Empowering mountain communities the journey so far A
non-governmental development organisation established in 1995
addressing the development needs of fragile ecosystems and deprived
indigenous peoples in the most remote & difficult areas in the
world that lie in the shadow of policy & development attention.
Natural Resource Management Enterprise & Livelihoods
Development Appropriate Technologies Rights, Welfare and Social
Development PROGRAMME AREAS Biodiversity conservation and
sustainable land & water management Development & infusion
of technologies for energy, water, sanitation, healthcare Improving
incomes for marginalised groups, facilitating suitable alternative
livelihoods, economic enablers. Improving access to rights &
effective political participation. Improving gender equity, access
to basic services.
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Head Office - Gurgaon (NCR) Leh (Jammu & Kashmir) Keylong
(Himachal Pradesh) Kaza (Himachal Pradesh) Reckong Peo (Himachal
Pradesh) Joshimath (Uttarakhand) Rudraprayag (Uttarakhand) Tawang
(Arunachal Pradesh) Locations 36 Resource Centres across 13
districts in 6 Himalayan states Special Consultative Status with UN
ECOSOC Recognised as Scientific & Industrial Research
Organisation (SIRO) by DSIR Govt of India International plaudits :
Jammu & Kashmir Leh; Kargil Himachal Pradesh Lahaul-Spiti;
Kinnaur; Chamba Uttarakhand Chamoli; Pitthoragarh; Uttarkashi
Arunachal Pradesh W. Kameng; Tawang Sikkim W. Sikkim; N. Sikkim
West Bengal Darjeeling Empowering mountain communities the journey
so far
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ISSUES Poor quality of education and lack of access for
migrant/nomad children. Lack of relevant, holistic curriculum and
trained teachers. Tribal people face prejudices, exclusion and
discrimination, due to the ethnic dissimilarities. Low population
density has reduced the political influence of tribal communities
ISSUES Poor quality of education and lack of access for
migrant/nomad children. Lack of relevant, holistic curriculum and
trained teachers. Tribal people face prejudices, exclusion and
discrimination, due to the ethnic dissimilarities. Low population
density has reduced the political influence of tribal communities
Supplementary education for remote villages, with advanced learning
centres at district centres. Mobile schools and tent-based creches
for migrant, nomad children and child workers. Best practices study
and dissemination. Community-based system for education services
monitoring. Supplementary education for remote villages, with
advanced learning centres at district centres. Mobile schools and
tent-based creches for migrant, nomad children and child workers.
Best practices study and dissemination. Community-based system for
education services monitoring. Key Achievements 136 supplementary
education facilities for remote villages; 36 Rural Libraries,
Resource Centres, Science Labs, IT Kiosks; 34 Early Childhood Care
Centres for migrant workers; 5 mobile education units. PRAGYA
INTERVENTIONS Training formal and para-teachers in improved
pedagogy & innovative TLMs. Setting up community managed Rural
Resource Centres with solar powered IT facilities. Facilitating
peer-to-peer education. Training formal and para-teachers in
improved pedagogy & innovative TLMs. Setting up community
managed Rural Resource Centres with solar powered IT facilities.
Facilitating peer-to-peer education.
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Elementary Education in India - Key challenges 150 million
children enrolled in almost 800 thousand schools. But: almost 35
million 6 to 14 year olds are out of school half that number fail
to complete primary education dropout rate is comparatively higher
for girls than for boys Inadequate access and inequity in access
Deficient enrolment Poor learning standards and achievements by
children Lack of trained teachers Poor pupil-teacher ratio Large
proportion of teachers on contract Lack of basic physical
infrastructure & facilities Lack of co-curricular facilities
Disregard of needs of CWSN Non-existent and non- functional school
management committees Poor access to grievance redressal mechanism
T HE P ROBLEM AND C ONTRIBUTORY F ACTORS
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Educationally Backward TBHF Districts Of 294 'Educationally
Backward' in India, 135 are Tribal/Border/Hilly/Forested (TBHF)
where geographic disadvantages converge with socio-cultural
adversities, and contribute to stark gaps in enrolment and
infrastructural provisioning, and equity concerns. Poor outreach of
education Alienating curriculum, instruction Lowest GERs, low
literacy, gender gap Poor learning outcomes Inhabited by tribal
communities Sparsely populated and culturally distinct Poverty and
unemployment Low parents literacy Difficult geography and
remoteness Inaccessibility, poor rail and road connectivity
Critical gaps in physical & social infrastructure (power,
health, education) Historically excluded, politically neglected
Poor community participation Conflict prone Of EBDs with