Paramparik has spent about 50% of its donation corpus fund for educational scholarships in rural Bengal. Nearly 3.25 crores were disbursed to 8500+ students over 25 years. More importantly, we helped them in their daily struggles through the education system. We gave them career advice, and provided referrals. In the big scheme of things, it feels like a drop in the ocean, though.

In the abysmal state of education in India, grad/postgrad education is a luxury, a dream beyond dream for most. Here’s the 2011 literacy census data from India. It is estimated that on the ground, less than 50% of the adults have basic reading comprehension of grade 2.

Education is not just an economic tool. It provides empowerment and thinking skills.The basic British education system was devised to produce the working class from the agrarian class. University education–the gateway to build awareness of rights and freedoms, and to think critically–was exclusionary from the beginning.

A smart 18-year old with grit, talent and aspirations to escape the exploitation and drudgery in the margins of society, needs only some economic support and guidance, to get an engineering, medical or master’s degree. We have seen villages, slumbering in hopelessness for centuries, wake up to the new limits of what is possible, once she acquires escape velocity. At that point her social mobility becomes a visible marker of hope. A change agent by itself. All because of one new Ph.D. or doctor in the gram.

At its peak between 2010-2020, on an average 200-300 (e.g. 246 in 2019) recipients of Paramparik scholarships–all from underprivileged communities–were enrolled into colleges and universities. Every year. Head teachers from nondescript villages in Bankura, Puruia, Bardhaman would turn up with a kid who had stood first in the 12th in the school. Paramparik became a well known destination once 12th grade exams were over.

By 2022, 12th grade class toppers in the village had many scholarship options–because of the many organizations entering the CSR space. Therefore, we have moved our focus to the center–where our social work will incorporate the domestic workers and daily wage earners of the city, and their kids. Many of them are migrant workers, with their own challenges to overcome.

As a footnote, a few years ago, we organized a doctors’ meet-n-greet in Kolkata. About a hundred doctors and interns–all erstwhile Paramparik scholarship recipients, turned up.

Other stuff we did

10 lakhs were donated to the new ICU of Bharat Sevashram Hospital, Joka. There are three Paramparik-sponsored beds at the Dr. Saroj Gupta Cancer Center. One USG machine was given to Dr. Ghosh Charitable Trust, Maniktala. From time to time, we have also taken care of ad-hoc medical emergencies and out-of-station surgeries of folks who could not afford the treatment.

After hurricane Amphan, our volunteers took 300 packets of food and provisions to some of the submerged villages of the Sunderbans.