NBJK and Usha International Ltd. Empower Rural Women through Usha Silai School Training

22 December 2025, Ranchi (Jharkhand): Under the Usha Silai School Program, Nav Bharat Jagriti Kendra (NBJK), with support from Usha International Ltd. (UIL), successfully organized a 9-day residential training program for 15 rural women at NBJK’s Ranchi branch office from 12 to 20 December 2025.

The trainee women hailed from Latehar Sadar, Chandwa, Balumath, and Manika blocks of Latehar district—one of Jharkhand’s most remote, forest-covered, and predominantly SC/ST-populated districts. The program aimed to promote women’s livelihood opportunities through skill development and entrepreneurship.

During the training, participants received comprehensive hands-on learning in sewing machine assembling, minor fault repair, garment designing, cutting, and stitching of dresses for women, men, and children. Sessions on life skills were also conducted to build confidence, communication, and entrepreneurial abilities.

The training program was inaugurated by Mr. Felix Tirkey, State Program Manager, Usha International Ltd., and Mr. Shailesh Kumar, Program Coordinator, NBJK. The technical and practical sessions were led by Mrs. Pinki Sharma, Master Trainer (UIL), and Mr. Kamaljeet Sharma, Service Engineer (UIL), whose guidance played a crucial role in enhancing the skills of the trainees.

Upon successful completion of the training, each participant was awarded a certificate, along with a syllabus, guidebook, signage board, and a brand-new sewing machine. The trained women are now expected to establish Usha Silai Schools in their respective villages, offering tailoring services and imparting stitching skills to other women in their communities.

This initiative marks a significant step towards women’s economic empowerment, self-reliance, and sustainable livelihood generation in remote rural areas of Jharkhand.

NBJK Impacts Over 3.1 Lakh Lives across Jharkhand and Bihar in One Year

20 December 2025, Hazaribagh: Nav Bharat Jagriti Kendra (NBJK) has made significant strides in grassroots development over the past year, positively impacting more than 3.1 lakh people across 21,000+ villages in 47 districts of Jharkhand and Bihar through its integrated approach.

In the education sector, NBJK supported 4,207 children, with a strong focus on girls’ education. The organization achieved a 96% pass rate in Class X examinations and reached over 16,600 children through schools and learning centers.

Under health, hygiene, environment, and disability initiatives, NBJK operated 4 eye hospitals and 18 vision centers, serving 1.44 lakh OPD patients and performing nearly 35,000 cataract surgeries, most of them free. Mobile Medical Units, menstrual hygiene programs, safe drinking water initiatives, environmental recycling, and disability rehabilitation further strengthened community wellbeing.

Through livelihood and socio-economic development programs, NBJK supported 15,300 farmer households, enhanced irrigation infrastructure, promoted micro-enterprises, trained youth and women, and facilitated access to skills training and microcredit.

NBJK also strengthened 40 grassroots voluntary organizations and promoted people’s action on social justice issues, while resolving family dispute cases through structured community mechanisms.

NBJK’s sustained efforts continue to drive inclusive and sustainable development at the grassroots, empowering communities to build resilient futures.

Birsa Public School Continues to Empower Rural Children with Strong Focus on Girls’ Education

19 December 2025, Ichak (Hazaribagh, Jharkhand): Birsa Public School, located in Devkuli village of Ichak block, Hazaribagh district, is playing a vital role in expanding access to quality education for children from nine remote villages, with a special emphasis on promoting girls’ education. The school is supported by the local community, Nav Bharat Jagriti Kendra (NBJK), and Action Village India.

The co-educational school currently runs classes from Nursery to Class X and has an enrollment of 145 students, including 102 girls and 43 boys. To ensure that girls from marginalized and distant villages are able to continue their education without interruption, Action Village India is supporting 75 girl students by providing school uniforms, textbooks, learning materials, and timely payment of school fees.

Birsa Public School offers a conducive learning environment with regular academic classes, extracurricular and co-curricular activities, safe drinking water, proper sanitation facilities, and a spacious, child-friendly campus. To address the challenge of distance and improve attendance, 40 new bicycles have recently been added to the school’s Bicycle Bank and distributed to girl students from far-off villages. These bicycles will be reused by other girls after the current beneficiaries complete their schooling.

