6th September 2025
From Literacy to Legacy: Vedanta IOK Powers the Dream of a Viksit Bharat
Every year on 8th Sep, we celebrate the International Literacy Day to further efforts to bring the light of literacy to every segment of our population. This year the theme for the occasion is ‘Promoting Literacy in the Digital Era’.
Since 1947, India has made remarkable strides, with literacy now at 81.9%, but challenges persist: almost 18% of the population remains outside the fold, the ruralurban divide is sharp, and so is the gender disparity vis-à-vis literacy rates. It is in this backdrop that Vedanta Sesa Goa – Iron Ore Karnataka (Vedanta IOK) has been contributing to the Nation’s effort to spread the light of literacy through its CSR initiatives , across five states, as part of Project ‘Vriddhi’.
Mr. Navin Jaju, CEO – Vedanta Sesa Goa, expressed his thoughts on the occasion , “Education is the bedrock of nation-building, and investing in literacy today means investing in a stronger, more inclusive tomorrow. At Sesa Goa, we are deeply committed to augmenting support for education in the far flung regions & to ‘give back’ meaningfully, thus creating lasting pathways for success.On International Literacy Day, we reaffirm our belief that literacy is the true passport to endless opportunities and a Viksit Bharat.”
Augmenting Rural Literacy & Education
Vedanta Sesa Goa under the aegis of the Anil Agarwal Foundation has been contributing to the educational support for children in rural areas by upgrading 119 ‘anganwadis’ into Nand Ghars, which are equipped with modern teaching & learning tools.
Over 3000 students benefitted from the ‘Back to School’ initiative in FY24 in the rural & mining belts of Goa & Karnataka, which focuses on reducing dropout rates by providing educational material.1200+ meritorious students from economically underprivileged backgrounds in Goa & Karnataka have received critical support as part of the Vedanta ‘Utkarsh’ Scholarship.
Bridging the digital divide
Vedanta Sesa Goa, under the aegis of the Vedanta Foundation, has set up 19 computer labs and 6 computer centres across Goa, Maharashtra, and Karnataka, digitally enabling over 5,000 students annually with National Council for Vocational Training approved courses. Recent additions have been the Vedanta Computer Labs set up at the Indira Gandhi Residential School, Kadleguddu, and Tiksana Special School for Visually Impaired respectively, which will collectively benefit over 250 students.
Ms. Leena Verenkar, Head – CSR, Vedanta Sesa Goa, said, “At Vedanta Sesa Goa, we believe that true literacy goes beyond textbooks — it is about giving children and youth the skills, confidence, and opportunities to shape their own futures. From supporting early childhood education through Nand Ghars, to equipping rural students with digital access, to empowering women with market-ready skills, our endeavour is to build communities where literacy becomes a tool of empowerment, enabling inclusive progress.”
Expressing her thoughts on the setting up of the Vedanta Computer Lab, Ms Shivagami, a student from Tiksana Special School for the Visually Impaired, said: “I have completed my education from Tikshna Special School for Blind, till my degree. Vedanta IOK, in collaboration with Vedanta Foundation, have provided us with digital learning facilities & we are now using JAWS (Job Access with Speech), NVDA (Non-Visual Desktop Access) & ‘narrator’ to learn how to operate computers & to operate the system using the keyboard. In today’s competitive world, knowledge on how to operate a computer helps blind students like me avail of job opportunities.”
As India marches towards the vision of Viksit Bharat, bridging the rural-urban and gender literacy gaps will be central to progress. On this International Literacy Day, Vedanta IOK reaffirms its belief: literacy is not just about learning to read and write -it is about learning to live with dignity, confidence, and hope.