Najir Manjaliya, a Std 10 student of Adani Vidya Mandir Bhadreshwar (AVMB) in Kutch (Gujarat), embodies the spirit of resilience and hard work. Coming from a modest background, where his father works as a fisherman, Najir hoped to create a brighter future for himself and his family. His life took a transformative turn when he joined AVMB in Std 9 hoping the move would help him rewrite his destiny. Demonstrating remarkable dedication towards his studies, coupled with the unwavering support of his teachers, Najir soon began to excel academically as well as in co-curricular activities. His hard work bore fruit when he topped the SSC Board Examination this year, scoring 98.4%. “AVMB has shaped my future. I am deeply thankful to all my teachers for believing in me,” he says.

Like Najir, all his batchmates have successfully cleared the SSC exams this year. However, their achievements are beyond personal; their accomplishments are a matter of pride for their school as well as for the Adani Foundation, which is committed to providing value-driven quality education to children at the grassroots level, particularly those belonging to underserved sections and first-generation learners.

Through its network of 41 schools, including 4 free Adani Vidya Mandir schools, 35 Adani Schools and 2 project schools, the Foundation is reaching out to over 31, 000 students across India, enabling them to create a brighter and more inclusive future for themselves.

Besides providing holistic education through its schools, the Foundation is also addressing critical gaps and challenges, which students often face in rural and backward areas. These gaps are addressed by the Foundation’s Utthan program, which aims to enhance the learning outcomes of students in government schools by enhancing the quality of education, mainstreaming progressive learners or ‘priya vidyarthis’ and creating an enabling learning environment. The program is implemented by a cadre of empowered educators called Utthan Sahayaks, who focus on strengthening foundational literacy and numeracy. As part of Utthan, Adani Evening Education Centres (AEECs) provide remedial classes to deserving high school students to improve their board exam results, whereas Adani Competitive Coaching Centres (ACCCs) prepare students for various scholarships and competitive exams.

The story of Harsh Bharti, aged 10, highlights the transformative power of this initiative. Harsh comes from a very humble family and resides in Godda, Jharkhand, with his father – who runs a small grocery shop – his homemaker mother, and a younger brother. The modest annual household income of his family of nearly INR 1.5 lakh was making it challenging for Harsh to continue his studies. He aspired to study in Jawahar Navoday Vidyalaya (JNV) but was looking for direction to pursue his dream.

Recognising his potential, ACCC supported Harsh in his journey to prepare for the JNV entrance examination. Through his relentless dedication, Harsh aced the examination, securing an admission into the prestigious school. Like Harsh, 15 other remarkable students – belonging to underserved communities from Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, and Jharkhand and who studied at ACCC – cleared the JNV entrance exam this year. They are all set to receive free of cost education and boarding facilities from classes 6-12, thus easing the financial burden off their families.

The Foundation is also dedicated to addressing issues that make it challenging for girls in rural and remote regions to continue their education. These include unavailability or lack of adequate infrastructure, high dropout rates, shortage of trained teachers, limited access to technology as well as various social and cultural barriers. Recently, the Foundation carried out massive infrastructure upgrade in government-run Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya (KGBV) in Godda. In nine KGBV schools, it has installed and renovated facilities like water coolers, girls’ washrooms, dining areas and kitchens. Over 4,000 tribal girls of the region have benefitted from this upgrade, which has significantly enhanced the pass percentage of the schools. It has not just facilitated quality education for them but is also addressing dropout rates and promoting gender equality.

In the coastal belt of Thangal Perumbulam panchayat in Minjur block of Tiruvallur (Tamil Nadu) lives Saranya, a student at Government Higher Secondary School, Kattur. She belongs to the primitive Irulas community where girls are married off at an early age, with most of them having no option but to dropout from school. After her father’s untimely death, her mother became the sole breadwinner for their family. However, she was adamant to provide the best education to her daughter despite her limited means. Saranya, too, was determined to overcome all challenges and fulfil her dream of becoming an IT engineer. However, she faced challenges at every step along the way - lack of proper roads and the distance from her home to school made it extremely tough for her to study, but didn’t deter her commitment.

She found unwavering support from the AEEC, which played a pivotal role in her journey. Through her hard work and AEEC’s guidance, she became the first girl from her village to complete Std 12, setting an example for countless other girls of her community.

The stories of Najir, Harsh and Saranya are a testament to how focused effort, right guidance and institutional support can turn dreams into reality. The Adani Foundation firmly believes that education is a powerful catalyst for change, a source of empowerment, and a driver of social progress. By empowering students with quality education, the Foundation is helping them unlock their innate potential, thereby fostering a sense of self-growth and ambition.

(With inputs from Dr Asutosh Thakar, Rohit Bharti and Jesuraj R.)