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Literacy is an indispensable prerequisite for individual empowerment, offering vast advantages to individuals, families, and communities’ capabilities, providing them access to health, education, economic opportunities, political participation, and cultural enrichment. Thus, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights 1948 recognized the significance of literacy as a fundamental human right and pledged to ensure access to it for all.

India has undergone a transformative journey, with a mere one in five Indians considered literate in 1950. By 2023, the narrative had undergone a remarkable reversal. A literacy rate of 18.3 percent in 1951 rose to 74.4 percent in 2018; and as of 2023 (male literacy stands at an impressive 84.70 percent, and the literacy rate of women in India is 70.30 percent). India has traversed a substantial path toward fostering a well-educated nation. This transformation is a testament to the nation’s commitment to improving the literacy rate and its recognition as a pivotal force in shaping the course of individual lives and the collective progress of society.

But how did India manage to make such this considerable improvement?

Efforts Behind Improved Literacy Rate In India

The Indian government launched several initiatives and schemes to improve the literacy rate and promote the significance of education in the country, especially in rural and marginalized communities.

Some of these notable initiatives:

In addition, the Saakshar Bharat scheme, a centrally sponsored, nationwide initiative, was introduced to enhance the literacy rate among adults. This program was implemented in rural areas across 404 districts spanning 26 states and one Union Territory. The districts targeted were those with an adult female literacy rate of 50 percent and below as of the Census of 2001. The scheme was carried out from 2009 until March 31, 2018.

Throughout the tenure of the Saakshar Bharat initiative, the overarching goal was to transform 7.00 crore illiterate adults into literate individuals. Remarkably, this objective was met and exceeded, with approximately 7.64 crore learners passing the biannual Basic Literacy Assessment Tests. The evaluations, which took place from August 2010 to March 2018, were conducted by the National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS), certifying these learners as literate.

The Top Rural Development NGO In India

Since 1999, S M Sehgal Foundation (Sehgal Foundation) has been enhancing the quality of life in rural communities across India. The top sustainable rural development NGO in India was established as a public charitable trust, with a team of passionate and skilled individuals. The foundation team collaborates to devise and implement sustainable programs to address rural India’s most critical needs.

S M Sehgal Foundation’s mission lies in the belief that everyone deserves the opportunity to lead a life marked by security, prosperity, and dignity. With this guiding principle, the foundation is resolutely committed to advancing community-led development initiatives. Through these efforts, their ultimate objective is to catalyze meaningful and enduring positive changes across rural India’s social, economic, and environmental landscape.

Hamari Paathshaala

In a bid to create secure, healthy, and engaging learning environments in government schools within Bhandari, Sitamarhi district, Bihar, S M Sehgal Foundation partnered with PTC Foundation and Power Finance Corporation Limited that yielded the Hamari Paathshaala (2018–2021) initiative, operating under their CSR initiative.

Project Vriddhi 2.0

In a concerted effort to create a positive and lasting impact within marginalized communities, Nestlé India, in collaboration with S M Sehgal Foundation, launched Project Vriddhi 2.0 in July 2021. The inaugural phase of the project, initiated in April 2019, focused on uplifting the lives of 1,500 individuals residing in the village of Rohira.

A pivotal aspect of the project involved a comprehensive transformation of the Rohira School, which was completed in October 2019. This required a rainwater harvesting system, afforestation efforts, swings installation, educational wall paintings, sanitary facilities, and a midday meal kitchen. Collectively, these enhancements focused on providing schoolchildren with a conducive and stimulating environment for learning. Additionally, a Digital Literacy and Life Skills Education Centre cum Library was set up, further empowering students with new skills and knowledge.

Addressing the Pandemic-Sharpened the Digital Gender Divide

Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, the Union Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation highlighted a significant gender disparity in access to digital education in rural India, with notably fewer girls benefiting from it. Young girls’ limited or absent access to the internet was an important contributing factor to this disparity.

In response to this challenge, S M Sehgal Foundation took proactive measures to empower girls by providing digital and life skills training classes. Despite the closure of schools, these sessions continued seamlessly online and later transitioned to offline mode, adhering to COVID guidelines. These training sessions emerged as transformative, instilling a sense of hope and empowerment among numerous girls who harnessed digital skills while nurturing their self-esteem.

