Education Is An Integral Tool For A Promising Future

It was aptly said by Plutarch, "The mind is not a vessel to be filled but a fire to be ignited."

Every child must have access to quality education as it is a powerful instrument to help children develop essential skills and go on to make informed decisions. An educated individual is more capable of navigating through hard times and contributing to the development of society in comparison to an individual who never received formal education.

Modern education in India can help children reach their full potential and become financially independent. But the reality is that approximately 8.4 million children in the 5–17 age group do not go to school (source: 2011 Census). Education is essential to achieving social justice and ending poverty, which is much needed in today’s era, but the fact that so many children are still not receiving an education is alarming. Education is continued to be seen more as a luxury than a need. This attitude has left innumerable children in the shackles of generational illiteracy, which has long-lasting ripple effects.

An estimated 46.24 million children never went to school in 2016 (DISE 2016–17 and RGI Census Population Projection 2016). This is also one of the main reasons behind social evils like child labor and child marriage. Several children are roped into child labor, which harms their mental, physical, and psychological well-being. Child marriage also hinders their growth, especially in the case of young girls, and often leads to early motherhood and undernourished infants. Practices like child labor and child marriage have crippling effects on the development of children, leaving them stunted, malnourished, and illiterate. It is time to utilize education for the empowerment of all generations.

Education helps promote gender equality and create a society that is more driven and mindful. VidyaGyan, a residential academy, aims to drive transformation in the country by investing in the youth and catalyzing them into future leaders. VidyaGyan focuses on youth empowerment in India by identifying and encouraging promising students from 75 districts in Uttar Pradesh, India’s most populous state.

Established in 2009 by the Shiv Nadar Foundation, VidyaGyan follows a meticulously crafted leadership curriculum that allows students to explore their full potential and soon become high achievers who are on par with their urban counterparts.

Ankit Adhikari works for VidyaGyan, India’s first rural leadership academy for meritorious students from the state of Uttar Pradesh.