Press Releases

Vedanta Aluminium’s Vidyagraha e-learning initiative completes two successful years of operations

• Over 1,000 students have benefitted from the initiative since commencement
• The company has now launched Phase 3 of the project to empower more students

 Jharsuguda, Odisha; 4^th July 2024: Vedanta Aluminium, India’s largest producer of aluminium, recently celebrated the successful completion of two years of its e-learning initiative, Vidyagraha, which seeks to boost access to quality education among students in rural Odisha. To mark the occasion, the company felicitated 17 headmasters of schools participating in the project who had achieved a 100% passing rate in their final exams as well as 10^th board exams, recognizing their exemplary contributions to the project’s success.

Building on the progress achieved under the initiative, Vedanta Aluminium has now announced the launch of Phase 3 of Vidyagraha, which will reach out to several additional schools in Jharsuguda district. The celebrations were graced by Mr. Prabeer Kumar Naik, Project Director of the District Rural Development Agency, Mr. Radhakanta Gartia, District Education Officer of Jharsuguda, and Mr. Sushanta Kumar Ghuta, Assistant District Education Officer.

Since its commencement in 2022, the Vidyagraha initiative has benefited over 1,000 students living in the remote areas of Jharsuguda. Implemented in collaboration with the Sarthak Sustainable Development Foundation, this initiative leverages technological solutions to bridge gaps in rural access to quality education. This is achieved through recorded lectures and online career counselling for students from classes 8^th to 10^th.

The program provides students with access to digital learning resources via a web-based platform. Providing additional support to the students, employee volunteers from Vedanta Aluminium regularly record lectures and conduct in-person doubt-clearance sessions for students in all participating schools and villages. The program also ensures that students’ performance is regularly mapped and tracked through the web-based portal, identifying areas of improvement and subsequent action.

As part of Phase 3, the program will also be accessible to students via school computers, ensuring broader access to educational resources and will cover all 106 schools in Jharsuguda district. Currently, Vidyagraha has been successfully implemented in government schools across Shiripura, Badmal, Siriapali, Purna, and Kurebaga in the district.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Sunil Gupta, COO – Vedanta Aluminium and CEO – Vedanta Jharsuguda said, “Vidyagraha was launched to empower students through quality education, helping them reach their full potential. As we move into the project’s third phase, Vedanta Aluminium reaffirms its dedication to providing rural students with an equitable start in life. It is heartening to witness such initiatives driving a notable increase in literacy rates in Jharsuguda. Our educational efforts aim to ensure that students from rural areas have improved access to quality primary education, which is essential for building a bright future.”

Commending the successful initiative, Mr. Prabeer Kumar Naik, Project Director of the District Rural Development Agency, said, “I sincerely thank Vedanta Jharsuguda for pioneering this outstanding learning platform. This project sets a benchmark for future initiatives aimed at transforming education and ensuring a brighter future for students in the region.”

Key highlights of the Vidyagraha initiative include:

• Vidyagraha App Development: Providing seamless access to educational resources through the app, reaching out to more than 1,000 students since inception
• Extensive Content Creation: More than 200 lessons on Mathematics, Science, and English recorded and uploaded on the Vidyagraha app
• Remedial Classes: Over 850+ sessions conducted in collaboration with government schools, including 130 community sessions, expanding the project’s impact beyond schools
• Parental Engagement and Outreach: Undertook comprehensive outreach efforts, including 2,000 door-to-door visits and over 2,000 phone calls to parents, ensuring increased involvement in their children’s education
• Student Support and Dropout Prevention: Counselling services for school dropouts and irregular students, encouraging regular attendance and continuity in education
• Employee Volunteer Contributions: More than 120+ employee volunteers from Vedanta Aluminium actively participated in project activities, enriching students’ learning experiences by creating a supportive learning environment

Vedanta Aluminium, a business of Vedanta Limited, is India’s largest producer of aluminium, manufacturing more than half of India’s aluminium i.e., 2.37 million tonnes in FY24. It is a leader in value-added aluminium products that find critical applications in core industries. Vedanta Aluminium ranks 1st in the S&P Global Corporate Sustainability Assessment 2023 world rankings for the aluminium industry, a reflection of its leading sustainable development practices. With its world-class aluminium smelters, alumina refinery and power plants in India, the company fulfils its mission of spurring emerging applications of aluminium as the ‘Metal of the Future’ for a greener tomorrow.