Q. What was the motivation behind starting Eklavya India Foundation?
A. A lot of people have to move to Pune from the Vidarbha region of Maharashtra for higher studies. I, too, had gone to Pune 11 years ago. I had to leave my studies in Pune after fourfive months due to financial, social and other reasons. I returned to my village in Buldhana district and completed my undergraduate studies through distance learning.
I belong to a nomadic tribe and I worked in the tribal regions of Maharashtra for two years during my undergraduate studies. During my work with an NGO, I saw that students from marginalised communities have potential but don't get opportunities as they do not possess soft-skills. Later, I joined Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) Tuljapur for master's and saw that the representation of marginalised communities' students in such courses is not good.
When I was in TISS in 2014, I used to provide career guidance to marginalised students in villages. Later, I got Maharashtra chief minister fellowship and started teaching in a college.
Considering all my experiences and the problems in the education system, I started Eklavya India Foundation with a pilot batch of seven students in Maharashtra's Yavatmal district. Now, we have more than 700 students.
Q. How does Eklavya Foundation select students?
A. We select students on the basis of several social and economic indicators. We ask students to fill the Google forms while applying for mentorship.
Through their responses, we check whether the student is from a marginalised community and has studied in vernacular languages and select them.
We don't charge any fee for training but we charge a nominal fee for workshops.
Since 2017, Eklavya India Foundation has been mentoring students.
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
The 50 colleges in 5 countries where most Indians go for MBBS abroad
Data on countries and colleges from the Foreign Medical Graduates Examination (FMGE) 2022 - the latest available - shows that most Indians who completed medical degrees abroad and wrote the FMGE went to five countries.
Foreign medical colleges: Look before you leap
A close look at foreign medical colleges that thousands of Indians have graduated from shows that many are unaccredited, don’t have hospitals or even their own websites
'Either I clear FMGE or leave the country'
After spending lakhs on MBBS degrees abroad, thousands spend years trying to clear the FMGE. That is the only option for Indian graduates of foreign medical colleges to build a career in India
Why hundreds of nursing graduates leave India each year
There has been an increase in nursing institutes over the past two decades but policy gaps, lax regulations, poor pay and opportunities are pushing a large number of nursing staff to seek opportunities abroad
In Kashmir, why NEET and JEE candidates flock to private reading halls to prepare for exams
These are accessible round-the-clock, even on public holidays, have private cabins and booths, kitchen, discussion area and some, even places for napping
Battling despair and depression in medical school
Long hours, bullying, lack of support make a difficult programme tougher for medical students. They hope for clear guidelines from the NMC
This father-daughter duo uncovered a scam in NEET admissions in West Bengal
Several generalcategory students had secured admission in medical colleges with forged ST certificates. Ishita Soren spotted the names, and her father followed up
'Forced to take up bonded labour
There's massive resistance to a state policy in Karnataka that requires even private medical college graduates to do one year's mandatory rural service
‘A routine circus': PG medical students lobby, move court to get stipends
Despite NMC orders, many medical colleges still seriously underpay resident doctors and threaten them into silence. In government colleges, stipends can be delayed for months
Why Mizoram wants centre to take over its only medical college
Mizoram got its first state medical college in 2018. In 2023, it asked the union government to take over. Mixed up in this are questions of funding, MBBS seat distribution
