My month-long internship at Mantra4Change was an immersion into the ecosystem of educational reform. From January 2 to January 30, 2026, I had the opportunity to work with the communications team, and the experience reshaped my understanding of how NGOs operate, interact, and drive impact in the education sector. One of the first things I…
We remember the route from home to school because we walk it every day. We remember a recipe because we’ve cooked it ourselves. Learning works the same way; when students do something on their own, it stays with them longer. During a conversation with a teacher at a government school in Dimapur, I learned that…
When the Right to Education (RTE) Act came into force in 2009, it was celebrated as a landmark step in India’s journey towards equity and justice– guaranteeing free and compulsory education to all children aged 6 to 14. In villages across Bihar, this has meant that most children now have a school building nearby and…
Nagaland, home to 17 major tribes and numerous sub-tribes, each with its distinct language, customs, and traditions, is also among the states consistently struggling with deep-rooted educational challenges and low learning outcomes. A large section of its population belongs to historically marginalised communities and Scheduled Tribes, making exclusion from quality education a generational hurdle. Beyond…
FROM ABANDONED TO ACCLAIMED: THE REMARKABLE JOURNEY OF AGETHUA SCHOOL(BLOCK- SOHAWAL, DISTRICT- AYODHAYA) The problem of low attendance and weak parental engagement Schools, however good, fail to fulfil their purpose if students don’t come. In Ayodhya, the Government Primary School of Agethua (Block Sohawal, District Ayodhya) was a stark reminder of this reality. By May…
“Foundational Literacy and Numeracy (FLN) is not just only the foundation of education but it is also the foundation of life. It has lifelong impact and by strengthening FLN, we strengthen the base from which we can expect further educational improvement.” —Mrs. Vibha Rani, Head of Department and State DIKSHA Coordinator, SCERT Bihar Importance of…
“Life is a race. If you don’t run fast, you will be like a broken undaa.”This infamous line, delivered by the character Viru Sahastrabuddhe, better known as Virus, in the 2009 Bollywood film 3 Idiots (directed by Rajkumar Hirani), portrays the relentless pressure of academic competition in India. Played brilliantly by Boman Irani, Virus is…
Introduction: The Often Overlooked Link In education reform conversations, the spotlight is often on two key areas of the system — policymakers who design ambitious reforms and teachers who bring learning to life inside classrooms. However, between these two extremes lies a powerful and often overlooked layer: the middle layer of educational leaders. These include…
From Chalkboards to Communities For too long, classrooms have been boxed into chalk-and-talk routines, rigid syllabi, and standardised exams. But across 80 schools in four tribal-dominated districts of Odisha, something different is taking shape. Classrooms are becoming kitchens, playgrounds, local markets, and storytelling corners. Students aren’t just studying lessons; they’re living them. From setting up…
The journey of a thousand miles begins with a small step. This adage might seem cloying, but it is definite and true to describe my journey with Mantra4change. The year was 2022. By then, I had completed 7 years of my stint in the Mahatma Jyotiba Phule BC Welfare Residential Schools Society. I was doing…