The digital and life skills awareness training programs engaged young women and girls in mastering various computer applications and acquiring foundational knowledge in internet research. They gained proficiency in tasks like job searching, online payment procedures, and applying for governmental support programs, contributing to the economic well-being of their families. A striking example is Manju, a Class XI student at Beejwad Naruka School in Alwar, Rajasthan, who successfully tracked her Public Distribution System status and applied online for rations under the COVID program.

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India, known for its rich intellectual heritage, has witnessed a concerning brain drain trend, where talented individuals seek opportunities abroad instead of contributing to their homeland. Once renowned for exporting spices, India now exports its valuable human resources. While urban-educated individuals enjoy lucrative salaries and top-class amenities overseas and in urban areas of the country, rural students need help accessing even basic educational facilities.

To delve deeper into this disparity, let’s examine two key concepts:

The Digital India Mission, launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on July 1, 2015, is a government-led initiative to bring high-speed internet connectivity to rural areas throughout India. This program promotes inclusive growth across multiple sectors, including product development, manufacturing, electronic services, and employment opportunities. By leveraging the power of digital technologies, the Digital India Mission seeks to empower individuals and foster growth, bridging the digital divide and ensuring equal access to opportunities for people in rural communities.

Smart Education encompasses the use of advanced technologies to enhance education in the modern digital era so that learners can effectively, efficiently, and conveniently acquire knowledge and skills by integrating technology.

With approximately 72 percent of India’s population residing in villages, the digital revolution that began after 2016, marked by reduced internet data prices, has yet to fully bridge the digital divide. Despite the affordability of internet data for most smartphone owners, a digital gap persists between urban and rural India.

Can smart education incorporate the Digital India Mission to bridge the digital gap in the education sector?

Fortunately, YES!

How Will Smart Education Incorporate The Digital India Mission?

By implementing the following steps, it is possible to bridge the digital gap in the education sector in rural India and ensure that students have equal opportunities to access quality education and unlock their full potential.

Infrastructure Development: Investments can be made to improve rural digital infrastructure, including expanding high-speed internet connectivity and establishing a reliable power supply to support online learning platforms and devices.

Affordable Devices and Data Plans: Efforts can be made to make smartphones, tablets, and other digital devices more affordable for students and their families. Similarly, providing subsidized or low-cost data plans can ensure that access to the internet is within reach for rural communities.

Mobile and Offline Learning Solutions: Mobile-based learning applications and offline learning resources can be developed and distributed to overcome connectivity challenges. These solutions will enable students to access educational content and materials without a consistent internet connection.

Teacher Training and Capacity Building: Specialized training programs can be conducted to familiarize teachers in rural areas with online education technologies. This will enhance their digital skills and enable them to use digital tools for teaching and learning effectively.

Community Learning Centers: Establishing community learning centers equipped with computers, internet connectivity, and trained facilitators will provide students in rural areas with access to digital resources and support for their educational needs.

Public-Private Partnerships: Collaboration between the government, private organizations, and rural development NGOs in India, like S M Sehgal Foundation, can foster partnerships to fund and implement initiatives focused on providing digital education resources and opportunities in rural areas.

S M Sehgal Foundation & Its Contributions

S M Sehgal Foundation has been working relentlessly since 1999 to enhance the quality of life of rural communities. As a sustainable rural development NGO in India, established as a public charitable trust, S M Sehgal Foundation has skilled and dedicated teams that address rural India’s most pressing needs by engaging in participatory research, interactive dialogues, and impact assessment to determine informed actions to achieve sustainable results.

Digital Literacy Goes “Mobile”

Would those in poor and isolated areas ever be able to acquire the necessary tech skills and knowledge?

For most, it was a point-blank NO! But for S M Sehgal Foundation, the answer is Why not?

In 2006, the foundation teams created a digital literacy training and life-skills education program for students in government schools. Digital literacy or smart education was provided in smart classrooms, making a positive difference and creating a brighter future for rural schoolchildren, especially girls.

Teaching digital literacy in a rural setting is a complex process. The trainers recorded audio lessons for radio broadcasts. Digital audio modules, called Udaan, were made available to the masses through the S M Sehgal Foundation’s community radio Alfaz-e-Mewat in Nuh.

