World’s Largest Census?

OneWorld South Asia just published a great piece by Bappa Majumdar on India’s preparation for one of the world’s biggest ever censuses. This once in ten-year exercise is an important national report card, especially to understand the impact that the growing economy has on the country’s population. The scale of the effort is somewhat mind-blowing:
Millions [...]

Media and Technology for Supplementary Education

Two stories display how there are possibilities for creativity in supplementing Indian education and providing more options for students. OneWorld South Asia reports on FM stations in Bihar that will set up shop in high schools:
The channels would host phone-in programmes featuring guest lectures, career counselling, and quizzes based on general and subject knowledge.
Another approach [...]

Mid-Day News Feed

Oneworld South Asia highlights that India’s strategy to combat Multi Drug Resistant TB (MDR-TB) might be failing to stop the spread of the disease. There are 2.2 million new cases of TB every year.
The CGAP Microfinance Technology Blog picked up a story from Business Standard on Andhra Pradesh government’s plan to provide rural pensions through [...]

Constructing educated children, fundraising event

In an unusual initiative, Pratham has begun a targeted effort to educate the children of construction workers in Pune. Pratham enlists the help of specially trained teachers that go to the construction sites themselves or even teach on the nearby crowded streets (From OneWorld South Asia).
Every day, between 3 to 7 pm, groups of children [...]

Condoms and Kabbadi

Building off of the momentum from a first campaign that reached 18 million men in Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka, a new effort — funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation — will use the game of kabbadi as its medium:
The campaign’s TV advert shows a kabaddi match in which [...]

Building Critical Links, One Rural Teacher at a Time

While India’s national economy booms, educational disparity between rural and urban areas remains a major issue of concern, specifically in terms of resources, infrastructure, and funding. Despite the Indian government’s attempts at ameliorating the problem through increased rural education funding and targeted programs such as the Mid-Day Meals Scheme, illiteracy levels in rural [...]