Theories of social change follow a regular course that has a definitive pattern. Ordinary social life is organized in cyclic changes that evolve over the day, week, or year. These short-term changes are necessary to maintain stability in society. However, radical changes follow a path that is noncyclical, nonlinear, and unpredictable. Education is a key parameter for social change and for sustainable rural development. To bring youth from underprivileged rural backgrounds into the mainstream, it is necessary to invest in education. The thrust in rural education requires anchoring quality and equity. The system and thought processes require a radical redesign to derive the intended benefits.

Rural Education in India: Quality and Equity

India is a diverse and large country broadly divided into two social sections: urban and rural. While the rural population of India represents 65% of the total population, it contributes 25–30% to the country’s GDP. To take this figure higher requires education and gainful employment. The human development agenda can only be realized if the primary issue, literacy in rural areas, is improved. The rural education system often lacks proper Infrastructure, investment, and improved teaching methodologies, and are furthered impeded by social inequalities, and other factors.

Although government investment is on the rise, the lack of higher-education opportunities results in socioeconomic stratification, giving rise to disparate access to quality education in the country, resulting in disparity in quality and equity.

Reimagining Rural Education in India

Article 21A of the Constitution of India envisions primary education as a fundamental right. A few initiatives that the Indian government has taken to improve education in rural India are as follows –

Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA), launched in 2001, aims to universalize elementary education in India by ensuring that all children in the ages 6–14 years receive free and compulsory education. It focuses on increasing enrollment and improving the quality of education in rural areas.

Mid-Day Meal Scheme, launched in 1995, provides free lunches to schoolchildren from economically and socially disadvantaged backgrounds. The scheme aims to improve enrollment and attendance in schools, especially in rural areas.

Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA), launched in 2009, aims to improve the quality of secondary education in rural areas by providing additional financial and technical support to states.

National Programme of Education for Girls at Elementary Level (NPEGEL), launched in 2008, aims to improve the enrollment and retention of girls in schools in rural areas by providing additional resources and support to schools and communities.

Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya (KGBV), launched in 2004, aims to provide quality education to girls from disadvantaged backgrounds by setting up residential schools for girls in difficult-to-reach rural areas. These schools provide free education, uniforms, books, and other materials to students.

According to Article 21A, primary education is a fundamental right. Reimagining and upgrading rural education in India to achieve the vision of accessibility, quality, and a level playing field is the need of the hour. Achieving this will be possible with:

Egalitarian education is the way forward to an inclusive India. Higher education and adequate employment opportunities in conjunction with primary education can work wonders for human development in rural India.

Transform Lives One School at a Time

S M Sehgal Foundation (Sehgal Foundation) is a rural development NGO in India that has been working since 1999 to improve the quality of life of rural communities in India. S M Sehgal Foundation is involved with identifying gaps and creating sustainable rural development in India. A primary program area is Transform Lives one school at a time, which provides rural schoolchildren access to drinking water, better sanitation facilities, a learning-conducive school environment, and digital and life skills awareness training. 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 school.

Lives Transformed: From Under the Trees to Smart Classrooms

With the objective to complement government efforts by transforming government schools in Bhandari in Sitamarhi district, Bihar, and provide a harmonious environment for learning, S M Sehgal Foundation in collaboration with PTC Foundation and Power Finance Corporation Limited, under their CSR initiative, implemented the Hamari Paathshaala initiative. As a result, two schools in Bhandari Panchayat have intact classrooms, safe drinking water, working toilets, solar-powered energy, and digital smart classrooms. The transformations undergone in Manchi and Bhandari schools were based on BaLA (Building as a Learning Aid) accreditation so that the classrooms, floors, walls, pillars, corridors, and outer spaces also act as added sources of learning. 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 the schools have an uninterrupted power supply at all times. Each classroom has necessary furniture such as desks, benches for students, teachers’ tables and chairs, a computer room, and others. The transformation of schools has been very beneficial for students and teachers. Students have a better place to learn. Enough classrooms, furniture, working toilets, and smart classes all help students to stay in school longer and make learning an easy and fun process. This endeavor to bridge the gap in education outcomes for rural India has led to leveling the gap.

The post Rural Education in India appeared first on S M Sehgal Foundation.

हाल ही में सामुदायिक रेडियो प्रशिक्षण कार्यक्रम में जाने के मौका मिला. बहुत कुछ सीखा और कईं बातें भूलने के मन भी किया. आखिर ऐसी कौन सी बातें हैं जिन्हें भूलने का मन किया? बात हो रही थी समानता और अधिकारों की और चर्चा हुई की किस तरह आज भी हमारे समाज में औरत का दर्जा पुरुष से नीचे है. हालाँकि यह बात कईं मायनों में बदल रही है, औरतें घर से बाहर निकल रही है, अपनी खुद की पहचान बना रही हैं पर क्या फिर भी क्या जो दिख रहा है वैसा ही हो रहा है? क्या हमारी सोच में कोई बदलाव आया? सारी बातें फिर सवाल बनकर सामने आ खड़ी हुई. रेडियो कार्यक्रम हो या हमारा दैनिक जीवन पित्रसत्तात्मक सोच हमारे दिलों दिमाग में इतनी धस चुकी है कि जाने अनजाने हम अपने कार्यों, ख्यालों और विचारों में इसी का प्रमाण देते हैं.