S M Sehgal Foundation was slowly able to overcome obstacles involving infrastructure deficiencies, connectivity, and cultural limitations to put together a robust curriculum taught by handpicked, tech-savvy residents. Students who completed the course gained skills to access government services and seek online opportunities for themselves and their families. They had fun exploring the intangible world online that the urban population takes for granted. Students reported enhanced self-confidence and were motivated to explore more avenues that were previously closed to them.

Addressing the Pandemic-Sharpened Digital Gender Divide

During the pandemic, a significantly lower number of girls accessed digital education, according to the Union Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation. A primary reason for this was young girls’ limited or no access to information technology and the internet.

S M Sehgal Foundation empowered girls by giving them digital and life skills training classes that continued online despite schools being closed. Later, they were offline while following the COVID guidelines. These training sessions were a game changer, bringing hope to many girls who were empowering themselves digitally, and developing healthy self-esteem.

Young women and girls engaged in digital and life skills awareness training programs learned how to use various computer programs and the basics of internet research. They learned how to search and apply for employment, conduct online payments, and apply for various government benefits to foster economic security for their families. Manju, a Class XI student from Beejwad Naruka School in Alwar, Rajasthan, could check her Public Distribution System status, and even applied online for rations under the COVID programme.

Can the Digital India Mission be incorporated into smart education to bridge the digital gap in the education sector?

The answer is YES!

The S M Sehgal Foundation continues to provide young people with life skills training and digital programs that are key to empowering the communities of rural India.

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In any developing country, maintaining the quality of education is essential. Education is a key driver of economic growth and development, and a well-educated population is better equipped to participate in the labor market, innovate, and create new businesses, thereby contributing to economic development. Moreover, quality education improves the health and well-being of individuals, reduces inequality, and promotes social cohesion. Education is essential for promoting social mobility and reducing disparities, holding the power to break the cycle of poverty and provide opportunities for the disadvantaged to improve their lives. In India, where social and economic disparities are significant, education plays a vital role in reducing inequality and promoting social mobility. Education is crucial for promoting democratic values, civic engagement, and good governance. A well-educated population is better able to understand and participate in the democratic process, hold government officials accountable, and advocate for their rights and interests. Therefore, maintaining the quality of education is crucial for the long-term economic, social, and political development of India.

By working with communities, building capacity, and advocating for policies and programs that promote access to quality education, NGOs help to ensure the quality of education that the youth of India receive, and that SDG 4 is being fulfilled.

What can Indian NGOs do to ensure SDG 4 is fulfilled?

SDG4, or Sustainable Development Goal 4, ensures inclusive and equitable quality education and promotes lifelong learning opportunities for all. While India has made significant progress toward achieving SDG4, several challenges still remain. Some key issues that hinder India’s progress toward achieving SDG4:

Access to education. Although the Right to Education Act mandates free and compulsory education for all children between the ages of 6–14, access to education remains a challenge, particularly for marginalized communities such as rural populations, Dalits, Adivasis, and girls. Many children drop out of school due to poverty, lack of infrastructure, and inadequate facilities.

Quality of education. While access to education has improved, the quality of education in India remains a major concern. The education system lacks proper infrastructure, qualified teachers, and adequate learning materials. Additionally, the curriculum does not always meet the needs of the students and is not relevant to the changing job market.

Gender disparities. Despite significant progress, gender disparities in education persist in India. Girls are more likely to drop out of school, particularly at the secondary level. Early marriage, cultural norms, and safety concerns are factors that contribute to these disparities.

Skill development. India’s education system does not adequately focus on skill development, which is crucial for employability in a rapidly changing job market. As a result, many graduates struggle to find employment, and the country’s workforce lacks the necessary skills to compete in the global market.

Financing. Adequate financing is necessary to ensure quality education and achieve SDG 4. However, India’s education budget remains low, and public spending on education has not kept pace with the growing demand for education.

Advocacy. NGOs can advocate for policies and programs that promote access to quality education, particularly for marginalized communities. They can also work with policymakers to ensure that education budgets are sufficient and used effectively.

Community engagement. NGOs can work with communities to raise awareness about the importance of education and encourage parents to send their children to school. They can also address cultural barriers that prevent girls and marginalized children from attending school.

Capacity building. NGOs can work to build the capacity of teachers, school administrators, and education officials, particularly in remote and marginalized areas. They can also provide training and resources to ensure that educators are equipped with the skills and knowledge needed to provide quality education.

