Guwahati: Shiksha Samvaad, the flagship platform under the Shikshagraha movement for education equity, has expanded into Northeast India for the first time, signalling a recalibration of how corporate social responsibility (CSR) funds are deployed in underrepresented regions. Held in Guwahati on April 25, the event targeted regions where systemic educational gaps persist despite high literacy rates.
Under HDFC Bank’s CSR program, Parivartan, Shiksha Samvaad’s Northeast rollout highlights a shift from traditional CSR approaches focused on metros to more decentralised, district-driven interventions.
“We are not creating parallel systems. We support what already exists — public schools, district plans, and the National Education Policy (NEP),” said Meraj Ahmed, Co-founder of NEAID, speaking to Business North East (BNE). "The interventions are identified based on district needs, and we mobilise funds accordingly in consultation with local stakeholders," he said.
Reworking CSR Strategy: Regional Risk, Local Partnerships
Since FY18, HDFC Bank has spent over Rs 1,100 crore under its Parivartan CSR umbrella, with education consistently accounting for nearly 35 per cent of its allocations. Though specific state-level numbers are undisclosed, analysts estimate a Northeast-specific engagement could translate to an annual spend of Rs 15–25 crore, depending on district readiness and absorption capacity.
HDFC Bank opted to sidestep formal government Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) in this region, exposing the initiative to delivery risks such as non-standardised Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and fragmented outcomes. However, this approach enables faster, context-driven interventions critical in politically sensitive and resource-constrained regions like Northeast India.
“This is not about disruption; it’s about augmentation,” emphasised Ahmed, who added, "We don't want to create systems outside government frameworks because that would not be sustainable or scalable."
District-Level Interventions: Need-Based, Nonlinear Approach
Unlike top-down CSR deployments, Shiksha Samvaad's model is structured around district-level identification of educational gaps, ranging from infrastructure deficits to teaching capacity gaps.
In Nagaland, where youth unemployment rates stand at 21.6 per cent, the highest in the country — the education-employment disconnect is stark.
“Nagaland faces a youth unemployment rate of 21.6 per cent, signalling a critical mismatch between education and employability,” said Kevisato D. Sanyu, Founder of NagaEd, speaking to BNE.
“We are now focusing on a holistic school model where education is not just about literacy but includes life skills, employment readiness, and community building," added Sanyu.
Key interventions under the current District Empowerment Program rollout in Mon, Peren, and Kiphire districts include:
According to Sanyu, despite high enrolment rates, dropout levels after Class 8 in Nagaland remain above 16 per cent per 2023 MHRD data. Only about 5 per cent of government school students transition into vocational tracks, reflecting poor Skill India convergence.
“This is not just an education intervention; it's a workforce development strategy for a region that is digitally cut off and economically fragile,” Sanyu added.
Technology Augmentation: Embedded, Not Standalone:
While technology integration is under consideration, Shiksha Samvaad deliberately avoids standalone edtech interventions that operate outside government structures.
“We are not building standalone systems. The idea is to embed tech interventions within the frameworks already established by government agencies,” said Ahmed.
Teacher training applications and digital tools are being evaluated for integration, but the model prioritises embedding them into existing government ecosystems rather than setting up separate digital infrastructures.
While this approach ensures policy alignment, it presents challenges around scalability in low-digitisation regions — a trade-off that HDFC Bank appears willing to accept in favour of building institutional trust.
Smart Schools Initiative: Resource Commitment in the Northeast:
Under its Parivartan Smart School initiative, HDFC Bank has transformed over 1,000 government schools and Anganwadi centres across Assam into upgraded learning spaces, reaching remote interior locations.
“Our smart schools are holistically upgraded with infrastructural support, new learning materials, health and hygiene standards, and capacity building,” said Vikash Kumar, Regional Head (North East & Central, CSR, HDFC Bank), during the interaction with BNE.
“For this initiative, the Bank allocated more than ₹7.86 crore over three years. Additionally, over 100 schools and centres have been upgraded across Meghalaya, Mizoram, Sikkim, Arunachal, Nagaland, and Tripura.”
Each district program under Shiksha Samvaad is expected to require an annual outlay of Rs 1.5–2 crore, aiming to impact over 5,000 students directly through interventions like library revamps, STEM lab establishment, WASH facility upgrades, and localised teacher training.
Operational Blueprint: Coalition over Centralisation:
The Northeast expansion relies heavily on regional partnerships with civil society organisations, including NHERD (Nagaland) and IFT (Tripura), operationally coordinated by Mantra4Change and supported financially by HDFC Bank.
“The broader vision of Shiksha Samvaad is to ensure quality education for one million public schools and over 250 million children in the country," said Santosh More, Co-founder of Mantra4Change. "But this will happen if only we converge Sarkar (Government), Samaj (Civil Society), Bazaar (Markets), and Sanchar (Media)."
Scaling Challenges and Future Outlook:
While early pilots in Meghalaya and Nagaland under Shiksha Samvaad show promise, the model’s long-term viability in Northeast India will depend on how effectively it balances operational agility with accountability.
Shiksha Samvaad’s decentralised, MoU-free model comes with inherent risks: governance challenges, uneven capacity across districts, and lack of standard KPIs for impact measurement. “We are not chasing metrics for the sake of it,” said More, who added, “But if we don’t build scalable tools to measure learning outcomes, ecosystem gaps, or teacher development, the momentum will stall.”
Whether other corporates will follow HDFC’s lead in adopting decentralised, high-partnership, low-MoU CSR models across Northeast India remains to be seen. The success or failure of Shiksha Samvaad's Northeast operations could set a precedent for future private-sector involvement in fragile regional education ecosystems.
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