Creating awareness about the transformative power of education has always been at the heart of Nalanda Academy’s work. Inspired by the message of Savitribai Phule — “Go, Get Education” — the Academy regularly reaches out to students through awareness and guidance workshops, especially in rural and underserved areas.
In 2022, Nalanda’s outreach programme reached more than 10,000 students from diverse backgrounds across the country.
These sessions are designed for students who often do not have access to proper guidance — students for whom a single conversation can open an entirely new world.
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Reaching Across States
Along with Maharashtra, the team conducted workshops in Arunachal Pradesh, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, and Rajasthan — travelling to communities that rarely receive this kind of direct engagement.
In total, the team held more than 150 workshops during the year, covering a wide range of topics: higher education pathways, career guidance, scholarship opportunities, and the importance of staying in school.
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What Happens in These Sessions
Each session is interactive and grounded in the realities students face. The team does not arrive with a fixed script — they listen first, then respond to what students actually want to know.
Topics covered include: how to prepare for competitive exams, what options exist after Class 10 and 12, how to access scholarships, and what higher education looks like in India and abroad.
Many students attend these sessions having never spoken to anyone who has been to university. That alone makes a difference.
When students see that people from similar backgrounds have made it — it shifts something. They begin to believe it is possible for them too.
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Built on the Shoulders of Volunteers
This work would not be possible without Nalanda’s growing network of alumni, mentors, and volunteers — many of whom were once the students sitting in these very sessions.
They give their time, their knowledge, and their stories. And in doing so, they carry Savitribai’s message forward — not as a slogan, but as a lived practice.
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Looking Ahead
The 2022 outreach was one of Nalanda’s most expansive yet. But the need is far greater than what any one year can address.
Every village that hasn’t been reached is a reminder of how much more there is to do. Nalanda Academy remains committed to growing this work — widening the circle, one session at a time.
