Biography of Founder
Udaipur, in the pre-independence period of 1900-1947, was witness to an increasing awareness amongst educationalists and liberal thinkers regarding the increased backwardness and political stagnation in Rajasthan. This realization provoked a move to change, and inspired certain individuals, who believed in the idea of voluntarism, to act upon this realization.
Dr Mohan Singh Mehta was one such individual. A former education minister and Prime Minister of Banswara in the State of Mewar during the pre-independence time and later as an Ambassador for Independent India and a Vice Chancellor of Rajasthan University, he conceived of the idea of Seva Mandir in the 1930′s. The actual work and registration of Seva Mandir as a charitable trust took place in 1968.
Dr Mohan Singh Mehta was deeply influenced by the beliefs and writings of Tagore, Gandhi, Dr. Kunzru, and Pandit Madan Mohan Malviya. Prior to founding Seva Mandir he set up Vidya Bhavan at Udaipur in 1931 as one of the pioneer co-educational institutions of India, with the philosophy of treating every child as a unique individual and molding them into citizens with sound moral character and a deep sense of social responsibility.