Karnataka Lingayat Education Society popularly identified as KLE Society has done remarkable work at the national and international level in the field of education and health. KLES Chairman Dr Prabhakar Kore, a stalwart politician from North Karnataka, is respected in Belagavi, Goa and Maharashtra for his tireless work in educational, medical, social, cooperative, and economic fields and is celebrating his 76th birthday on August 1.
BACKGROUND
Dr Prabhakar is the youngest child among four sons and three daughters of noted Freedom Fighter late Basaprabhu Kore and Shardadevi Kore. After the primary education at Ankali in Marathi medium, he completed high school education in Kannada and later completed his commerce degree at the Gogte College of Commerce.
On November 30, 1973, he married Ashatai Kore from an eminent family in Pune.
KLE SOCIETY
KLE Society was established by seven sages on November 13, 1916, namely Late MR Sakhare, Dr HF Kattimani, Prof CC Basavnal, BB Mamdapur, BS Hanchinal, Sardar Virangowda Patil and Panditappa Chikkodi.
The Lingaraj College was established in 1933 and Raja Lakham Gowda Science College in 1944, followed by the engineering college Bhumreddy Engineering College (1946) and Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College (1963). Till the year 1984, there were only 38 institutions.
In 1984, Dr Kore (37) was elected working president of KLE Society and his arrival marked the dawn of a new era. Since then, for 38 consecutive years, he is successfully heading the society. From 38 institutions, the society has grown to more than 300 institutions in Karnataka, Maharashtra, Goa, Delhi, Mumbai, Dubai and Malaysia. Today, 18,000 employees are serving 1,38,000 students.
The KLE University was established in 2006 and the ‘NAC’ committee has given an A+ grade to the university. In 2015, the KLE Technological University was established at Hubballi. KLE has also established a huge Agricultural Science Centre near Belagavi.
The KLES Dr Prabhakar Kore Hospital is one of the internationally acclaimed hospitals and has been serving patients from Karnataka, Goa, and Maharashtra with diligence.
The society also runs a 200-bed cancer hospital. The BM Kankanwadi Ayurvedic College and Hospital is a leading institution in the country.
Chronic diseases are treated here with Ayurvedic method. Centenary Charitable Hospital, Yellur Road, Belagavi is a 500-bedded charitable hospital.
ACCOLADES
Dr Prabhakar Kore is the first Indian to be awarded the honorary degree of ‘D Litt’ by Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, USA.
Dr Kore is a multifaceted personality with a big heart and a ‘Midas Touch’.
He has friends across different castes, religions and languages. Due to this positive nature, he overcame endless difficulties and reached the pinnacle of success.
He seized every opportunity that came his way. He took up many big projects and carried them out successfully. He has travelled across the globe and enriched his knowledge and experience.
His hobbies are listening to music, especially old Hindi songs, watching Marathi dramas, and watching old movies.
He also has a number of humanitarian and charitable activities to his credit.
He is a seasoned politician and parliamentarian and has been the member of Rajya Sabha and also Vidhan Parishad.
The writer is retired principal of Jyoti College, Belagavi.
