Maximising Positive Impact: CSR to fulfill the gaps in the Indian education system

Komal lost her father in 2012 and her brother, who is an auto driver, supported the family after their father’s demise. She wanted to be a Chartered Accountant and despite the lack of necessary financial resources her mother and brother encouraged her to join the CA course. She used to cover long distances on foot as she had no money to travel. A dream does not become reality through magic, it takes determination, hard work, and the right kind of intervention. For Komal, the intervention came in the form of the Udayan Shalini Fellowship (USF) program. USF helped her through monetary and mentoring support. The change USF brought in her life has changed the fate of her coming generations. Today, she is a qualified CA working as a Management Trainee in the Finance Dept of Vedanta Limited on a 12 Lakh per annum package. 

CSR to improve the status of education in India

 The 4th Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) calls for ensuring inclusive and equitable quality education and promoting lifelong learning opportunities for all. The Covid-19 pandemic has deepened a global learning crisis. According to the UN, 24 million learners (pre-primary to university level) may never return to school. The entrenched inequities have only worsened during the pandemic. Now is the time to act and ensure that quality education is available to all. The severity of the current challenges requires concrete efforts and funds for educational institutions through a collaboration between government and corporates to help accelerate educational reform and achieve the desired social development. The programs like Udayan Shalini Fellowship which helped Komal in fulfilling her dreams of higher education should be provided with the necessary support and such endorsement can come through the CSR projects of the various corporations aiming for an improvement in the status of education in India.  

The Companies Act 2013 opened doors for corporations to positively impact society by mandating Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). The concept of CSR rests on the ideology of give and take. Companies take resources in the form of raw materials, human resources, etc from society. By performing the task of CSR activities, the companies are giving something back to society. They can support any cause they believe in and contribute to community development. 

 CSR models can address the issues across the systemic chain to accelerate change in the education sector. It is important for companies to make informed decisions. The focus should not only be on infrastructure building, attention should also be given to supporting organizations working in the field of education. Apart from clean bathrooms, well-designed playgrounds, and attractive buildings, there are many ways in which CSR projects can contribute to improving the status of education in India.

 

Some of the areas where CSR projects can be implemented for boosting the education sector include providing transport facilities for children from remote areas, drafting a quality school curriculum, improving the health and nutrition facilities in schools, providing learning materials and resources, promoting gender equity by targeting girls’ education, establishing libraries for rural school education, STEM-related interventions, and many more. There’s a lot to consider in the education sector. Volunteering can be an excellent way to engage company employees and build relationships with others in the community. While some companies choose to donate funds, others choose to take an active role in philanthropy by donating products and services, volunteering their time, and more.

 Udayan Care has worked closely with corporate partners for the last 29 years and witnessed the transformation that their professionalism and input have brought to our organization. We offer various opportunities for corporates to fulfill their CSR mandate as well as employee engagement options with our programs. We, at Udayan Care, recognize the importance of quality education for our children, girls, and youth. Our effort is to always impart a high-quality education within all our programs.

 Children from Udayan Ghars study in good schools and are provided private tutoring if they face any difficulties. Udayan Shalini Fellowship provides monetary and mentoring support to underprivileged girls for their higher education. Udayan Care IT Program is focused on imparting digital education to underserved youth so that they can earn a livelihood. Our projects like Aftercare Outreach Program (AOP), Families Together (FiT) project, Learning In Fellowship Together (LIFT), and state projects with governments of Madhya Pradesh and Bihar are essentially focused on quality education for all. 

 If you are looking to partner with an organization that is improving the quality of education in India, Udayan Care welcomes you to collaborate with our different programs. Visit our website https://www.udayancare.org/ to learn more about our programs and how you can join our mission of making young lives shine.