The Business Bytes
Jharsuguda, July 4, 2024 (TBB Bureau): Vedanta Aluminium, India’s largest producer of aluminium, has recently celebrated the successful completion of two years of its e-learning initiative, Vidyagraha. This initiative aims to enhance access to quality education for students in rural Odisha. In celebration of this milestone, the company recognized 17 headmasters from participating schools who achieved a 100 per cent passing rate in final and Class 10th Board examinations, acknowledging their exemplary contributions to the initiative’s success.
Building on its remarkable progress, Vedanta Aluminium has announced the launch of Phase 3 of Vidyagraha, which aims to extend its reach to several more schools in the Jharsuguda district. The celebration was attended by notable guests, including Prabeer Kumar Naik, Project Director of the District Rural Development Agency; Radhakanta Gartia, District Education Officer of Jharsuguda; and Sushanta Kumar Ghuta, Assistant District Education Officer.
Since its inception in 2022, Vidyagraha has benefited over 1,000 students in the remote areas of Jharsuguda. Implemented in collaboration with the Sarthak Sustainable Development Foundation, this initiative uses technological solutions to bridge gaps in rural access to quality education. This includes recorded lectures and online career counselling for students in Classes 8th to 10th.
The program offers digital learning resources via a web-based platform. In addition, employee volunteers from Vedanta Aluminium regularly record lectures and conduct in-person doubt-clearance sessions for students in participating schools and villages. The program also tracks and maps students’ performance through the web-based portal, identifying areas for improvement and taking appropriate action.
In Phase 3, the program will be accessible to students via school computers, ensuring broader access to educational resources and covering all 106 schools in the Jharsuguda district. Currently, Vidyagraha is successfully implemented in government schools across Shiripura, Badmal, Siriapali, Purna, and Kurebaga in the district.
The Vidyagraha initiative has marked several key achievements since its inception, significantly impacting the educational landscape. A cornerstone of the initiative is the Vidyagraha app, which has provided seamless access to educational resources for over 1,000 students. This digital platform hosts an extensive collection of content, including more than 200 lessons on Mathematics, Science, and English. Beyond digital resources, the initiative has conducted over 850 remedial classes in collaboration with government schools, including 130 community sessions, thereby expanding its reach and impact beyond traditional school settings.
Parental engagement and outreach have also been pivotal, with comprehensive efforts including 2,000 door-to-door visits and over 2,000 phone calls to parents, ensuring their active involvement in their children’s education. The initiative has also focused on student support and dropout prevention, offering counselling services to school dropouts and irregular students, thus encouraging regular attendance and continuity in education.
Moreover, the initiative has benefited from the contributions of more than 120 employee volunteers from Vedanta Aluminium. These volunteers have actively participated in project activities, enriching students’ learning experiences and creating a supportive learning environment.
Speaking on the occasion, Sunil Gupta, COO of Vedanta Aluminium and CEO of Vedanta Jharsuguda, stated, “Vidyagraha was launched to empower students through quality education, helping them reach their full potential. As we move into the project’s third phase, Vedanta Aluminium reaffirms its dedication to providing rural students with an equitable start in life. It is heartening to witness such initiatives driving a notable increase in literacy rates in Jharsuguda. Our educational efforts aim to ensure that students from rural areas have improved access to quality primary education, which is essential for building a bright future.”
Commending the initiative, Prabeer Kumar Naik, Project Director of the District Rural Development Agency, remarked, “I sincerely thank Vedanta Jharsuguda for pioneering this outstanding learning platform. This project sets a benchmark for future initiatives aimed at transforming education and ensuring a brighter future for students in the region.”
