Did you know that there is an institution lurking in the educational hub of our country which gives out free Education? There is absolutely no hidden cost in the form of admission, tuition and extra charges . Hard to believe this, right? You may turn dubious and may even blurt out- “It can never be true. This new must be deceptive”, but this is a fact. You can use your spare time to log in to www.puraskaar.org and check out for yourself. Puraskaar is an NGO established in 2021 with a single motive of delivering the needy with free Education because knowledge is quite expensive these days. Every class you attend, every webinar you attend, and every relevant information you process has its price. This can cause a hindrance in the path of many learners who dream big but cannot even take a small leap due to their inability to afford quality education. Puraskaar aims to remove their hurdles by providing free online classes to such students and other eager learners.It was 2021 and India faced its low in the educational sector where thousands of students faced hardships while studying; not because they did not have access to books and institutions but because their caregivers lost their jobs, their close ones got sick and some even lost their lives. They were financially deprived. Added to this, their localities witnessed massive shutdown and lockdown cases. Coronavirus certainly made their lives chaotic and problematic.
Keeping this scenario in mind, five people put their heads together and created this virtual educational platform called Puraskaar. It is an NGO, and it is headed and guided by Mr Gautam Kumar who also happens to be a Japanese instructor and alumni of JNU DELHI. This organization is just more than a year old now, but how it has expanded and is achieving its goal is commendable. This NGO has grown wider with around 200 volunteers and 800 plus students. It now offers varieties of courses like Foreign languages, Mathematics, Science, English, Art and craft, Dancing etc. Middle and high school students can surely benefit from this platform’s programmes. Not only students but anybody who is excited to learn anything can join their courses without any barriers as there is no age limit. The quality of Education has not been compromised even though it caters in online mode only. All the teachers are cooperative and conduct timely tests, hand out assignments and solve students’ doubts in their sessions. Plus, there is a one-to-one connection between students and their mentors, which also makes this educational platform different from the most popular media of education i. e YouTube. Informative and skill-based webinar sessions are organized to update students and make them aware of new developments in our nation and worldwide. Gautam Kumar was eager to speak out when our paper reached out to him for his excellent contribution. He says he feels complete by giving his time for a noble purpose and hopes that this platform reaches out to all needy as soon as possible to enable a safe learning environment for the Pallavi Das who works as a content writer smiled when we asked her about Puraskaar. She is happy with her team members, who have been very cooperative with her work. The flexible time makes it easier for her. Puraskaar does not charge its students or pay any of its volunteers. The whole system works virtually, making it easier for volunteers to work from anywhere. Due to its remote mode, it has been able to reach out to students staying across India. This institution needs attention as a few organizations are doing what it is doing. Education should have no boundaries, and Puraskaar is proving it every day. When the world sees Education as a means of business, organizations like these are changing people’s pespective and the world’s toxic capital-driven system. Their efforts need to be seen as they can benefit many people just looking for this opportunity. Let them know of this NGO if you know any needy and eager learners in your immediate surroundings. Your small step might make their future brighter and make them smile wider. Everybody has the Right to Education in India. It is a fundamental right. It is our duty to water withering saplings and smoothen their growing process. Right kind of nutrition and care will make their beautiful plants. They will later go on to produce fruits and flowers. Humans who are curious beings need this kind of similar treatment.
You can visit Puraskaar’s website at www.puraskaar.org or follow its Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn page.
