Daijiworld Media Network - Mandya 

Mandya, Aug 13: Gangasamudra, a small village in Karnataka’s Mandya district, is where Dr Ere Gowda G B’s extraordinary journey began. Born to uneducated parents Bhadra Gowda and Nengamma, he grew up in poverty so stark that “until Class 10, we didn’t even have slippers to wear.” Yet, with his parents’ and elder brother’s unwavering encouragement, he pursued education against the odds.

For 15 formative years, Eregowda lived at Adichunchanagiri Math under Sri Sri Balagangadharanatha Mahaswamiji, learning discipline and purpose through a modest routine of two meals a day. A turning point came when a chemistry lecturer challenged him to excel in a subject he once struggled with. He went on to top his BSc class, earn a distinction in MSc, and complete a PhD funded by the central government.

Selected as a chemistry lecturer in 1997 through the Karnataka Public Service Commission, he transformed struggling government colleges. In Battalahalli, he revived a science programme from zero enrolments to 80 students. At Yelahanka Government PU College, he spent 18 years guiding thousands towards NEET and JEE success without the need for costly private coaching.

When a colleague claimed Bengaluru lecturers merely “taught from others’ books,” Eregowda began authoring his own. Today, over one lac students and lecturers in Karnataka use his chemistry books annually. In 2022, he took voluntary retirement to start the Jeevith Education Trust, named after his son, achieving a 50% free medical seat success rate in its first batch.

Ere Gowda’s research under Prof K N Thimmaiah led to the discovery of 21 new organic compounds and seven international publications. As a scientific officer at Adichunchanagiri Cancer Research Center, he continues contributing to medical science.

Recipient of multiple awards, including the State-Level Best Lecturer Award and Dr Abdul Kalam Lifetime Achievement Award, Dr Ere Gowda remains committed to nurturing talent from underprivileged backgrounds. “Research isn’t only in labs — I do it through teaching,” he says, as his three-year-old institution, managed with his wife and son, keeps transforming young lives.