Philanthropist Darshan Lal Jain, who dedicated his life in the search of river Saraswati, passed away on Monday afternoon. He was awarded the Padma Bhushan, India’s third highest civilian honour, in 2019 for his contribution to social work.
He is known for his efforts to educate young girls and financially troubled children. When Narendra Modi came to Yamunanagar after becoming the Prime Minister in 2014, he took the blessing by touching the feet of Darshan Lal Jain on a public platform.
Darshan Lal Jain, who was in the forefront of social service, never leaned towards joining active politics. In 1954, he rejected the proposal received by the Bharatiya Jana Sangh for the MLC assured seat. Later, he was also offered the post of Governor by the NDA government led by the then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, but he did not accept that post either.
He is the founder of various schools and colleges in Haryana, including Saraswati Vidya Mandir, Jagadhri (1954), DAV College for Girls, Yamunanagar, Bharat Vikas Parishad Haryana, Vivekanand Rock Memorial Society, Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram Haryana, Hindu Shiksha Samiti Haryana, Geeta Niketan Residential School, Kurukshetra, and Nand Lal Geeta Vidya Mandir, Ambala (1997). Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar tweeted condolences on Jain’s death.