The school has also recorded an impressive academic performance in the Class X board examinations conducted by the Jharkhand Academic Council. Out of 33 students who appeared for the examination—28 girls and 5 boys—the school achieved a pass percentage of 97 percent. The highest score recorded was 83.4 percent. Sixteen students, including 12 girls and 4 boys, passed in the first division, while 13 students—12 girls and 1 boy—secured the second division. Three girls passed in the third division, and one girl will reappear in the compartmental examination.

With continued support from the community and partner organizations, Birsa Public School remains committed to creating equal educational opportunities and empowering children, especially girls, to build a brighter future.

NBJK’s CBID Initiative Empowers 5,000 Persons with Disabilities in Patna with Support from Bajaj Finserv CSR

18 December 2025, Patna: Nav Bharat Jagriti Kendra (NBJK), with the CSR support of Bajaj Finserv Limited, is successfully implementing the Community-Based Inclusive Development (CBID) project across 20 slums of Patna, creating sustainable and inclusive change for Persons with Disabilities (PwDs) and Children with Disabilities (CWDs).

Moving beyond a charity or medical approach, the CBID model focuses on removing social and environmental barriers while empowering PwDs within their own communities. The initiative strengthens families, Self-Help Groups (SHGs), Disabled People’s Organizations (DPOs), and local institutions to ensure long-term inclusion and equal participation.

Between January 2024 and December 2025, the project has directly benefited 5,000 PwDs. Key achievements include the establishment of 1,000 sustainable livelihood enterprises, distribution of assistive devices to 800 PwDs, and strengthening of 150 SHGs and 21 DPOs along with their federation. Additionally, 2,000 PwDs were linked to government schemes and entitlements, while 400 CWDs were supported through education and daily living skills interventions.

The project has also undertaken large-scale community sensitization, reaching 10,000 students across 100 schools and engaging over 1,00,000 community members to promote positive attitudes towards disability and inclusion.

A major highlight of the initiative is livelihood promotion. Contrary to initial assumptions of limited livelihood options, PwDs have successfully taken up over 50 different trades and enterprises, demonstrating that with appropriate skills, tools, and opportunities, they can become self-reliant and economically independent.

The CBID initiative stands as a strong example of how inclusive, community-driven approaches can enable persons with disabilities to live with dignity, independence, and equal opportunity—contributing to the creation of a more just and inclusive society.

NBJK Receives Multiple Prestigious Awards for Two Decades of Grassroots Development Work

17 December 2025, Hazaribagh: Nav Bharat Jagriti Kendra (NBJK), a leading grassroots development organization, has received several prestigious awards since the year 2000 in recognition of its integrated and people-centric approach to sustainable development. These honors reflect NBJK’s consistent efforts in empowering marginalized communities through interventions in livelihoods, health, education, disability inclusion, water conservation, and social justice.

Most recently, NBJK was conferred the 46th Jamnalal Bajaj Award for Constructive Social Work on 13 November 2024 by the Jamnalal Bajaj Foundation, Mumbai, acknowledging its long-standing contribution to constructive social change. Earlier, on 7 November 2023, NBJK received the Jharkhand ChangeMaker Award from NEEDS, Deoghar for its transformative “Lakhpati Kisan™ Smart Village” initiative implemented in Khunti district in collaboration with CInI–Tata Trusts.

On 4 October 2023, the organization was honored with the NGO Leadership Award by EIILM, Kolkata for excellence in sustainable resource mobilization, ethical governance, transparency, effective management, impactful communication, and community collaboration.

In 2022, NBJK received the Bridgestone Mobility Social Impact Award (First Runner-up) along with a cash prize of Rs. 10 lakh from Bridgestone India Pvt. Ltd. for its outstanding work in restoring eyesight among the rural poor and improving their mobility, education, livelihoods, and social inclusion. The same year, NBJK was also awarded the Mary Glowrey–Liliane Brekelmans Disability Award 2022, carrying a prize of Rs. 2 lakh, by the Catholic Health Association of India and the Liliane Foundation, The Netherlands, for its comprehensive work on disability identification, rehabilitation, certification, mainstreaming, and rights advocacy. Additionally, NBJK received the Man of Change Award 2022 from Tarang Group, Hazaribagh in association with Lions Club of Hazaribagh Roaring.