Monitoring and evaluation: NGOs can monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of education programs and policies and use this information to advocate for improvements. They can also work with government agencies and other stakeholders to ensure that programs are evidence-based and are achieving their intended outcomes.

S M Sehgal Foundation’s Contributions

Smart Classroom Cruise Express

A new initiative to bring digital education to rural and remote areas of India is a collaboration between the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) and S M Sehgal Foundation, an Indian nonprofit organization.

The Smart Classroom Cruise Express is a mobile classroom equipped with digital technology, including computers and internet access. The classroom travels to remote and rural areas, providing students with access to quality education and digital resources.

The initiative is part of the Indian government’s “Digital India” campaign, which promotes digital literacy and improves access to digital services across the country. By bringing digital education to remote areas, the Smart Classroom Cruise Express helps to bridge the gap in educational opportunities between urban and rural areas.

The potential impact of the initiative on the local economy. By providing students with digital skills and knowledge, the initiative helps to create a more skilled workforce and promotes economic development in remote areas.

Self-Reliance with Life Skills

S M Sehgal Foundation promotes life skills education to develop self-reliance among young people in India. Life skills education helps young people develop the knowledge, skills, and attitudes needed to make informed decisions and take control of their lives.

Several important life skills for young people in India include financial literacy, communication skills, and leadership skills. These skills are particularly important for marginalized communities, who often face significant barriers to education and employment.

The role of NGOs in promoting life skills education in India is crucial for providing needed life skills training and resources, particularly in areas where government resources are limited.

The successful life skills education programs in India include the rural development NGO’s own “Self-Reliance through Life Skills” program. S M Sehgal Foundation partnered with the HDFC Bank, for “Parivartan Pariyojana” in the Narnaul region of Mahendragarh, Haryana. The project covers nine villages in the region to provide integrated village development, including interventions in life skills and digital literacy training of youth. This program provides young people with training in financial literacy, communication skills, and other key life skills, and has helped to empower young people to take control of their lives and achieve their goals.

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“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.”
~ Nelson Mandela

Education In Rural India: The Historical Perspectives

As India gained independence, education was characterized with inequalities due to socioeconomic inequities. Article 45 of the Indian constitution provided for free and compulsory education for children. The preamble stated that the “State shall endeavor to provide, within a period of ten years from the commencement of this Constitution, for free and compulsory education for all children until they complete the age of fourteen years.” This meant that every citizen should have access to primary education without discrimination. But the reality is far different.

In view of major policy efforts by the government and other external initiatives, the position has been improving over time.

The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009 was passed, also known as the Right to Education Act (RTE) to fill the inequities that still exist in rural India. With a majority of the Indian population still living in rural parts of India, RTE looks at faster and more effective dissemination of education goals.

Importance of Rural Education In Development

It is universally acknowledged that education is THE fundamental way to achieve development and growth. Education is the guiding light, and investing in this area is the only way for the nation’s development to move forward. It is impossible to achieve sustainable rural development in India without investment in human capital. Education leads to improved quality of life, improved productivity, and economic and social progress, thus improved income distribution among the masses. Promoting literacy will ultimately lead to a lower unemployment rate and higher GDP growth. Therefore, it becomes essential to look at design and development of infrastructure in a way that improves accessibility and effectiveness of delivery of education.

Also Read – Augmenting Transformation In Rural Schools

Where We Lack and Why

Numerous issues lead to inequities in education, such as:

Partnerships: The Way Forward

S M Sehgal Foundation (Sehgal Foundation), a rural development NGO in India, has been engaged in improving quality of life for rural communities in India since 1999. S M Sehgal Foundation has five main program areas: Water Management, Agriculture Development, Local Participation and Sustainability, Transform Lives one school at a time, and Outreach for Development. A skilled and dedicated team is actively involved in creating programs to address the most pressing needs of rural development in India. With the support of donors and global partners, S M Sehgal Foundation’s grassroots programs and development interventions have already reached more than three million people across India. The underlying mantra is to achieve sustainable rural development, thereby empowering individuals and communities in need to escalate and enhance their own growth.

As part of the Transform Lives program, S M Sehgal Foundation provides schoolchildren access to drinking water, better sanitation facilities, a learning-conducive school environment, and digital and life skills awareness trainings. Parents, teachers, and children are encouraged to increase enrollment and reduce dropouts in rural government schools, especially for girl children. School Management Committees (SMCs) are provided with support and training to build their capacities for improved and sustained functioning of the schools.

