Category: Education

The project, located in Bhawani Enclave near Basai village, will provide non-formal education to 150 children aged 6 to 14 years from migrant worker families who are currently not enrolled in schools.

Whiteland Foundation announced on Monday it has adopted a school for underprivileged children in Gurugram in collaboration with BG Foundation, marking its first major initiative in the child education sector.
The project, located in Bhawani Enclave near Basai village, will provide non-formal education to 150 children aged 6 to 14 years from migrant worker families who are currently not enrolled in schools, the foundations said in a joint statement.

It was inaugurated by Whiteland Foundation trustees Priyanka Sardana and Karishma Kaul Babbar.

“Education is the birthright of every child,” said Kaul Babbar. “Our adoption of this school and commitment to providing quality education will have a transformational impact on society.”

The long-term initiative spanning 3-5 years aims to integrate the children into the formal schooling system. It will also feature a computer centre to teach basic computing skills.

Teachers from the local community will conduct baseline assessments of students’ educational levels and start with building rapport and interest before formal lessons based on structured modules.

BG Foundation currently operates two schools accommodating 150 students and focuses on education, skill development and disaster management for disadvantaged children and youth.

The higher secondary school, which will provide classes from nursery to 11th, has a capacity to accomodate up to 1000 students.

Former President Ram Nath Kovind today inauguraged a school constructed by agrochemical makeer Dhanuka Group here at Salasar town — that houses the famous Balaji temple — in Churu district of Rajasthan.

Shrimati Triveni Devi Dhanuka Higher Secondary Adarsh Vidya Mandir has been built by Dhanuka Group as a part of its corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives.

The higher secondary school, which will provide classes from nursery to 11th, has a capacity to accommodate students up to 1000. Currently, 580 students (320 boy and 260 girl students) are enrolled.

Constructed over 7586 square meter of land, the school has a staff strength of 37, with 27 of them being teaching staff. It has a facility of air conditioned computer lab with 20 computers and a conference cum hall with multimedia facility.

Addressing the gathering, Kovind said: “Education has an invaluable contribution in our life and better resources are necessary for this. If the ‘temple of education’ starts in small cities and villages, then it would help in shaping the future of children, their families, society and the country.”

The inauguration of Adarsh Vidya Mandir by Chiranjilal Dhanuka Charitable Trust in Salasar Dham will make not only make children efficient but a good human being also, he said.

Union Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Kailash Chowdhary said establishment of this school is a matter of pride in Salasar Dham. “The Dhanuka family has given a temple of education here, which will shape the future of our India,” he said.

On the occasion, Dhanuka Group Chairman R G Aggarwal said Salasar Dham is renowned for its famous Lord Balaji temple. It is a place where faith is reinforced, and prayers are offered for the fulfilment of wishes.

 “Adarsh Vidya Mandir, inspired by the principles of Vidya Bharti, aims to create a holistic educational experience that instills a deep sense of patriotism, love for Indian cultural heritage, and clear goals. It endeavors to foster balanced spiritual development, molding the future intelligentsia of our great nation and preparing them to contribute meaningfully to its growth,” he added.

The group has two more schools in same district. One school named Durgaprasad Dhanuka Kanya Adarsh Vidyalaya Mandir is located in neighboring Ratangarh town of same district. This all-girl school has a capacity for 700 students, with 614 girl students benefiting from charitable education. It has a staff strength of 33 personnel, with 29 of them being teachers.

Located at Hrishikul road in same Ratagarh town of district Churu, the third school ‘Chiranjilal Dhanuka Uchha Madhyamik Adarsh Vidya Mandir has 811 students (all boys) studying from nursery to 12th class. This school has a capacity to accomodate up to 1000 students at a time.

 Besides these charitable schools, Dhanuka Group has been at the forefront of philanthropic activities in other areas of ecology, environment and humanity too.

About 375 Persons with disabilities (PwDs) will be trained across Mumbai, Hyderabad and Bengaluru in BFSI and IT job roles under the project SAMEIP.

National Securities Depository Limited (NSDL) and its subsidiary NSDL Database Management Limited (NDML) today announced its collaboration with SBI Foundation to execute Project SAMEIP to empower persons with disabilities.

 An agreement in this regard was signed between NSDL, NDML and SBI Foundation, an official statement said.