Earlier recognitions include the Jyotirmaya Award 2019 by the Prasad Group of Companies, Ahmedabad, for dedication to humanitarian causes, and the APA Lifetime Achievement Award 2019 for philanthropic work by the Asia Philanthropy Awards Committee, Seoul (South Korea). NBJK also won the 10th Water Digest Water Award 2016 under the category of Best NGO for Revival of Rural Water Resources, conferred by the Times Group, Delhi.

Among its early accolades, NBJK received the 5th Sarda Equal Opportunities Award 2005 for outstanding contribution towards improving the quality of life of tribal and backward communities, the Best Enterprise Development Service Provider in East Zone Award 2003 by SIDBI, Ranchi, and the Father Tong Memorial Award 2000 from the Bihar Voluntary Health Association, Patna, recognizing it as the Best Community Health Organization.

These accolades collectively underscore NBJK’s steadfast commitment to integrated development and its belief in inclusive, community-led solutions for lasting social change.

Quiz Competition Organized at NBJK Learning Centers to Strengthen Girls’ Education

16 December 2025, Hazaribagh: Under the Girls’ Education Program implemented by Nav Bharat Jagriti Kendra (NBJK) with the support of Action Village India, Learning Centers in Hazaribagh district are organizing a center-wise Quiz Competition for school-going girls. The activity commenced on 11 December 2025 and will conclude on 22 December 2025.

The quiz competition is being organized across 14 Learning Centers located in Sarouni, Sakhiya, Barasi, Silwar Khurd, Babhanway, Kanchanpur, Hedlag, Sultana, Khutra, Pabra, Salgawan, Lupung, Chharwa and Mayatu villages of Sadar, Katkamdag and Katkamsandi blocks of Hazaribagh district.

The competition focuses on objective-type questions from Science, Mathematics and English, along with assessments of reading and speech abilities, aimed at enhancing students’ academic skills, confidence and overall learning outcomes.

Following the center-level competitions, selected girls from each Learning Center will participate in the final Quiz Competition on 24 December 2025 at the NBJK Coordination Office premises, Amrit Nagar, Hazaribagh.

It is noteworthy that these Learning Centers provide free coaching classes for Class VIII, IX and X girls in Science, Mathematics and English in rural areas. The initiative has shown encouraging results, as 173 girls from these centers appeared in the Class X Board Examination this year, out of which 128 girls secured First Division.

Through such academic initiatives, NBJK, with the support of Action Village India, continues its commitment to promoting quality education and empowering adolescent girls in rural Jharkhand.

NBJK Schools Serve Over 18,000 Nutritious Meals to Students with Support from Feeding India

15 December 2025, Chouparan (Hazaribagh, Jharkhand): In the first fortnight of December 2025, four schools run by Nav Bharat Jagriti Kendra (NBJK) in Chouparan block of Hazaribagh district cumulatively served 9,123 breakfasts and an equal number of lunches to their students with support from Feeding India, a Zomato Giveback initiative.

Under this nutrition support program, children were provided sprouted gram or green gram with milk as breakfast, while cooked rice, pulses, and vegetables were served as lunch, ensuring balanced and wholesome meals during school days.

During this period, Amoli Apurva High School, Mangarh served 3,256 meals, while Amoli Apurva Middle School, Bahera provided 2,520 breakfasts and lunches. Similarly, Amoli Apurva Middle School, Prajapat Nagar served 1,913 meals, and Chandrakala Devi Daga High School distributed 1,434 breakfasts and an equal number of lunches among its students.

The food support program has been running successfully for more than one year across these schools and has received positive feedback from parents and children alike. Besides addressing nutritional needs, the initiative has enhanced students’ enthusiasm for attending school and fostered a sense of togetherness and bonding among children.

NBJK expressed its gratitude to Feeding India and Zomato Giveback for their continued support in strengthening child nutrition and creating a joyful, hunger-free learning environment for rural students.

