Although the Ekal Vidyalaya Foundation was registered as charitable trust in 1999, the concept has been in practice and refined over decades.

Foundation laid by Vivekananda

In 1986, inspired by the efforts of early Vivekananda workers, a group of young educationists began work with the primitive tribes in the dense forests of Jharkhand. Notable amongst them were Late Dr. Rakesh Popli (a USA-returned nuclear scientist) and his wife Rama Popli (a child education expert). They refined the concept of the 'one-teacher school' amongst the tribes of Gumla (125 km away from Ranchi (Jharkhand), Chhatisgarh. Two years later, Shri Madan Lalji Agarwal established similar schools in 60 villages near Dhanbad.

Impact of the Jharkhand experiment

By 1995-1996 there were 1200 schools being run in Jharkhand. Jharkhand's experiment with the one-teacher,en emiment industrialist one-school non formal education concept was extraordinary. Overall literacy rates in Jharkand doubled; the literacy rate soared from approximately 30 to 60 percent, with youth literacy surpassing those numbers. Furthermore, during the same time frame, health workers noticed a sharp decline in diseases caused by non-hygienic practices, witchcraft, and alcoholism. Inspired by the success of the Jharkand experiment, organizations around the country adopted the concept. Many organizations including Vanvasi Kalyan Kendra and Friends of Tribal Society (FTS) have been the frontrunners in propagating this cause and have brought education to the doorsteps of many forgotten children.

Spreading of the Movement

In last decade, organizations from all over the country have joined the Ekal Vidyalaya movement. The Ekal Vidyalaya Foundation of India serves as the umbrella organization for various NGOs that run one-teacher schools in their respective areas.

In the year 2000-2001, Ekal Vidyalaya Foundation of India (EVFI) was established in New Delhi. From December of 2001, a CEO was appointed to look after the trust's activities. In January of 2001, the EVFI international fundraising arm was begun. One month later, the FCRA granted this arm the right to receive foreign contributions.

The Ekal Vidyalaya Foundation of India and America are working earnestly, hand-in-hand, to help raise the funds necessary to build 100,000 non-formal schools across the tribal belt by the year 2011.