किसी भी ताकत वाले या सत्ता से जुड़े काम की बात आये तो सबसे पहली तस्वीर जो दिमाग में बनती है वह पुरुष की और जहाँ बात आए सहनशीलता और बेचारेपन की वहां एकाएक महिला आकर खड़ी हो जाती है. किसका बनाया हुआ है यह ढांचा, शायद चूक यह हुई की हमने कभी इसपर सवाल ही नहीं उठाया और साल दर साल, पीड़ी दर पीड़ी यही सोच आगे बढती गई. बड़ी ही तैयारी के साथ हमने इस सोच को सामाजिक नियमों, प्रथाओं, और सांस्कृतिक लोकाचार के रंगीले शब्दों से सजा दिया.

अगर हम किसी बदलाव की कल्पना करते हैं तो उसे सबसे पहले हमसे ही शुरू होना चाहिए. बचपन से बड़े होने तक हम इस लिंग आधारित भेदभाव को सुनते आए हैं और कब यह सुनी सुनाई बातें हमारी भी मानयता बन गयी पता ही नहीं चला, मानो दबे पाव हमारे ज़हन में घर कर लिया हो और हम कब इसे ही सच समझ बैठे पता ही नहीं चला. पर जब सीखने का मौका मिला और गहराई से चीज़ों को जाना तो पता चला की यह सब इस समाज के देन है, इसमें कुदरत का कोई हाथ नहीं. कुदरत ने तो भेद बनाया था पर हम सब उसे भेद भाव बना बैठे. खुद अपने अनुभव से कहूं तो इस भेदभाव पर सवाल उठाने का अब ज्यादा मन इसीलिए भी करता है क्यूंकि मैं एक दो साल की बच्ची की माँ हूँ. मैं नहीं चाहती की जिन मानयताओं के साथ मैं बड़ी हुई, उन्ही के साथ मेरी बेटी भी बड़ी हो. वो न ही अपनी सुरक्षा, अपने फैसले खुद ले सके, बल्कि हर सामाजिक भेदभाव पर सवाल उठाने में सक्षम हो क्यूंकि सवाल उठाने से ही संवाद शुरू होता है और आगे चलकर वही बदलाव की राह बनता है.

समाज हम सभी से है तो क्यूँ ना एक शुरुआत करके देखी जाए. उदहारण के लिए एक दम्पति का पहला लड़का हुआ और उन्होंने चाहा की वो अब और बच्चे नहीं चाहते, उनका यह निर्णय स्वीकार बनस्पत उनके जिनकी बेटी है. क्या एक बेटी के साथ परिवार पूरा नहीं? लड़के रोते नहीं या क्यूँ लड़कियों की तरह रो रहे हो, ऐसी बातें जो हम बचपन से सुनते हैं कहीं न कहीं हमारी सोच का हिस्सा बन जाती हैं और हम इंसानियत को पीछे छोड़ते हुए बस इस सोच के आगे नतमस्तक, इसी को सही ठहराने की कोशिश में कईं रिश्ते नातों को दाव पर लगा देते हैं.

एक न्यायिक समाज की रचना शुरू करने के लिए हम सब की भागीदारी की ज़रुरत है क्यूंकि बराबरी कभी तकलीफ नहीं लाती, लाती है तो सिर्फ सम्मान और सोहार्द. जैसे की कमला भसीन जी कहती हैं ताकत से मोहब्बत मत करो, मोहब्बत की ताकत को समझो. हम सब में जिस दिन प्यार की मर्दानगी आ गयी उस दिन राहें बहुत आसान हो जायेंगी.

The post सोच से समझौता नहीं सवाल करो appeared first on S M Sehgal Foundation.

The water problem in the villages close to Rajasthan’s Sariska forest emerged around a few decades back when villagers resorted to cutting of trees for livelihood. With this, what was once a dense forest gradually changed into a site for illegal mining. Besides destroying the natural beauty of the place, these activities also rendered the area water scarce with the water table dropping with each passing day.

Sehgal Foundation in collaboration with Coca Cola India Foundation is working in the area to improve the challenging environmental conditions by sensitizing people to conserve water and increase groundwater levels by installing water harvesting structures.

Villagers, including the members of Samra panchayat, came together for the cause. They gathered to organize Vriksh Raksha Yatra — a rally for creating awareness on protection and conservation of Mother Nature. The villagers took part in an awareness march from Hameerpur to Natata villages of Alwar, Rajasthan, during which they tied rakshasutra (safety band) on peepal (sacred fig) trees and took a pledge to save them. The group raised slogans to plant more trees and talked on the relationship between environment and mankind.

Chajuram, an active member of Village Development Committee, said, “If a community realizes what the problem is, it will take corrective measures. We need to plant more trees and impose a complete ban on cutting of trees. A penalty on cutting trees is also being considered, if someone goes beyond the ban.”

The post Villagers march to restore nature’s lost glory appeared first on S M Sehgal Foundation.