Lives Transformed: S M Sehgal Foundation, in collaboration with PTC Foundation and Power Finance Corporation Limited under their CSR initiative, implemented Hamari Paathshaala (2018–2021).

Under the Hamari Paathshaala initiative, two schools in Bhandari Panchayat now have intact classrooms, safe drinking water, working toilets, solar-powered energy, and digital smart classrooms.

Rajkiya Buniyadi Vidyalaya, Manchi Bhandari, is now equipped with eight newly constructed classrooms and a new toilet block, including separate toilets for girl students, boy students, and teachers. Both schools now have drinking water stations and smart classrooms. Powered with solar energy, electricity is no longer a problem for the school, as schools have an uninterrupted power supply at all times. Each classroom has necessary furniture such as desks, benches for students, teachers table and chair, a computer room, and others.

S M Sehgal Foundation under its Transform Lives one school at a time program also renovated one room that serves as a smart classroom for the school, half-constructed rooms, and the veranda in Rajkiya Buniyadi Vidyalaya.

A student from grade 7 at the school shared that previously they had no place to sit, and no toilet, so students had to go home. “Now we have enough furnished rooms and toilets in the school, this will make learning easy,” she says.

The transformation of schools has been very beneficial for both students and teachers. Students have a better place to learn. Enough classrooms, furniture, working toilets, and smart classes all help students stay in school longer and make learning an easy and fun process.

Also Read – Rural Education in India: Anchoring Quality and Equity By admin

Final Take

Education is integral to the development of every community and culture.

The RTE Act stipulates that every school should have a playground, a fence or a boundary wall, a library, and drinking water facilities. The compliance also requires school infrastructure to include keeping the building and classrooms in proper condition, with functioning toilets, meals, electricity, qualified teachers, desks, and chairs. With government funding and private-sector contributions (through CSR), taking the vision of education for all forward is no longer a far-fetched dream.

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“Overcoming poverty is not a gesture of charity. It is an act of justice. It is the protection of a fundamental human right, the right to dignity and a decent life.”
~ Nelson Mandela, Nobel Laureate and former president of South Africa.

Poverty

Poverty in simple terms is construed to be a lack of income and means that prevent livelihoods on a sustainable basis. However, the scope of poverty encompasses hunger and malnutrition, lack of access to education, social discrimination, exclusion from basic services, and more. Poverty eradication requires an effort from governments to foster a change on an ethical, political, societal, education, and economic basis.

Poverty eradication should empower people through an inclusive approach in political, economic, and social life. Formulation of policies and their implementation should be targeted at the poor and vulnerable sections of society. The effort should be to create an equitable distribution of wealth and income in the long run. Adequate and distributed employment opportunities are a major hindrance in this effort. Poverty eradication is far easier said than done. A major transition in thinking and implementation at the macro and micro level is difficult to achieve. Vested interests are in force that dilute the narrative.

Transition from MDGs to SDGs

Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) was a global initiative taken up in 2000 with the main objectives being eradication of poverty, hunger, and disease, and promoting primary education, among others. Leaders of prominent countries and members of United Nations discussed and resolved a goal-based roadmap to tackle eight specific aspects of poverty.

A notable effort, the MDGs set the ball rolling and drove progress in key areas. Signatories to the MDGs managed to draw frameworks in their respective countries. A global movement was witnessed, and substantial progress was achieved in the areas of access to water and sanitation, reduction in child mortality, improved maternal health, creating a framework for free primary education, and further strides in tackling diseases such as malaria and tuberculosis.

Key MDG achievements

The concept of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) was adopted in 2012 with the objective of fast tracking the achievements of the MDGs and putting up a framework for a set of universal goals to tackle environmental and economic challenges facing the world. While the MDGs achieved measurable success in its key objectives, the need was felt to build on its achievements and broaden the scope to include more-pressing challenges facing the world, notably climate change and its overall effects on MDGs.

The underlying commitment of the SDGs also looks to create a global commitment to permanently end poverty, with progress that is sustainable and safe.

