Double Oscar-winner AR Rahman is a silent philanthropist. DNA has learnt through reliable sources that this Mozart of Madras has launched an ambitious project that will see him provide free music education to 30 students from corporation schools in Chennai this year. What's more interesting is that the musician and composer will reach out to more such students every year from the next semester.

A source close to the development reveals, "The vision of the AR Rahman Foundation is to strive towards making poverty history. As a first step towards achieving this vision, the foundation will set up educational institutions and provide world class, state-of-the-art infrastructure and education to underprivileged children who do not have the means to access and fund their education."

The informer adds, "This will equip them with knowledge and skill sets to pursue specialised higher studies that will provide them career opportunities to build a secure future for themselves and their families. The AR Rahman Foundation is presently providing free music education to 30 students from corporation schools in Chennai."

When contacted, Rahman confirmed, "At the foundation, we know that there is no better investment than that in the education of children."

We've also learned that these students are being given the same kind of education like others who are paying the fee. "These underprivileged students are being trained at the KM Music Conservatory by a world-class faculty. The foundation aims to increase the intake of such students in the forthcoming years thereby extending the benefit of free music education to the truly deserving," adds the source.

Source: Financial Express