Interview
My Philanthropic Journey: How I Learnt to Stop Worrying and Embrace Failure
This is an edited version of Rohini Nilekani in conversation with Vidya Shah, Chairperson & CEO, EdelGive Foundation at EDGE 2020. They discuss Rohini’s insights from her philanthropic journey over the years. My work in philanthropy spans different spaces, from groundwater and sanitation, early learning, social justice and governance, to the arts. I have portfolios […]
Panel
ASER 2020 Wave 1 Report Release
This is an edited version of a panel discussion moderated by Dr. Madhav Chavan and featuring Mr. Ashish Dhawan from Central Square Foundation, Rohini Nilekani from Arghyam, and Vineet Nayar from Sampark Foundation. The ASER 2020 survey is particularly important because it is not only concerned with learning outcomes, but also the process of […]
Keynote
Booked & Hooked: Bringing Stories to Every Child | Keynote Address at Neev Book Award 2020 Special
Rohini Nilekani’s Keynote Address at the Neev Book Award 2020 Special. The title of her talk is “Booked & Hooked: Bringing Stories to Every Child” Namaste and good morning, book lovers. It is truly a pleasure and an honour to be giving this keynote address at the Neev Literature Festival, and to be taking part […]
Panel
Rohini Nilekani’s Comments at Launch of the #DigitalDecade to Strengthen Public Institutions
This is an edited version of Rohini Nilekani’s comments at an online event hosted by New America. The discussion was on the margins of the 2020 UN General Assembly to launch a #DigitalDecade to develop open source technology solutions that will strengthen public institutions in countries worldwide. We have reached a tipping point when it […]
Keynote
Rohini Nilekani’s Opening Comments at eSpire 2020
This is an edited version of Rohini Nilekani’s opening address at eSpire 2020, a virtual conference organised by EduMentum on August 7th and 8th. The conference marked the successful completion of their incubation program for 23 organisations across 15 states since 2017. In the past few months, they have witnessed the strength and commitment of […]
Article
Lockdown: Online Classes – Let’s Plan, not Ban
In its wisdom, the state has recently banned all online teaching for classes 1-5. The state comes with honourable intentions. The arguments being made are on the grounds of equity, public health and learning. The equity argument is that online learning necessitates reliable access to digital devices, which not all children have. The health argument […]
Article
The Unexplored Potential of Learning Beyond Schooling
The COVID-19 crisis should push us to re-imagine education in radical ways that we’ll be thankful for. At six, in grade 1, my daughter returned from school in a chirpy mood. “What did you study today?” I asked. She was puzzled. “I didn’t study anything,” she replied, “but I learnt a lot.” Education in the […]
Interview
Rohini Nilekani on Technology and Education
This is an edited version of Rohini Nilekani’s interview on the importance of digital-led education and early childhood learning, on Pratham’s 25th anniversary. Every child deserves education as a fundamental right in this country. But even today, we are not able to guarantee that right for all the children in India. The journey of bringing […]
Interview
ASER 2019 Launch
This is an edited version of Rohini Nilekani’s conversation with Pratham co-founder, Dr. Madhav Chavan, on the ASER 2019 report. It’s been 20 years since I have been part of the Pratham family, and when we started our work in Karnataka what I enjoyed most was working at the Balwadis with the children and […]
Article
Why I Love To Read
My childhood was spent between the pages of hundreds of books. My mother had to force me away from the book I was clutching so that I could do my daily chores, such as help set the table. Thank God for all those authors and illustrators who carried me off into a world of make-believe, […]
Keynote
Rohini Nilekani: Digital Dependencies
This is an edited version of Rohini Nilekani’s comments on the “Digital Dependencies” panel at Digital Impact Mumbai Conference presented by the Stanford PACS on Feb 7, 2018. The panel discussion on “Digital Dependencies” was conducted by Lucy Bernholz, Director, Digital Civil Society Lab, Stanford Center on Philanthropy and Civil Society. They discussed ways that […]