On 26th January, 2001 (Republic Day) a devastating earthquake struck Gujarat at 8.46 a.m. With an intensity of 7.9 Richter lasting about two minutes, it was one of the worst natural disasters anywhere in the world in last 100 years. The Boys Primary School in Aadariyana village (which was first built in 1875) was completely destroyed. No death took place as almost the entire population of the village was in the Panchayat Bhavan celebrating Republic Day.

In Aadariyana there are 3 schools - the Kumar-shala (boys school - which was completely destroyed and is rebuilt by Eklavya). There is a Kanya-shala (the girls primary school, classes 1 to 7, which was built in 1986) and a High School (classes 8 to 10 built in 1994). Both these school buildings had some damages that were repaired by Eklavya.

Eklavya contributed in immediate relief efforts (food, clothes, medicines), but quickly realised that with its expertise essentially in Teacher Training and School Management, a long-term contribution by helping rebuild a school would be more worthwhile.

A team was sent to identify a village which had a school which was destroyed in the earthquake, where people said "our houses we will repair ourselves, you help us make the school building as we don't know when it will otherwise get done". The village also had to be max. within 3 hours by road from Ahmedabad to enable Eklavya teachers to do up-down in a day.

Aadariyana, a village on the border of the Little Rann of Kutch was identified, an agreement signed between Eklavya and village people, ratified by the District Collector, thereafter approved by EQ Cell, Department of Education, Government of Gujarat.

The project essentially consisted of building a school at a new site; and teacher training for teachers of all schools in the cluster of 8 villages over a period of two years.

Mr. Sunil Handa, Chairman of Eklavya Education Foundation and visiting faculty, Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad, made a quick Project. Report and sent e-mails to about 150 of his old IIMA students and friends. Within four hours, he received by e-mail USD 1000 from Prakash Jhanwar from Singapore, and that was just the beginning! Sunilbhai felt overwhelmed and blessed Prakash spontaneously, "Tu Jug Jug Jee" May you live a thousand years!

About 5000 employees of M/s.ABB from all over India donated one-day salary, a 3 man committee looked into various projects in Gujarat on Earthquake Rehabilitation and decided to give the entire amount of Rs.19.42 lacs to Eklavya.