For 12 students of the Government Higher Primary School at Kade Nandihalli in Shikaripur taluk of Shivamogga district, this Independence Day will remain a special one — they got to take a helicopter ride over their village as part of the celebrations.

The students experienced the ride courtesy of the Vishwagra Foundation, a private foundation that has been supporting the government school by sponsoring guest teachers and providing study material to students.

Shivakumar A., founder of the Vishwagra Foundation, told The Hindu that as part of the event, 12 students who were toppers in their studies were taken on the ride. “Each ride lasted about six to seven minutes. Six students went up in each batch, with two rounds in all. The students thoroughly enjoyed the experience,” he said.

A committee of alumni of the century-old school has adopted the institution and has been undertaking several initiatives to develop its basic infrastructure with the help of donors. The committee has hired five guest teachers, in addition to the four government teachers, to improve the quality of education, and has introduced pre-primary classes to boost admissions.

Kumar Mattimani, president of the School Development and Management Committee (SDMC), said, “Because of the committee’s efforts, the school’s strength has gone up from 72 to 112 within a year,” he said.

Mr. Mattimani said the villagers had invited the foundation for the Independence Day programme, and the foundation had arranged for a helicopter to give the children the opportunity to enjoy a ride. The SDMC and the villagers had developed a helipad in the village for the occasion.

Published - August 15, 2026 09:26 pm IST