Poverty In India

The data points mentioned above present a picture that is not rosy. However, if observed closely, it tells us that, in recent years, India has achieved the highest rate of poverty reduction. The Global Multidimensional Poverty Index in the 2019 report showed that 271 million citizens were lifted out of poverty from 2006 to 2016. Hence, the intent and purpose of the policymakers achieved substantial gains in poverty eradication.

However, the pandemic changed the situation drastically. Unemployment inched up, consumption expenditure decreased, and the private sector grappled with lockdowns and reduced demand. Government spending stagnated due to a lower tax offtake.

As soon as the economy bounces back from the clutches of the COVID-19 pandemic, some challenges that require immediate attention are:

All these issues have a bearing on the Sustainable Development Goal of Poverty Eradication directly or indirectly.

Given the constraints, the Indian government has been making notable efforts to reach out to the vulnerable sections of society and the poor. Several programs target sustainable rural development in India and poverty alleviation. Some are:

However, the percolation of these schemes to the ground level is stymied due to structural issues that beset the country. A diverse landscape and India’s large population is difficult to reach, and herein lies the proactive role of the government, private sector, and social sector. Some path-breaking work is being done in this regard by selfless agencies to bring the marginalized populations out of the quagmire of poverty.

S M Sehgal Foundation: Making An Impact

Founded by crop scientist, entrepreneur, and Indian American philanthropist, Suri Sehgal, S M Sehgal Foundation is present in over 1,200 Indian villages, impacting more than three million people in ten states. S M Sehgal Foundation works with the belief that a prudent intervention mix covering the most pressing needs is necessary for inclusive growth, one that can provide opportunities to enable people to participate in a sustainable growth process. In order to achieve this, investing in social capital furthers sustainable social development.

The rural development of S M Sehgal Foundation demonstrates that an effective amalgam of empowered citizenry and accountable institutions of governance can lead to inclusive spaces for equitable development.

Water conservation and management, food security, and community participation and sustainability in rural development in India have led to the adoption of several development practices making social impact. The foundation technologies and models, such as the biosand filters, high-pressure recharge wells, and salt-resilient crop varieties, have been adopted by the communities. The innovation of creating freshwater pockets in saline aquifers has been recognized by the United Nations as an adaptable and scalable solution. Community participation and engagement of S M Sehgal Foundation forms the basis of every innovation or intervention.

The best rural development NGO in India, S M Sehgal Foundation, through its local teams and effective citizen participants, helps to bridge the massive gap between promises of law and their grassroots reality. The foundation works tirelessly, nationally and internationally, to make the law and policies more people-centric because all the formulations, implementations, and corrections should be considerate of the masses. Through this initiative, communities work to secure sustainable development as they participate to strengthen democracy and rule of law.

When the citizens of the country work toward moving up the ladder of prosperity, goals are automatically achieved.

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My perception of financial literacy in India changed completely when I had the opportunity to intern with S M Sehgal Foundation. I used to think that most of us know how to open and maintain a bank account, but that day I came to know that I was quite mistaken.

It was a chilly morning as I attended the Project Samarth, a financial literacy camp in Sakras Village in the Mewat region of Haryana, an area that I did not realize was also home to the poorest of the poor in India. The camp was jointly set up in collaboration with Canara HSBC OBC Life Insurance Co. Ltd. to bridge the awareness gap and lead to financial inclusion.

We reached the village at about 10:00 a.m., and I was immediately surprised to see close to 400 villagers had already turned up and were waiting in line. They’d heard of the program from announcements on community radio Alfaz-e-Mewat, started by the Sehgal Foundation in the region.

I had been assigned the task of photographing and taking video of the event. As it happened, I ended up interacting with the villagers and the schoolchildren hanging out there on the school premises where the event was held.

The camp comprised of informative lectures and street plays on financial inclusion. It was fascinating to watch as people began to interact with the information counters set up to guide them. Women folk huddled together, nervously eyeing the counters. There was an air of excitement among the people, made obvious by all of their questions: “What is a bank? How do we keep our money? Will our money be safe? How we can take out money? How do we fill the form needed to open a bank account?”

As I started helping people with their queries, my own learning started as I watched them grapple with questions I’d taken for granted. Through the course of the day, there were also the occasional exceptions: highly prepared and knowledgeable people like the family of six that already had copies of all the documents they needed.

My experience that day was quite a learning and unlearning. My key takeaway was that high illiteracy rates very much persist in the village, and there is a need to simplify the account-opening process through a joint effort between the banks and the government.

