Education
5 books on rural India to add to your reading list
How well do you think you know rural India? These five books will give you an insight into village life beyond your current perception. This World Book Day, move beyond reading what everyone else is and dive right into the countryside.
A new chapter begins for Rajasthan school libraries
Once abandoned as storerooms for old and broken stuff, school libraries are buzzing again—thanks to the Rajasthan Library Promotion Project that aims to develop the habit of reading among children.
The girl over the moon
When a five-year-old Akankshya landed in a home for deserted children and orphans, she had no idea that one day she would be on her way to land on the moon.
Community classrooms sow hope among Van Gujjar children
Thanks to an enterprising initiative, centres of learning called Maee are encouraging children to script better future for themselves across Uttarakhand settlements.
Journey towards making Kollam India’s first constitution-literate district
Village Square speaks to Sudesan V of Kerala Institute of Local Administration (KILA) to understand how Kollam achieved the incredible feat of becoming India’s first constitution-literate district educating over 14 lakh individuals and 6 lakh families.
How Kollam became India’s first constitution-literate district
Democracy – without understanding the constitution that protects it – is fatal to society. That’s why one initiative, Citizen 2022, is setting out to ensure more of India’s villagers are constitution literate.
Helping marginalised kids go to university
Led by a lifelong social worker, a small group of passionate, retired professionals in Karnataka is finding bright but marginalised children and tutoring them. Their goal is to get fifty kids into IIT.
An educator and his rural school with a difference
The likes of this advocate-turned-educator who offers quality education to rural children and works for rural development, are an inspiration for society’s progress, says this young development professional.
Sparking ideas for India’s next 75 years
The recent Indian Rural Colloquy brought together India's sharpest minds - from doyens of the development world to industry leaders, government secretaries and activists - all at the front of India's march to progress.
Tinker labs kindle rural kids’ technical creativity
By learning to code and tinker with salvaged electronic items, children in rural Odisha are getting hands-on learning, fostering curiosity and honing their natural scientific innovation to grasp lessons beyond the curriculum.
How a school parliament grooms Bastar tribal children
In a remote tribal village in Chhattisgarh, a government school takes initiatives to make learning interesting, using a bal sansad to build children's problem-solving and leadership skills.
Teenagers ensure children learn during lockdowns
As India commemorates National Youth Day on January 12, we highlight the passionate work of the many socially aware rural teens who volunteer their time and energy to teach village children during the pandemic.
Life skills videos are a lifeline
For India's most marginalized, getting access to information and basic life skills has never been more important than during the pandemic. Dramatized videos and tech are bridging the gap.
30 hours to literacy
Spending an hour every day on activities and custom-made lessons in a cheerful environment helps migrant workers of all ages come out of literacy poverty.
Girls quit labor work to teach each other
Girls were forced to work in brick kilns and farms during lockdown. Educated youth have helped them quit so they can learn, and teach younger ones.
Supplementary teaching helps students’ overall development
The activity-based program, aimed at age-appropriate learning of students in government schools, has also improved their academic performance, besides ensuring comprehensive progress
Residential school empowers tribal children through education
For tribes lacking access to education, a residential school functioning in Bhubaneswar exclusively for tribal children, offers education, and equips them with life and career skills
Villagers build secondary school to educate their children
Residents of Chuikhim built a secondary school, to ensure better prospects for their children. Sans funds, local youth run the school, hopeful of government aid and recognition
Mentoring helps tribal youth choose new careers
Career counseling and training help tribal youth develop skills and choose new vocations, resulting in social upliftment, women’s empowerment and changes in societal norms
Teachers turn rural house fronts into classrooms
Teachers of a government school in a Jharkhand village have turned exterior walls of mud houses into blackboards and raised platforms into seats, to ensure students continue their education