Shiksha Samvaad Ignites National Momentum for Improving India’s Public Education System

Mumbai, India: Shikshagraha, a people’s movement dedicated to enhancing the quality of education in India’s public schools, took centre stage at Shiksha Samvaad – a collective dialogue on education equity, hosted by Shibulal Family Philanthropic Initiatives. This gathering in Mumbai brought together civil society, philanthropists, industry, education leaders, and community advocates for a groundbreaking dialogue to accelerate improvements in India’s public education system, which impacts more than 140 million students across the country. Shikshagraha is being supported by Axis Bank, L&T Technology Services, Caring Friends, Rotary Club of Queen’s Necklace Mumbai, and Amazon Web Services.

“Shikshagraha is not just a movement; it’s a blueprint for systemic transformation in India’s public education. We are at a pivotal moment where the collective will of stakeholders—across Sarkaar, Samaaj, Bazaar, and Sanchaar sectors—can redefine the future of 140 million children. As a movement, Shikshagraha will focus on tailored problem-solving based on contextual knowledge and proven solutions towards continuous school improvement. Ultimately, the movement will centre on restoring individual and community agency, to tear down barriers and build an education system that equips every child with the tools to thrive in a rapidly changing world,” SD Shibulal, Former CEO and Co-founder of Infosys and Permanent Trustee of Shibulal Family Philanthropic Initiatives.

With the goal of improving all 1 million public schools in India by 2030, Shikshagraha unites all stakeholders—government bodies, educators, civil society, industry, media and communities—into a powerful coalition for educational equity. It addresses the chronic challenges faced by public school systems across the country. It aims to create an ecosystem where every child, regardless of their background, gender and abilities, receives quality education and the opportunity to fulfil their potential.

At Shiksha Samvaad, the audience engaged in dynamic conversations around reshaping public education. A fireside chat between SD Shibulal and Apurva Purohit, Co-founder of Aazol and Independent Director at LTIMindtree, highlighted the path forward for systemic change. Additionally, Soumitra Pandey, Co-founder and Partner at India Impact Sherpas moderated a discussion with Dr. Santhosh Mathew from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Advisor- ShikshaLokam and Ms. Urmila Kumari, Co-founder of Jyoti Mahila Samakhya, Muzaffarpur, Bihar. The session explored establishing and upholding the principles of the movement, addressing conflicts, and ensuring all participants embodied these values. It also provided practical insights into translating these principles into effective on-ground actions.

The event also introduced the Shikshagraha Leadership Award, which honours key contributors to the education ecosystem— school leaders, youth leaders and community leaders. Nominations for the awards are now open and the winners will be announced at InvokED 4.0, an annual global education leadership event scheduled in Bengaluru on March 7-8, 2025.

The movement has brought together over 30+ partners who are working towards enabling improvements in over 10,000 schools across 27 districts in 12 states. “Shikshagraha is about redefining what’s possible when every stakeholder—government, civil society, industry, and communities—comes together with a shared purpose. This is not a challenge any single organisation or institution can tackle alone. The future of millions of children rests on our ability to collaborate and innovate. If we want to see real, sustainable change, we must treat this movement as critical to India’s long-term growth because the strength of our education system will ultimately define the strength of our nation,” Khushboo Awasthi, Co-founder and COO – ShikshaLokam, a Co-builder of Shikshagraha.

With over 50% of children enrolled in public schools, there is a growing consensus that improving infrastructure, teaching quality, and learning outcomes is critical for the country’s socio-economic growth. Shikshagraha, the movement, aligns with the government’s vision, as highlighted in the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.

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