Lalita Horo’s Flour Mill Enterprise Brings Economic Growth to Kudri Village, Khunti

13 December 2025, Khunti (Jharkhand): Smt. Lalita Horo, a resident of Kudri village in Khunti district, has successfully established a flour mill enterprise with support from the Micro Enterprise Promotion Program implemented by Nav Bharat Jagriti Kendra (NBJK) in collaboration with SIDBI. Her journey highlights how targeted handholding and government schemes can empower rural women and strengthen local economies.

Earlier engaged in agriculture, Lalita aspired to start her own enterprise but lacked guidance and resources. Her turning point came when she learned about the Pradhan Mantri Formalisation of Micro Food Processing Enterprises (PMFME) scheme during a village-level meeting organized under the NBJK–SIDBI initiative. With continuous support from NBJK staff in documentation, application procedures, and coordination with concerned departments, she was able to set up her flour mill in the village.

The unit produces a nutritious blend of wheat and finger millet flour, known for its low Glycemic Index and health benefits, particularly for diabetic consumers. Despite initial challenges such as limited capital, technical knowledge, and market access, Lalita received financial linkage, training, exposure visits, and marketing support through the program. She has since connected with wholesalers, explored online marketing platforms, and developed a steady customer base.

Today, Lalita’s enterprise is running profitably, ensuring financial stability for her family and serving as a source of inspiration for other women in the village. Her success reflects the impact of the PMFME scheme and NBJK–SIDBI’s efforts in promoting women-led micro enterprises and inclusive rural development.

Surekha Prakash Bhai Public School, Bahera Ashram organizes Annual Science Exhibition

11 december 2025, Bahera Ashram (Chouparan, Hazaribagh): Surekha Prakash Bhai Public School, run by Nav Bharat Jagriti Kendra (NBJK), organized its Annual Science Exhibition on 10 December featuring more than 50 innovative science and technology models prepared by students.

The exhibition was inaugurated by Barhi SDO Mr. Johan Tudu, Chouparan CO Mr. Sanjay Yadav, and BDO Mr. Nitish Bhaskar, who appreciated the creativity and scientific approach of the students. NBJK Secretary Mr. Satish Girija, Program Director Mr. Gandharv Gaurav, Principal Ms. Reena Pandey, teachers, parents, and students were present.

Models on AI voice control, waste management, hydrophobic farming, hologram, disaster management, green energy, Chandrayaan-III, smart city, and water purification attracted special attention. Food stalls set up by students also engaged the visitors.

Principal Ms. Reena Pandey thanked all guests and reiterated the school’s commitment to promoting scientific temperament and hands-on learning among students.

Roshni Dhruv High School Achieves 100% Result in Class X Board Examination

10 December 2025, Hazaribagh: Roshni Dhruv High School, located at Nagri village under Churchu block of Hazaribagh district, continues to make steady progress in providing quality education to rural children. Supported by the local community, Nav Bharat Jagriti Kendra (NBJK), and Smt. Roshni & Shri Dhruv Shah, the school caters to students from 36 villages spread across Churchu and Daru blocks of Hazaribagh, and Mandu block of Ramgarh district.

Following the Jharkhand Academic Council (JAC) curriculum, the co-educational school runs classes from VI to X and currently has 245 students including 117 girls and 128 boys. Fee waivers have also been provided to 10 deserving students to support their education.

The school has developed comprehensive infrastructure facilities such as digital classrooms, a well-equipped science laboratory, a renovated school building, playground, secure boundary wall, borewell, and safe drinking water. With experienced teachers and regular co-curricular activities, the school is gradually establishing a strong reputation in the region.

As a step towards encouraging girls’ education and improving regular attendance, 40 bicycles have been distributed to girl students coming from distant villages.

In the Class X board examination conducted by JAC, all 32 students appearing from the school successfully passed, registering a 100 percent result. The highest score recorded was 84.4 percent. Out of them, 12 students secured first division and 17 students passed with second division, while 3 students secured third division.

Roshni Dhruv High School stands committed to providing quality learning opportunities and shaping the future of children in rural Jharkhand.