New Delhi, Oct 31 — Looking to strengthen collaboration between the government and corporate organisations, the Union Education Ministry on Saturday organised the National Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Meet for School Education through Vidyanjali – a school volunteer programme, in Gurugram, Haryana.
Additional Secretary, DoSEL, Archana Sharma Awasthi, Economic Advisor, DoSEL, A. Srija and other senior officials of the Ministry were present on the occasion, said an official statement.
The meet, organised by the Department of School Education & Literacy (DoSEL), aimed to enhance coordination between the Centre, corporate, States/UTs and implementing agencies to leverage CSR for transforming school education, said the statement.
An important component of the meet was the CSR-State Interaction, which brought together representatives from corporate organisations, State Nodal Officers, DoSEL, the Programme Management Unit (PMU) and the National Informatics Centre (NIC).
The interaction provided an opportunity to explore avenues for collaboration, facilitate networking between CSR organisations and States and discuss potential projects for supporting schools based on their identified requirements, the statement said.
Representatives from States and Union Territories showcased their experiences and initiatives under Vidyanjali.
Presentations were made by Andhra Pradesh on the implementation of Vidyanjali, Karnataka on the adoption of schools, Mizoram on the role of community participation, and Delhi on innovations and related activities under the programme, said the statement.
Implementing agencies, including ChildFund India, SARD India, Inspiring Seniors Foundation and ETI Foundation, also shared their experiences and perspectives on facilitating CSR engagement and supporting school development through Vidyanjali, it said.
The technical sessions featured representatives from leading corporate organisations, including the State Bank of India (SBI) and Bharti Airtel, who shared their experiences and initiatives undertaken towards supporting school education. Their presentations highlighted the role of corporate participation in strengthening school resources and creating opportunities for improved learning environments.
Vidyanjali is an initiative of DoSEL aimed at strengthening government and government-aided schools through structured community and private sector participation.
It provides a digital platform connecting schools with volunteers, organisations and CSR partners to facilitate contributions in the form of services, activities and assets.
Its CSR framework includes the CSR Module and Adopt-a-School Module, enabling organisations to support school requirements and contribute towards school development, the statement said.