Rabindranath Tagore set up an educational institution called Visva -Bharti at Shantiniketan ('abode of peace') , near Calcutta. The school started with only five students and aimed to bring the learning process closer to Nature .as opposed to the strict rote learning of British schools, here creativity was encouraged. Fine arts, music, and dance were given due importance. Instead of classrooms, classes were conducted outdoors whenever possible. Tagore aimed to impart to the students a blend of the best of the east and the West.
At Shantiniketan, teachers fostered imagination instead of just disciplining the students. They helped students to motivate themselves. This educational system encouraged the curiosity of the child. many eminent personalities like the filmmaker Satyajit Ray and the economist Amartya Sen have studied at Shantiniketan. Visva Bharti was given the status of a university in 1951.
