Changing Lives Through Education

In 2005, Ravi (name changed), was walking down the vegetable wholesale market in Nellore, helping his father - a farmer sell his produce. When one of the newspapers he was using to wrap his sales – caught his eye. “IIT placement results,” it said. With salaries mentioned that Ravi had not even imagined possible.

Ravi did not use that sheet for sales. Instead of taking it home, ironing out the crinkles – and trying to understand the magic word – IIT. Till now, Ravi had only used the STD/ISD booth near his home for calling his friends and uncles. But this time he used it to call a different number. And he arrived at the Narayana Junior College in Nellore. This year – Ravi’s father Venkata gets his passport made, as Ravi gets ready to show him San Fransisco – as a Google employee!

Education changes lives. More than gold, real estate or inherited wealth. It changes the individual, and it changes the nation.

The Journey at Narayana: At the Narayana Group, we have been changing lives since 1979, when the founder Dr Ponguru Narayana realised the power of education to bring families out of poverty and give them new hope and opportunities.

An organization like the Narayana Group does not just impact the individual and the family. It is a game changer for the nation. Over 500 Narayana students enter the IITs every year – and thousands go on to do engineering in other top engineering colleges. And with that, they impact technology, innovation and scientific temper of the nation.

“The best way to predict the future is to create it!”, is a guiding thought at the Narayana Group. At the Atal Tinkering Labs, for instance, are dedicated works spaces where students (Class 6th to Class 12th) learn innovation skills and develop ideas that will go on to transform India. The labs are powered to acquaint students with state-of-the-art equipment such as 3D printers, robotics & electronics development tools, IoT & sensors etc.

Among other technologies, the Narayana Group is pioneering the first and the largest implementation of augmented reality in schools, probably the largest implementation in the world. “Grey-sky” problem-solving skills of Narayana students are also being recognized around the world. The Narayana Group retained the Number 1 position in the NASA space settlement contest, which is a global contest to get innovative thinking to solve problems.

Being a student in India, and preparing for some of the toughest competitive exams in the world can be stressful. The Narayana Group realised the challenge the young have to handle and pioneered India’s largest mental health management program for students, DISHA – where psychologists help young minds manage the challenges to the mind, and deal with stresses. Realising that this could help stressed youth across India – and schools may not be able to create the infrastructure – Narayana Group has now opened the helpline to ALL students.  Of ALL schools. Changing and saving lives across the country.

What do future engineers and doctors like Neha’s and the Rajus of the world need? Better education, infrastructure and quality for sure. But also ethics, good behaviour, logical thinking and being a strong citizen of the country. For that education sector needs to develop a holistic perspective of the mind, body and spirit of the young individual.

Puneet Kothapa

Guest Author Puneet Kothapa is the Executive Director at The Narayana Group.