I was also taken aback by how low the annual incomes were of small and marginal farmers in rural India. They earn barely enough to serve the basic necessities of their families, sometimes even less. This made me realize the importance and value of money and how incredibly ignorant I was of the realities of our country today.

The silver linings: one constant response that made me particularly happy was the answer men gave for the forms when I asked them their wives’ occupations. They proudly replied that their wives worked with them as equal partners and were not confined to the household.

My experience working at the camp made me realize that ignorance is the biggest barrier in the path toward financial literacy. I realized that accessibility to the appropriate resources, and proper guidance to use these resources, play a foundational role, because every human being has the natural instinct and desire to learn.

Local community leaders play such an important role in spreading awareness for the successful achievement of objectives in a social setting. I was impressed by their dedication, and the dedication of the workers of the foundation, and how they handled the event with so much patience and care.

Interestingly, the Nukkad Natak (street play), created to teach the public more about personal finances, proved to be quite a hit with the school boys. They sat through the street play engrossed, following every word.

As the program came to a close, I was filled with a quiet kind of joy as so many people (elders, women, little children) all shook hands, bowing down and thanking me. It was an unforgettable experience, and I drove back home with tears in my eyes.

(Dhruv Singh Chauhan volunteered with the Communications team at S M Sehgal Foundation).

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During my orientation program after joining the Sehgal Foundation team, my visit to the government middle school at village Banarasi, district Nuh, came with a surprise when the school principal told me that until recently there was no safe drinking water facility on the school premises. During summers, some students went home to drink water and missed the classes as they did not return. Water scarcity posed problems in midday meal cooking as well. The school relied on tanker water whose quality was a concern. As a result, a large number of children fell sick after drinking water from hand pumps or other contaminated water sources.

Per the 2018 report of UNICEF and WHO, the availability of basic drinking water facilities is limited to only 69 percent of schools in India. The provision of safe and adequate drinking water facilities in elementary schools is mandatory under the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act, 2009. Despite this, many government schools do not have adequate infrastructure and resources to provide a stimulating learning environment to the children and are deprived of basic facilities for drinking water, sanitation, and hygiene.

To address the issue of safe drinking water, a component of Sehgal Foundation’s Transform Lives one school at a time initiative builds rainwater harvesting (RWH) systems with biosand filtration that provide safe drinking water to schoolchildren. This system collects rainwater for storage in over or underground tanks that passes through a filter before being available for consumption. The school authorities in Banarasi welcomed the proposal to construct a RWH system, hoping it would solve their water problems, and their belief reaped positive results.

Set up in December 2018, the RWH system in Banarasi collects rainwater from the roof that is stored in two concrete water tanks having a capacity of 25,000 liters each. That is enough for water to be available throughout the year for drinking and cooking purposes. School authorities and students had a taste of how the system functioned with little rains. They now await the monsoons when the system will function full swing to provide safe drinking water to 150 students round the year.

Through this and other interventions such as infrastructure development for sanitation, hygiene, and school beautification, Sehgal Foundation is committed to transform government schools into safe, healthy, fun, and stimulating spaces that will encourage children to attend school regularly. One school at a time, the foundation team is harvesting rains through RWH to make water available. As of March 2018, the foundation has constructed 83 common storage rainwater harvesting systems for public and private buildings and seventeen high pressurized recharge wells that create freshwater pockets within saline aquifers.

(Neema Joshi is manager, Project Development at Sehgal Foundation)

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My own perception of financial literacy was almost a taken-forgranted one, as I always found it to be a quite intuitive and accessible at least as far as basic banking and insurance concepts were concerned. I used the word “was” to specifically point out how my perception completely changed when I was given the opportunity to be a part of the team of Project Samarth—a financial literacy camp in district Nuh, Haryana, as a volunteer for S M Sehgal Foundation. The camp was jointly set up in collaboration with Canara HSBC OBC Life Insurance Co. Ltd. to bridge the awareness gap on financial literacy in the district, leading to financial inclusion by broadcasting informative shows on community radio Alfaz-e-Mewat, an initiative of the foundation. The camp began at around 10:30 a.m. on an unusually warm winter morning. Quite opposite to my expectations, close to 400 people turned up only on the basis of hearing some radio announcements. Amazing!

