CSR News: Nihar Shanti Pathshala Funwala celebrates International Education Day; empowering 1.76 lakh teachers through innovative digital learning solutions and benefiting 15 lakh+ students
Student learning through NSPF’s specially curated workbooks
On the occasion of International Education Day, Marico Limited, one of India’s leading FMCG companies, celebrates the significant strides made in empowering teachers and students nationwide through its flagship initiative – Nihar Shanti Pathshala Funwala (NSPF). Recognizing the challenges faced by teachers in underserved regions, the program focuses on upskilling and empowering them with targeted training and innovative teaching resources.
Taking a step further, NSPF has harnessed technology to bridge the gap between educators and quality learning materials, ensuring accessibility even in the most remote areas. In the last year, more than 1.76 lakh teachers were trained through NSPF’s Literacy Program in their classrooms, benefitting over 15 lakh studentsacross four states – Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, and Rajasthan.
As part of its mission, NSPF has made remarkable strides to enhancing education across government schools through dedicated teacher engagement and support.
Madhya Pradesh has seen the highest participation of government teachers and students in the program. The education program’s content has also been broadcasted on the state’s national channel, DD-MP, reaching a wider audience.
In Chhattisgarh, the program has initiated collaboration with the state to improve the business language proficiency level of Diploma In Elementary Education (D.El.Ed) students and pre-service teachers by introducing the language proficiency program into their curriculum.
In Jharkhand, NSPF has established a strong presence, working with the state government to implement the education program in schools across the state. NSPF content was uploaded to the Government Diksha portal for online learning, which is a Government of India initiative.
In Alwar, Rajasthan NSPF has launched the Teacher Entrepreneur program to empower rural women by certifying them in business language proficiency and enabling them to start tuition centres and support teachers through part-time roles. In addition to this, NSPF’s three-layered program monitoring structure—comprising support via calls, online classroom visits, and offline visits—has further enhanced its effectiveness.
Further, leveraging WhatsApp Enterprise-based learning solutions, NSPF delivers structured messages, personalized updates, and content distribution at scale. In FY24 alone, over 25 million high-speed messages (HSMs) were sent to teachers, with 90% being utility messages. In addition to this, NSPF has also launched aSaturday Story Session, a weekly YouTube program that enhances students’ reading, listening, and comprehension skills that has garnered over 5.8 lakh views and 36,000 subscribers.
Further, the program enables online classroom visits to ensure real-time solutions to challenges faced by teachers, improving classroom outcomes. With over 1,75,000 lakh trained teachers in FY24, the program has transformed the foundational learning, and numeracy in regional government schools.
Speaking about the flagship initiative, and marking the occasion of International Education Day, Mr. Amit Bhasin, Chief Legal Officer, Group General Counsel, and Secretary of the CSR Committee, Marico Limited, “Through our flagship CSR initiative, Nihar Shanti Pathshala Funwala, we are dedicated to uplifting underserved communities. By improving the skills of government school teachers, we strive to enhance the educational experiences and opening doors to a more promising future.
By embracing digital solutions, we are bridging gaps in education and reaching students and teachers in even the most remote areas. Through targeted training, technological tools, and grassroots initiatives like the Teacher Entrepreneur Program, NSPF continues to shape a brighter future for both educators and students in underserved communities.”
NSPF is currently active in 50 districts (from Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, and Rajasthan) identified by the Government of India in its Aspirational Districts Programme (ADP), for improving the living standards in under-developed districts. NSPF is set to expand its footprint and is dedicated to creating a brighter future for teachers and students across India. Through innovative digital learning solutions, NSPF is poised to make a lasting impact on the education sector in India. The program aims to continue its collaboration with state governments, educators, and stakeholders to drive systemic change and promote educational excellence.
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