G K’s belief that every student has the potential to reach the top stems from his experience at school. Born to poor Brahmin parents' he went to a government school where he couldn’t pick up the correct spelling of “science” even in class ten. He turned to his teacher' C.N. Srinivasa Murt h y' who taught him for two months prior to his board tests without charging a fee. “He saw the potential in me and provided proper guidance. I got the highest marks in my school' and at that time decided to teach without a fee. I began with four boys in ’74 on the day I joined L I C'” says GK.

The classes took off in a garage in his house. Now' every inch of  his home' even the terrace' is chock-full with students over the weekend. “Everybody wants psychological support and a place where they can go through their syllabus in a relaxed mood.” He prods students to improve upon their performance in monthly tests. He cites the case of Ramachandra' who topped the pre - university tests in ’93: this boy got a mere six out of 25 in the first mathematics paper' but topped Karnataka in a couple of months. Another ploy to prod students to score 100 on 100 is to set a 90 per cent cut-off in monthly tests that will qualify them for a jaunt. And engineering and medical students' who were taught here' drop by to hand out tips to the current lot on entrance tests to professional courses.

G K’s novel course is creating waves in neighbouring towns too. At Shimoga' 20 km from Bhadravathi' GK holds classes in his friend’s areca stockyard on Sundays. Terikere is another town he visits once a fortnight. He spends Rs 60'000 a year on the classes' an amount he shrugs off as that expended “to get happiness by helping someone”.

He isn’t against tuitions either. “I’m only saying that tuitions have limitations. My son' Vijayraj' who’s in class two' takes tuitions because I want the teacher to help him out. Students must go through the syllabus in a relaxed atmosphere. They get nervous because they can’t cope'” says GK. S.S. Ahmed' a senior manager in the pollution control wing of Visweswaraya Iron and Steel Ltd' agrees. His son' Sadiq Ahmed' made it to R E C' Warangal' last fall. “It’s an interactive session where youngsters get a chance to speak. It helps them get over nervousness and the fear of college ragging'” he says.

Ahmed and other parents have offered to set up a library and a laboratory to help GK conduct practical sessions. “Some of my students are waiting for a cue from me. They want to contribute a part of their earnings for the DC'” he says. But it’s fees that students like B.N. Roopa and Vidya' both in their first year pre-university course' bring along which GK cherishes most. Both have vowed to score 100 on 100 in all the four subjects. If you want to lend a helping hand' call Gopalakrishna Murthy on 08282- 66408' 66473 (O)' or 66716 (R).