Adopted children

INS Viraat was committed to helping the less privileged sections of the community and in contributing to the overall development of society.  Towards this aim, the ship regularly organised blood donations and medical camps, especially during the ships anniversary.  Viraat's foray into social service was a continuation of the charitable activities organised by HMS Hermes which included regular fund raising runs to the Rock of Gibraltar and various other charity events on board the ship.

On the advice of the India Sponsoring Committee, the ship first adopted 2 children from the Antar Bharati Balgram (an orphanage based at Lonavala, near Mumbai) in 1990.  The children, a girl named Sangeetha Bengali and a boy named Chandrasekhar Renapure both successfully completed their education in 1998.  Sangeetha went on to complete a course in nursing and was employed at INS Shivaji in Lonavala.  Chandrasekhar underwent an ITI course and became a productive member of society working in a factory at Alandi, near Pune in Maharashtra.

In 1999 the ship again adopted two girls - Rukmini Gaikwad and Sarita Mahadik, both orphans at the Balgram in Lonavala.  Rukmini was transferred to the institute in 1998 from the Government remand home in Mumbai, whilst Sarita was found wandering the streets of Mumbai by the police.  With the support of the ship, both girls passed their 10th board exams in 2009 and developed into very fine young women.

The ships long association with the city of Kochi, due to the fact that the majority of her refits had been carried out there, led to the ship adopting man eleven year old boy named Murugesh, at the Raksha Institute for Special children in Fort Kochi in 1996. Murugesh suffered from Cerebral Palsy (a neurological impairment die to brain damage) and mental retardation.  With the ships support and the efforts of the staff at the institute, Murugesh is independantly earning his living by selling lottery tickets in his own shop.

In 2009, the society named a girl child, Sona Joseph in the place of Murugesh.  Daughter of a fisherman she was also suffering from Cerebral Palsy.  With the ships support, and the dedicated training imparted by the institute she gradually showed improvement in all areas.