 Project SAMEIP (SBI Foundation and Microsoft India Employability Initiative for Persons with Disabilities) is a joint program by SBI Foundation and Microsoft India executed by the American India Foundation Trust (AIFT).

 About 375 Persons with disabilities (PwDs) will be trained across Mumbai, Hyderabad and Bengaluru in BFSI and IT job roles under the project SAMEIP.

 Further, the trained PwDs shall be provided with employment support and post placement support for retention in the employment.

 Project SAMEIP will be aligned with NSDL’s flagship program Artha SAMARTH, a special skill development and employability program.

Scholarship will be given 50 meritorious girls for undergraduate studies in medicine, engineering, nursing and pharmacy.

Lotus Petal Foundation has invited applications for the Winnie Sun Scholarship Program under which financial aid will be provided to 50 meritorious girls for undergraduate studies in medicine, engineering, nursing and pharmacy.

The deadline for application is January 15 and interested candidates can apply on www.lotuspetalfoundation.org.

Gurugram-based NGO Lotus Petal Foundation said in a statement that it offers financial aid through a joint scholarship program with Concentrix Daksh Services Pvt Ltd.

The aid is given to deserving female candidates from households having a combined family income of less than than 5 lakh per annum.

A scholarship amount of up to Rs. 65,000 per annum (covering course fees, living costs, and travel) will be given to the student who has secured admission in any government or private college recognized by central or state board in India.

  Last year, out of 1200 applications received from across India, 25 candidates were identified from 10 states. These students have secured admissions in prestigious colleges like IIT Delhi, IIT Kharagpur, NIT Delhi, NIT Srinagar, Jorhat Medical College, Assam and more.

  “Three in every 4 children drop out of school in India between the age group of 6 to 14, due to the high cost of private education and the necessity to support their families. The Winnie Sun Scholarship is a need-based scholarship for such deserving girls from low-income families,” shared Saloni Bhardwaj, Co-founder & CTO, Lotus Petal Foundation.

  This year, 50 meritorious girls from across India will receive the scholarship, she said.

  The students applying for scholarships must have completed their grade 10th and 12th exam with minimum 70 percent marks or appeared in grade 12th from a recognized state or central board. Minimum Min 60 per cent marks in Grade 10th and 12th for reserved category students (SC/ST/OBC).

The last date of application is 31st March 2023. Interested applicants can log onto www.gandhifellowship.com and apply.

Piramal Foundation has announced the call for applications for Gandhi Fellowship. Gandhi Fellowship, an initiative of the Piramal Foundation, is a 2-year program for the youth to work at the grassroots of India and acquire in-depth experience across areas of Public Health, Education, Climate Change and Digitization.

  The Fellowship endeavours to mould self-motivated youth across the country into becoming leaders of tomorrow by providing them with an opportunity to make a difference on the ground.

  This deep-dive Fellowship identifies youth based on their existing skills and competencies, customised according to the aspirational path identified, enabling Fellows to realise their aspirations on the firm foundation of on-ground and grass root public realities.

  These young people are also equipped with the necessary soft skills to successfully cope with and navigate every situation in the 21st century. They play critical roles in bringing about sustainable change.

  Interested applicants can log onto www.gandhifellowship.com and apply. The last date of application is 31st March 2023. For queries, please write to register@gandhifellowship.org

  Aditya Natraj, the CEO of Piramal Foundation, shared his thoughts on the Gandhi Fellowship – “We started ten years ago when there was no other fellowship in the country to get involved in building self and building the nation. Recruiters want to recruit Gandhi Fellows because they are ethical, grounded, know how to influence government, know how to get things and know how to lead people. So, that’s the brand we want to build for the country.”

  India has the highest youth population in the world in the age group of 15-29 years, comprising 27.2 percent of the nation’s population (as per the Report of Technical Group on Population Projections, 2020, constituted by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare). Leveraging this vast youth power is a crucial way of realising Hon. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of India as a developed nation by 2047.

REL will develop the Asha School in Delhi as a model school before moving on to the schools at other locations.

Religare Enterprises Ltd (REL) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Army Wives Welfare Association (AWWA) to support the latter in managing their schools for specially-abled children.

  REL will develop the Asha School in Delhi as a model school before moving on to the schools at other locations. Currently, AWWA operates six Asha Schools across the country.

