We often hear that small acts of kindness can end up changing someone’s life. But seldom do we come across examples of such providence. Well, taking to LinkedIn, Harish Bhat, the Brand Custodian of Tata Sons, penned one such story of Jehangir Ratanji Dadabhoy Tata and former President of India K R Narayanan. Bhat writes that in 1940, JRD Tata came upon a letter about a young man who deserved a scholarship.
Apparently, Tata saw great potential in the man who made a fantastic impression during his interview. JRD also took cognizance of the financial constraints before the youngster and looked toward the J.N. Tata Endowment, which was set up in 1892, to aid Indian students with overseas education.
A scholarship was subsequently offered to the boy of which, Rs. 16,000 was a free scholarship and Rs. 1,000 was a loan.
“This youngster had secured an M.A. at Travancore University, ranking first. To achieve this, he had surmounted many obstacles which faced his community. He now wished to proceed for higher studies to England,” Bhat wrote.
The youngster went on to study at the London School of Economics. It was 1949 when he joined the Indian Foreign Service. The young man was in fact, our former President K R Narayanan. You can read his full post here.
Bhat also attached a picture of the sanctioned scholarship. Take a look:
Have you ever had a benefactor or experienced kindness from a stranger? Tell us.