Jagan Nath Kaul, social worker
social worker

Jagan Nath Kaul

Born 13 October 1924 · Jammu and Kashmir — Died 16 December 2008

Establishing the first SOS Children's Village in India at Greenfields, Faridabad in 1968.

🎂Born on this day· 13 October 1924

Jagan Nath Kaul was the founder, president, and patron of SOS Children's Village of India. SOS CVI provides a home to almost 15,000 children in 34 children's villages, located in various parts of the country. In addition to the children's villages, SOS provides indirect care to children through its 122 allied projects such as kindergartens, schools and social, medical and vocational training centres throughout India. SOS CVI provides direct and indirect care to almost 200,000 (200,000) children in the country.

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A detail that
surprised us

“

Jagan Nath Kaul turned down lucrative career offers in the West to build SOS Children's Villages in India, choosing social work over personal wealth.

The Story

1. In 1963, during a brief visit to India, Austrian Hermann Gmeiner met Jagan Nath Kaul, a social welfare officer in Delhi, sparking a partnership that would birth SOS Children's Villages ( @SOSVillageINDIA ) in the country.
2
🌱 Against the backdrop of post-independence India, Kaul abandoned lucrative offers abroad and, with Prime Minister Indira Gandhi's backing, opened the first SOS Children's Village in Faridabad's Greenfields in 1968, housing over 200 children in a new family model.
3Kaul took on the role of village director himself, living at Greenfields and overseeing its growth while dreaming of an SOS Village in every Indian province, a mammoth challenge amid bureaucratic and social hurdles.
4His fight for children's rights often meant confronting government agencies and demanding accountability, reflecting a rare blend of bureaucratic savvy and grassroots activism in the 1970s and 80s.

🏅 Awards & Honours

2000
Padma Shri

🔍 One thing most people don't know

“

Kaul's 1963 meeting with Hermann Gmeiner was not just chance; it happened during Gmeiner's short India visit, and Kaul immediately agreed to start SOS in India, a decision that changed thousands of lives. This leap came despite Kaul's secure government job and international prospects.

📸 Through the Years

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🗓️ A Life in Moments

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Birth
Born in Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir
Jagan Nath Kaul was born on October 13, 1924, in Srinagar, starting his journey in a region known for its cultural complexity.
1924
📚
Education
Fulbright Scholarship to the USA
Kaul received a Fulbright scholarship to study advanced child and youth care at Case Western Reserve University in 1962.
1962
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Career
Met Hermann Gmeiner in India
During Gmeiner's visit to India in 1963, Kaul was introduced to him, leading to the foundation of SOS Children’s Villages in India.
1963
⚡
Career
Established first SOS Village in Faridabad
With support from Indira Gandhi, Kaul founded the first SOS Children’s Village at Greenfields, Faridabad in 1968, housing over 200 children.
1968
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Career
Became honorary president of SOS CVI
Kaul served as honorary president and patron of SOS Children's Villages of India starting in 1989, guiding its expansion.
1989
🕊️
Death
Passed away in Faridabad
Jagan Nath Kaul died on December 16, 2008, at his residence in Faridabad, leaving a lasting legacy in child welfare.
2008
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🗝️Discoveries

Swipe to uncover hidden stories
01 / 05
💡SURPRISING

Before founding SOS India, Kaul earned a Fulbright scholarship in 1962 to study advanced child and youth care at Case Western Reserve University in the USA—a rare international academic opportunity for an Indian social worker then.

02 / 05
👤PERSONAL

Despite founding SOS India, Kaul served as the first village director himself at Greenfields, living among the children he cared for, blurring lines between administrator and family figure.

03 / 05
🌍HISTORICAL IMPACT

Kaul's work involved delicate negotiations with powerful figures including Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, who chaired the Indian Council of Child Welfare when SOS India began, highlighting his political acumen in social reform.

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🌱 What changed because of them

Jagan Nath Kaul established SOS Children's Villages India, creating a unique family-based care model that now operates across 34 villages and 122 allied projects nationwide. This network continues to provide homes and education to thousands of vulnerable children, a system that would not exist without his pioneering efforts in the 1960s and 70s.

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