After working in the Govt. of India for more than 25 years in various capacities both within India and abroad, I availed of VRS last year to work in the social space. I am now a part of the Sarojini Damodaran Foundation (SDF)’s Vidyadhan Program that endeavours to support students from economically disadvantaged families. As days went by, working with Vidyadhan turned into an immensely rewarding and enriching experience and the anxieties of entering a new field subsided. The most memorable part of this journey has been interacting with hardworking, aspiring students coming from families facing financial hardship. It has been an invaluable learning experience travelling across the country from Northern Karnataka to Gujarat to Odisha talking to these students with stars in their eyes. Their commitment to put in sustained effort and excel in their field of study is inspiring. These meetings also evoke a sense of pride as each one of these youth aspires, in equal measure, to serve the nation and society. Would like to share a striking fact noticed in the course of these interactions. In response to the question about role model(s), the name of former President and scientist Dr A. P. J. Abdul Kalam features right at the top in the minds of our youth, besides of course their parents, who have stood by them and supported them despite facing financial difficulties.

We are now engaged in enhancing Vidyadhan’s coverage from the current 10 states to the entire country by forging new partnerships with individuals and corporate entities. And, towards this objective, Vidyadhan started (Bangalore, July 4) an initiative with the message – “Each One, Teach One”, in the presence of the inspirational educationist and innovator from Ladakh Mr. Sonam Wangchuk. With like-minded partners in the government (MHRD, state governments), the corporate world and individuals, the Vidyadhan program, based on a transparent digital platform, looks to create new landmarks in the education space.  

The initiatives taken by Mr Shibulal and Kumari Shibulal recently featured on CNBCTV18 under The Changemakers, a part of CNBC’s Business News. A short film on the Vidyadhan program is also available.