tell us, what can we do?”

Fr. Felix Raj’s response was not a request for a massive endowment or a complex policy change. Instead, he asked for a small, personal sacrifice. “Can you sacrifice one rupee a day? Can you save one rupee from your daily coffee or your samosas?”

The response was instantaneous and thunderous: “Why not? Surely we can”

With that simple affirmation, the “One Rupee Revolution” was born. This was the genesis of Prayas - College to Village, Village to College, a movement that proved that small, consistent actions, when multiplied by thousands, can move mountains.