First Virtual SDG Choupal Meet Over Availability Of Quality Education To Students
Achieving inclusive and quality education for all reaffirms the belief that education is one of the most powerful and proven vehicles for sustainable development. In order to discuss the importance of digital learning to ensure the continued education of children Think tanks, NGOs, corporates came together at the first virtual SDG (Sustainable Development Goals) Choupal. The event was hosted by Literacy India, a non-profit organization, to empower underprivileged children and women by making them self-sufficient, while CII’s India @75 and Dainik Bhaskar focussed on SDG 4 that encourages nations to ‘Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote life-long learning opportunities for all’.
The event was followed by the launch of TOKO – an android application to improve children’s literacy that aims at improving the health of the community and the educational outcomes of children. The app, developed by students of Literacy India school, also promotes children’s creative idea for the betterment of society. The app was launched earlier and was lauded by renowned cricketer Kapil Dev. During the virtual event of the launch, Kapil Dev said, “Knowledge is everything and it gives you the strength and courage to grow. I want to say to our children that if you have knowledge then you will never get defeated, those who have knowledge always perform better than others.”
The Sustainable Development Goals are the blueprint to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all. They address the global challenges we face, including those related to poverty, inequality, climate change, environmental degradation, peace and justice. The 17 Goals are all interconnected, and in order to leave no one behind, it is important that we achieve them all by 2030. SDG Choupal is a 10-year National Multi-Stakeholder initiative until 2030 lead by Nagrik Foundation with support from Niti Aayog, India@75, Ministry of Social Justice, TERI, WHO, UN-Habitat, MSME, NSIC, The Commonwealth, UNESCAP, GCNI, Caparo Group, RIS, ONGC and Literacy India. It is dedicated to supporting the UN system, national and state governments and institutions on advocacy and community engagement for SDG implementation in India. The mission of SDG Choupal is to reach out to all 730 plus Districts, 6 lakhs plus villages, empowering communities and enabling localisation of SDGs.
The chief guest of the event Mr Deepak Dwivedi – Chairman of the Board and Editor-in-Chief of Dainik Bhaskar, member of CII Task Force, member of the Governing Council UN Global Compact Network India and Convenor of SDG Choupal 2030 said “No one size fits all. Therefore, the deliberations and decisions regarding the continued education of children, especially from the underserved sections of society cannot be taken unilaterally. We must ensure our voices reach the last child in the last district of this vast country and their voice is heard in turn, as we formulate ways and means to ensure that no child is left behind in this pursuit of lifelong learning. This is critical to ensure a strong foundation for a resilient India.”
The panel moderated by Sukanya Ghosh, communication consultant for non-profits and social enterprises witnessed the participation of of Amit Gupta, Associate Director with Oxford University Press India, Sonali Dutta, Vice President, Corporate Affairs Bry -Air (Asia) Pvt. Ltd.; Vikhyat Singh, Senior Director and Gurgaon Site Leader, Dell and Ajit Nema, Managing Director, Deloitte.
The panellists asserted that education is the only way to induce phenomenal positive changes in society. It boosts physical and mental health, economic growth and improves people’s standard of living by opening the doors of new opportunities for better livelihoods. This leads to self-reliance and reduces societal inequalities.
Capt. Indraani Singh, Founder Literacy India shared her views and said, “The COVID-19 pandemic has kept over 9 million students in India away from school and colleges. While online classes are now restoring the vital education process, a large number of marginal students cannot be part of this e-learning journey and may drop out of the education system completely.” She further stated that this will result in the negative repercussions on the social, economic development of the country and corporates, NGOs, the government and individuals must come together with pragmatic solutions, the right policy, technology and financial interventions to ensure that no child gets left behind in this journey of quality education and learning.
About India@75
India@75 is a path-breaking initiative of the Confederation of Indian Industries (CII). It envisions how India should be in her 75th year of independence and seeks to bring together all stakeholders including the industry, government, institutions, community groups and individuals to translate the vision into a reality. It is working towards realizing the vision of India which is inclusive, sustainable and developed by 2022 and beyond. India@75’s National Volunteering Grid Portal (NVG) https://www.nvgindia.org/ is a convergence platform for all stakeholders in the volunteering space to create awareness towards volunteerism in India.
About Literacy India
Literacy India, a non-governmental organisation has impacted over 6,50,000 lives across 13 states in India led by their three-pronged development approach – Education, Employability and Empowerment. To know more log on to www.literacyindia.org