  Under the MOU, REL will support and facilitate a world-class learning experience for AWWA’s Asha Schools students.

  REL will be adopting a module-based approach to activate its association with AWWA. Each module will cover a specific intervention area, including the development of the curriculum, infrastructure and the faculty’s capabilities, medical and nutritional assistance to the students, augmentation of the transportation facilities, vocational guidance and placement/internship assistance.

  REL Executive Chairperson Rashmi Saluja said, “REL visualises a world with equal opportunities for all. It has been our constant endeavour to equip India’s citizens with facilities for growth. AWWA has been doing a fabulous job mentoring and nurturing specially-abled children, enabling them to exceed their potential. We are proud to be able to contribute to their endeavours.”

  The ultimate goal is to make the students of Asha Schools Atmanirbhar and enable them to lead independent lives. Our partnership will enable more specially-abled children to shine in society, she added.

  AWWA has established Asha Schools as a ‘Temple of Learning’ for specially-abled children. These schools aim to empower children to make them productive members of society and enable them to live with dignity. REL’s contribution will further equip the schools with world-class technology and facilities for effective learning.

As part of the initiative, Xiaomi India has launched Mi Scholarship to support and help cancer warriors achieve excellence in their educational journey.

Smartphone leader Xiaomi has announced a partnership with the YouWeCan Foundation to contribute towards education for 200 cancer warriors as a part of its #ShikshaHarHaath initiative. The partnership reiterates Xiaomi India’s commitment to giving back to society and empowering future generations with the life-changing gift of education.

  As part of the initiative, Xiaomi India has launched Mi Scholarship to support the dreams of these cancer warriors and help them achieve excellence in their educational journey.

  Commenting on the partnership, Muralikrishnan B, President of Xiaomi India said, “The #ShikshaHarHaath initiative is aimed to bolster the nation’s educational development agenda and enable the future creators and innovators. Through our partnership with YouWeCan Foundation, we are committed to equipping and nurturing the students to access the world of possibilities and charter a bright future for themselves. We are optimistic that this small step from Xiaomi India and YouWeCan foundation will encourage and help them shape their career trajectory in a positive direction.”

  Founder of YouWeCan Foundation, Yuvraj Singh, said, “We are thankful for Xiaomi India’s support in helping us extend this initiative to form the future of these cancer warriors. With this partnership, both organisations are committing to support the needy, focusing on providing them with access to education and empowering them to nurture their dreams.”

  The Xiaomi #ShikshaHarHaath initiative aims to create young leaders of tomorrow by giving underprivileged students across the country access to the benefits of education. The goal is to enable the students and help them achieve their dreams.

Piramal Group Chairman Ajay Piramal said, “We remain committed to our goal of ‘leaving no one behind”.

On completion of 15 years of its establishment, Piramala Foundation today announced that its CSR activities will focus on six areas through partnership approach to accelerate change in India.

These six areas are:

1. Anamaya, The Tribal Health Collaborative aims to end preventable deaths in tribal communities by enabling over 100 mn tribal people with the lowest Human Development Index bridge access to health by strengthening communities and public delivery systems alike. Partnerships include Ministry of Tribal Affairs, National TB Elimination Program, USAID, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Centre for Policy Research and Ekjut Foundation.

2. Aspirational Districts Collaborative aims to uplift the lives of 100 million people living in abject poverty in 112 Aspirational Districts by 2030 through hyperlocal collaboration and last mile convergence.

Key Partners are NITI Aayog, District Governments of 112 Aspirational Districts, Edelgive Foundation, Tata Communications Limited and Deloitte.

3. Digital Bharat Collaborative aims to transform the healthcare system by building a Robust Digital Public Health Delivery Platform. National Aids Control Organisation, 5 State Governments, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Rockefeller Foundation, CISCO, Genpact, Wipro are key partners.

4. Piramal University builds future-ready and ‘Sewa-Bhaav’ oriented public system leaders who drive innovation and learning. It also strengthens institutional processes, practices & governance averting delays, inaccuracies and wasteful expenditure of government time. Strategic partnerships are with 7 State governments, Harvard University, Emory University, Boston Consulting Group, UNICEF, Google, Genpact, Porticus, Sofina and Children’s Investment Fund Foundation.

