In 2009, Babar Ali was just 16-year-old when BBC recognized him as the “World’s Youngest Headmaster”.

Babar Ali himself used to travel 10 kms every day for his schooling in Murshidabad, West Bengal. He started teaching at the age of 9, when he himself was still a student, studying in Class 5. He noticed that there are so many children around his house, who didn’t had access to education because of the distance and poor family background. As a solution to this, Ali himself started teaching them after completing his daily classes. The lecture used to be conducted in his house backyard. He started with mere 8 students. And now, he has over 1000 students in his school named Ananda Shiksha Niketan.

During the initial phase, Ali wasn’t supported by his father. As a result, he had to stop conducting lectures at his house and shift to the jungle to teach. But soon, when his father came to know about this as well, he asked Principal of a school, if Ali is doing right? The principal replied – “If he can do good for others, God will help him”. Since that day, there was no looking back.

At Ananda Shiksha Niketan, Ali provides free education to the children in and around his village. He has gone extra miles by convincing parents to educate their daughters. To set an example, he himself taught his sister first.

Ali’s passion for teaching has got him recognition from Queen of London as well as from various renowned institutes around the world. His only mantra being – “Education for All”.