Bharti

Bharti Foundation to set up primary schools for underprivileged children in rural areas of West Bengal

Hon’ble Union Minister of Finance Mr. Pranab Mukherjee laid the foundation stone for the Satya Bharti School in Murshidabad, West Bengal

• ● Satya Bharti School Program is the flagship initiative of Bharti Foundation.
• ● 10 Satya Bharti Primary Schools to be set up, which will benefit over 2100 underprivileged children.
• ● Satya Bharti Schools will offer free quality education, including text books, uniform and mid day meals to children from the poorest community.

New Delhi, February 5, 2011 – The Hon’ble Union Minister of Finance, Mr. Pranab Mukherjee laid the foundation stone for the Satya Bharti School Program in Murshidabad, West Bengal. The schools are being set up by Bharti Foundation, the philanthropic arm of the Bharti Group. Under this initiative the Foundation will provide free quality education to underprivileged children in the Murshidabad district of West Bengal.

Present on the occasion were Mr. Rakesh Bharti Mittal, Vice-Chairman and Managing Director, Bharti Enterprises and Mr. M.S. Rana, Chairman and Managing Director, Security Printing and Minting Corporation of India Ltd. (SPMCIL).

Speaking at the event, Mr. Rakesh Bharti Mittal said, “The Satya Bharti School Program in West Bengal is Bharti Foundation’s first large scale education initiative in the eastern part of the country. We have been encouraged by the response and support we have received from the community so far. We believe that this initiative of bringing quality education will go a long way in benefiting thousands of underprivileged children in the state and helping them realize their potential.

Bharti Foundation will set up a total of 10 Satya Bharti Primary Schools in rural pockets of Murshidabad district of West Bengal to provide free quality education to underprivileged children, with a special focus on girl students. The schools will reach out to over 2100 children and employ 60 teachers, recruited from the local communities, with a focus on women teachers. This initiative in West Bengal is being implemented by Bharti Foundation in partnership with SPMCIL.

The Satya Bharti School Program is the flagship initiative of Bharti Foundation. Currently 236 Satya Bharti Primary Schools and one Satya Bharti Senior Secondary School are operational across the states of Punjab, Rajasthan, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu reaching out to over 30,000 underprivileged children, with particular focus on the girl child, from socially and economically disadvantaged backgrounds. Going forward, in addition to the ten new Satya Bharti Schools in West Bengal, Bharti Foundation will open five more primary schools and 4 senior secondary schools in the next academic year.

Bharti Foundation was set up in 2000 as the philanthropic wing of Bharti Enterprises to bridge the existing education divide and make quality education accessible to all underprivileged children across rural India. This is one of the largest social interventions of its kind by an Indian business and is part of the groups’ affirmative action to provide an equal opportunity committed to contribute to the government's agenda of inclusive growth. Over the years Bharti Foundation has received national and international acclaims for its social initiatives especially in the area of education for the underprivileged in rural India.

About Bharti Foundation: Bharti Enterprises set up Bharti Foundation in 2000 to help underprivileged children and young people of our country realize their potential. Bharti Foundation has been creating and supporting programs that bring about sustainable improvement in the field of education - both primary and higher education. The Foundation has adopted a two-pronged strategy to make a difference in the quality of elementary education in the country through its Satya Bharti School Program. In addition to the above two flagship programs Bharti Foundation has also partnered with premier institutes like the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi in 2000 to set up the Bharti School of Telecommunication Technology and Management, IIT Delhi and IIT, Bombay to set up the Bharti Centre for Communication, Bombay. The Bharti Scholarship and Mentorship program has also been instituted to support academically brilliant students from financially weak backgrounds.