156-year-old school in Berhampur city renamed after former president V V Giri

Former President of India VV Giri

A 156-year-old high school, one of the oldest for girls in Odisha and Eastern India functioning in the ancestral house of former president late V V Giri has been renamed after him. It may be noted that former president of India V V Giri hailed from Berhampur and was also the first Labour Minister of the country in the cabinet of Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru.

"It will be a great honour to the former president, who hailed from Berhampur," Odisha Governor M C Bhandare said after renaming the Government Secondary and Training School in Berhampur city on May 02.

This was the first educational institute in the town named after V V Giri, while Berhampur Municipal Corporation had earlier named a road and a market after him. "We are very happy as one of the oldest institutes was named after the former president," said Sharataran, niece of the former president. 

V Mohini Giri, former chairperson of the National Commission for Women (NCW), noted social activist and the daughter-in-law of the former president, was also present.

The house had been handed over to the government at a nominal rate.

The present institute had started as an elementary school in 1856. It was elevated as Middle English school and later became a girls’ high school. A secondary training school was set up in 1928. It is noteworthy that the remaining portion of the the ancestral parental house of the former president late V V Giri still stands adjacent to this oldest girls' Secondary school in Berhampur, Odisha.

Source: Business Standard, Press Trust of India, ToI & The Hindu