The government of Trinidad and Tobago has granted a 12-acre state land lease in Calcutta #1 to Chinmaya Mission Trinidad and Tobago, paving the way for a major expansion of the mission’s educational institution, Chinmaya Vidyalaya.

Speaking at the official lease handover ceremony, Minister of Land and Legal Affairs Saddam Hosein said the cabinet’s approval represents more than a routine administrative act, describing it as a commitment to the country’s future through education.

He said the land is being leased at an institutional rate of $1 per year, a symbolic annual fee intended to support the mission’s ability to invest in facilities and student services. The new parcel significantly increases the space available to the school, which has outgrown its existing footprint.

Officials highlighted the rapid growth of Chinmaya Vidyalaya since its establishment in 2003. The school began with just three students, holding classes at the Chinmaya Ashram. It now serves more than 400 students and has achieved a 100% pass rate, a record that speakers at the event called “absolutely commendable.”

The institution’s leaders say the additional land will allow them to expand the campus, add new buildings and widen the range of educational programs. Swami Prakash Ananda Ji, head of Chinmaya Mission Trinidad and Tobago, thanked the government for what he described as its efficiency in delivering the lease and said the decision would significantly support the school’s continued development.

Mission representatives also noted that Trinidad and Tobago has played a pioneering role in the global Chinmaya movement. Before the creation of Chinmaya Vidyalaya in Calcutta #1, there were no Chinmaya schools outside India, they said. The Trinidad and Tobago initiative is seen as a model for taking the mission’s brand of values-based, holistic education to other parts of the world.