Ramakrishna Sarada Mission (RKSM) has proposed to set up an academic-cum-welfare centre on Bosepara lane, close to the house where Sister Nivedita lived and spent most of her life.

Sister Nivedita had dreamt of a ‘University Settlement’. “I would like to make No 17 a real University Settlement,” Sister wrote in a letter on 20, January, 1903. (Letters of Sister Nivedita, Vol 1). Keeping the dream of Sister Nivedita in mind, RKSM wants to implement her vision of a university settlement by establishing Nivedita Institute of Human Advancement and Research (NIHAR) at 19, Bosepara Lane which is situated adjacent to 17 Bosepara Lane, where Sister lived from 1902-11. Sister died in Darjeeling in 1911.

Ramakrishna Sarada Mission has acquired one third portion of the present building at 17, Bosepara Lane and the adjacent property, 19 Bosepara Lane with the financial support of TCS Foundation.

Bosepara Lane was the place where Sister Nivedita started her work in the slums when plague broke out in north Kolkata in 1898, the year when she came to Calcutta from England, where she was a celebrated teacher. She had very cordial relations with The Statesman, particularly SK Ratcliff, the then Editor of The Statesman and wrote articles and letters urging people to come forward and combat plague. The Statesman had played an important role in exposing Lord Curzon in 1904-06.

The contribution of Sister can be summarized as her support to the cause of women’s education, her work among women, her contribution in the field of national awakening and her service to the poor and the needy.

Pravrajika Aseshprana Mataji, who is looking after NIHAR, said the activity matrix of NIHAR included education where teachers will be trained in soft skill to groom emotional intelligence as happiness facilitators. Collaborative projects with Labhya Foundation, New Delhi and University of Calcutta are also on.

Service for elderly women and service to the poor and needy with the CSR support from M-Junction the Geriatric Facilitator Course is offered as a pilot project.

Leadership for the youth and women empowerment are key areas of NIHAR project. The idea of national awakening will be spread through academic research, popular lectures, cultural activities, youth camps, workshops and publications.

NIHAR has already started online sessions on social, emotional learning involving 45 teachers from different schools across the country.

In 1898, Ma Sarada Devi inaugurated Nivedita’s School at 16, Bosepara Lane in presence of Swami Vivekananda and his brother monks. She also rented a house at 17, Bosepara Lane in February 1902 and stayed till 1911.

In 2005, the house at 16, Bosepara Lane was declared as Grade-I heritage building by the Kolkata Municipal Corporation and was handed over to Ramakrishna Sarada Mission in March 2013 by the state government. RKSM has set up an interactive personalia museum after restoration with financial support from the Ministry of Culture, TCS Foundation and public donation. The building at 17, Bosepara Lane has been declared a heritage site by the state government in 2017.