LEARNING CENTRE AND GYMNASIUM AT APSHINGE in association with THE SOUTH INDIAN EDUCATION SOCIETY & SRI SHANMUKHANANDA FINE ARTS & SANGEETHA SABHA

Apshinge which traces its origins as a Maratha settlement about 400 years back is located in Satara District, in Maharashtra and is more popularly known as Military Village. The sacrifices of the brave men of this village which has population of around 3000, can be traced back to the era of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj - they formed part of his army. Almost all the 350 plus families of this village has at least one serving member in the armed forces. Four soldiers from Apshinghe were part of Subhash Chandra Bose's Azad Hind Sena. Most of the families are descendants of Nikumbh Rajputs and hence most of them have the surname - Nikam..

It is very inspirational to note that 46 soldiers from this village sacrificed their lives during World War I. Several men from the village have sacrificed their lives during the Indo-China war of 1962 and the two wars with Pakistan in 1965 and 1971. With its unique history of dedication for the armed forces, Apshinge Military has attracted eminent personalities which include the Governor of Bombay Sir John Colville in 1945, Lord Wavell, Admiral Mountbatten in the 1946, before he was appointed as the Governor General of India. After Independence, first chief of army staff of the country General Cariappa had also visited the village in the year 1948. In recognition of their services, the British Government built a Vijay Sthamb in the centre of the village. As we enter the village, one can see many young boys wearing military colour t-shirts, which is evidence of their inborn passion for the Army. The children of the village are encouraged from an early age to pursue careers in the armed forces and are trained accordingly. Ex-servicemen ensure early adoption of the virtue of discipline of the Army, by the younger denizens of the village.

The Agnipath Scheme that has been brought in for recruitment to the armed forces requires exacting standards of eligibility beyond physical fitness. The districts of Satara, Sangli Karad Solapur and Kolhapur have been the traditional catchment areas for recruitment to the lndian Army. With a view to mobilise the youth of these districts and particularly from Apshinge Military Village and make them eligible for recruitment to the Indian Army, Sri Shanmukhananda Fine Arts & Sangeetha Sabha (Shanmukhananda Sabha) and The South Indian Education Society (SIES) have jointly, set up a Learning Centre and a Gymnasium at Apshinge Military Village, as part of their Institutional Social Responsibility (ISR). These facilities have been constructed at a cost of about Rs 80 Lakhs. To serve the IT requirements of Apshinge learning centre, SIES College of Commerce & Economics partnered with Mr. Milind Shah, Proprietor of Wishtel Pvt Ltd in setting up a full fledged IT centre for the benefit of the village youngsters, with around 20 desk top computers. The ex-servicemen's NGO at the Village will manage the Learning Centre and the Gymnasium.

on 1st May 2023, Maharashtra Divas, Lt. Gen. Ajai Kumar Singh, AVSM, YSM, SM. VSM, General Officer Commanding In-Chief (GOC-in-C) Southern Command, Indian Army inaugurated Agnipath, Learning Centre and Gymnasium and dedicated the facilities to the Village Panchayat. The entire ceremony was presided over by the President of Shanmukhananda Sabha & SIES - Dr. V Shankar, along with other Trustees & Managing Council members of both these institutions. Lt. Gen. H. S. Kahlon, SM, VSM General Officer Commanding (Maharashtra, Gujarat, and Goa area) was the Special Guest of Honour on this occasion.