Informative lectures, a street play on the importance of financial literacy, and special counters to help people initiate the accountopening process, were the important highlights of the camp. Although I was pleased to see the general enthusiasm among the people, specifically among the female and adult male strata, there were many who were completely disinterested in the process, suggesting a dire need for a change in awareness among the people.

Seeing many people struggling with the form, I decided to help with filling out the forms. Seeing a family of six, who had come fully prepared with their ID proofs, photocopies, and passport photographs, etc., to open their bank accounts wanting to seek help in filling the forms made me realize two things: first, there is the high illiteracy rate in the village, and second, there is a need to simplify the account-opening process through a joint effort by the banks and the government. While I was helping to fill out their forms, I asked a question that looked at first like an ordinary question on the form, but it led to a change in the facial expression and behavior of the head of the family as if he were greatly insulted. The question was regarding their annual income. As I listed out the options mentioned in the form namely: “less than Rs. 200,000 per annum,” “200,000–500,000 per annum,” etc., I was told that 200,000 was such a huge amount of money, and they had never seen such an amount in their life. Small and marginal farmers in rural India earn barely enough to serve the basic needs of the family, sometimes even less. This again made me realize the importance and value of money.

Without aggravating the matter further, and with a sense of guilt, I moved on to other questions. Another strange thing I noticed while going through the identity proofs was the birthdates on the Aadhaar cards. Every third person had 1^st Jan followed by the closest approximation of their birth years.

One response that made me particularly happy was their answer regarding their wives’ occupations, to which they proudly replied that their wives worked with them as equal partners and were not just confined to the work of the house.

My experience helping out at the camp made me introspective about a few things: first, contrary to my views about ignorance being the biggest barrier in the path toward financial literacy, I realized that the accessibility to the appropriate resources as well as proper guidance to use these resources plays an equally important role; second, the part played by the local community leaders in spreading awareness is crucial to the successful achievement of objectives in a social setting; and perhaps most important, a small step in the right direction can leave a big imprint of hope and prosperity in the minds of people.

(Daksh Kalra volunteered with the Communications team at S M Sehgal Foundation from December 20, 2017-January 5, 2018)

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Before Sehgal Foundation provided help to the government schools of Untka, the students did not have access to drinking water. The water that the schools had was contaminated and had high levels of salinity. Sehgal Foundation was able to provide the school with a high-pressure recharge well, which now provides faculty and students with safe drinking water. The high-pressure well receives the rainwater that is stored in a large water tank. The water in the tank is rainwater that has been harvested through pipes connected to the roof of the building that collect the water. Before the water enters the high-pressure recharge well, it goes through a pre-filter that cleans the water of larger objects that could have been caught in the pipes or roof, such as leaves or paper. The water then goes to the tank; however this tank is different in the sense that it has no bottom. What is very interesting about this high-pressure recharge well is that the water that stays below the ground actually does not mix with the existing saline groundwater. Once students or faculty use the water, it goes through a biosand filter before it runs out of the faucet. Faculty have stated that children no longer have as many health issues related to high levels of salinity and biological contamination in the water. Sehgal Foundation even painted educational images on around the walls and main hallways of the school. One of the images they painted was that of the water cycle. The painting is simple and makes it easy for children to learn about environmental facts at an early age—the painting is both in Hindi and English. On the main wall of the school there is a painting explaining the work behind the high-pressure recharge well. It explains the number of gallons of clean water it provides for the school and how much the tank can hold. Since its completion, the well has been very successful in providing clean water for the students year round. This opportunity was very insightful and I am very thankful to Sehgal Foundation for allowing us to see their projects.

The visit to the schools really put things into perspective for me. I was aware that several countries and even certain places in the US had water issues—and they still do—however I never truly realized how privileged I am to have water safe enough to drink or water that does not have high levels of salinity. Being able to see these children happy, simply because the water they could drink at school did not give them stomach issues anymore, was very joyful and pleasing. It is vital that more people become educated about these issues and devote more time to helping those in need have basic human rights, such as water and food. No human should have to worry about whether the water they are drinking is going to affect their health or maybe even lead to their death.

(This is the edited version of the blog by, Vanessa Lopez, an undergraduate student, School of Public and Environmental Affairs: Indiana University, who visited Sehgal Foundation projects in Nuh, Haryana during March 2017)

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