  5. The Piramal Academy of Sewa leverages the power of youth and builds future leaders engaged in nation building through a full time immersive, experiential fellowship with self-transformation at the core. Partnerships have been forged with leading academic institutions across the country, Edelgive Foundation, Children’s Investment Fund Foundation and Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

  6. Piramal Centre for Children with Special Needs addresses wide structural gaps and absence of adequate, quality care for children with special needs by building a lighthouse of excellence with state-of-the-art design and amenities, world class curriculum, specialised applications and tools to accelerate learning, skill building for employability for persons with disabilities. Collaborations have been forged with experts on PwDs (persons with disabilities) Curriculum development, and government.

  Piramal Group Chairman Ajay Piramal said, “The journey thus far has been enriching as well as inspiring. Our efforts to touch the lives of the most underserved Indian citizens is guided by our spirit of Sewa Bhaav. We believe in doing well and doing good, which essentially means that our success is intrinsically connected to society also doing well.”

The real transformation of Bharat will happen when we are able to reach millions of Indians and include them as a part of India’s growth journey, he said, and added, “We remain committed to our goal of ‘leaving no one behind’ and are confident that this will be achieved through greater collaboration between Government, civil society and NGO partners.”

  The Foundation said its initiatives have reached the most underserved people across India and has impacted 113 million lives in last 15 years. The CSR initiatives were taken in the field of education, health, water and the social sector ecosystem.

CSR arm of Aequs rolls out an early education support programme in 25 villages in Koppal District in Karnataka Synopsis

Aequs Foundation has launched the Hamara Gaon Project to impart education to children in the age group of 3-14 years in the Koppal District of Karnataka to create community ownership in early schooling.

In partnership with Pratham Education Foundation, Hamara Gaon will reach 5000 children over the next three years by supporting in-school and in-community components for early education. The programme will cover twenty-five villages in the Koppal District, where India’s first toy manufacturing cluster, the Koppal Toy Cluster (KTC), is located.

The Hamara Gaon Project is implemented to support children in their early years (3- 6 years) by training children with Anganwadi workers and volunteers on early-learning activities for children. The programme will also set up Mother’s Groups to increase their participation.

The primary objective of the programme is to build age-appropriate skills in children. The in-school component for children in grades 1-5 addresses learning loss and focuses on foundational literacy and numeracy skills.

“In a rapidly transforming world, we believe education is the key. We at Aequs Foundation have introduced several programs that aim to help students excel in academics and extra-curricular activities for overall development. Research has shown that the Pandemic has proved the importance of the mother’s role in building foundational skills in numeric and reading skills. This program seeks to involve them more closely in this process along with teachers and Anganwadi workers,” said Ms Akkamahadevi Melligeri, Chairperson, Aequs Foundation.

Aequs Foundation and Pratham intend to create an environment that encourages self-learning and group learning. Hence, Pratham team members conduct learning camps (short bursts of intense activities) in school for children in grades 3 to 5 using Pratham’s Teaching at the Right Level (TaRL) methodology.

As part of the early schooling interventions, several mother’s groups in villages get trained in teaching their children. These groups meet weekly to share experiences and discuss activities they can take up with children. Pratham team members support the Lead Mothers and the groups by periodically visiting them.

In addition, engagement kits are given to mothers as an engagement tool to support the mother-child duo. The kit comprises three components- an individual pouch with materials for every child, a kit for every mother’s group at the Mohalla level, and a village-level kit. The kits contain various teaching-learning materials that help children acquire age-appropriate skills. During the Inauguration of the programme on July 9 at Koppal, several Engagement Kits were distributed to the mothers.

Byju’s education will impart English language skills to 35 lakh students

Andhra Pradesh Government has signed an MoU with Byju’s to impart spoken English training to students of class 4 to class 8 in state-run schools. Byju’s education will impart English language skills to 35 lakh students under its CSR initiative, state Education Minister Botcha Satyanarayana has announced.

The minister said the government would launch 884 new junior colleges in the state from the current academic year, adding that it may review its decision to convert 25 junior colleges into girls only if technical problems arise.

AP government proposes to upgrade schools up to class 10 as junior colleges in line with the government’s decision to have two junior colleges in each Mandal. There are 679 mandals in the state.