Promoting inclusiveness in education: A helping hand for talented students in difficult conditions

By Bharat Dogra

Many talented children with a strong enthusiasm for learning are unable to continue their education due to the economic hardships faced by their families. Others somehow manage to stay in school, but their performance is seriously affected by these financial constraints.

A thoughtful and compassionate initiative — the Udayan Shalini Fellowship Program (USFP) — has, for several years, been supporting thousands of such talented girl students across 38 locations in India. This program is run by Udayan Care, a Delhi-based voluntary organization. A recent review of the Udaipur chapter, based on conversations with closely involved volunteers and the local coordinator, highlighted several heartwarming achievements of the initiative — made possible by the dedication of mentors and volunteers over a relatively short period.

Udayan Care provides a monthly scholarship to carefully selected girl students from government schools, beginning in class eleven. Selection is based on two primary criteria: First, the student must demonstrate sincerity and academic diligence, reflected in her performance so far. Second, she must come from a disadvantaged social or economic background that poses a serious barrier to continuing education or achieving strong academic results.

The local coordinator, Chandani Mali, visits several government schools to raise awareness about the program and encourage girls to apply. Volunteers — many with a background in education — assist in the selection process, which includes a written test, interviews, and home visits. These visits help volunteers build rapport with the families and reinforce the value of continuing the girls’ education. They also help identify those most genuinely in need of support.

Most of the selected students belong to SC/ST/OBC or minority communities, though the program also includes students from general-category households facing extreme hardship, such as the loss of a primary breadwinner.

Selected students receive a scholarship of ₹1,000 per month in classes eleven and twelve. The amount increases modestly during the post-school years, with additional provisions for special needs, such as those arising from professional courses. Support typically continues for five years, with the goal of equipping the student with the qualifications and skills needed for gainful employment by the time the support ends.

Volunteers also serve as mentors, guiding students in areas such as career planning, course selection, and job readiness. In many cases, this mentorship proves even more valuable than the financial support. Veenu Gupta, former Additional Chief Secretary of Rajasthan, who oversees the state’s USFP chapters, remarks, “There are many scholarship schemes, but what makes this one special is the strong mentoring effort, which has proved very useful for the girls.”

A core committee of volunteers in Udaipur works actively with mentors to help students improve communication and public-speaking skills. Particular attention is given to those who need help in English.

While the program follows a consistent structure across all locations, the relatively new Udaipur chapter has made notable contributions, including organizing a special summer educational and skill-building program and raising local funds to support additional students.

Conversations with volunteers, core team members, and the coordinator revealed great satisfaction with the progress made by several students who are pursuing their education under extremely difficult conditions. Zuleikha Khatun has excelled in extracurricular activities and public speaking, displaying strong leadership potential. Deepti Rajput scored 96% in her Class 12 board exams. Gauri Luhar is preparing for the NEET exam after taking a brief break. Nazneem Banu, from a poor artisan family, has shown remarkable improvement in English and overall academic performance, scoring 92% in the humanities stream.

Veenu Gupta adds, “Some of the girl students supported through the Jaipur center are now studying medicine, engineering, and chartered accountancy.” While the outcomes have been encouraging, some core team members suggest that the scholarship amount should be revised upward to account for inflation. They also recommend flexibility in academic criteria — allowing for the inclusion of students who may not have scored high marks but are highly promising and committed, as verified by their teachers.

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The writer is Honorary Convener, Campaign to Save Earth Now. His recent books include A Day in 2071, Saving Earth for Children, Man over Machine, Planet in Peril

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