Shikshagraha operates as a formidable, people-powered movement dedicated to strengthening India's public education system by aligning stakeholders from society, government, markets, and media to catalyze systemic change. Central to this mission are the Shiksha Samvaads—quarterly regional convenings designed to foster dialogue, reflection, and collaboration regarding the evolving requirements of public education. These platforms are engineered to move beyond theoretical discussion, empowering participants to share on-ground insights, identify persistent challenges, and establish actionable pathways to improve learning outcomes for every child.
Kevisato Sanyu, Founder of NagaEd and Director at ELEVATE Foundation, set the tone for the proceedings by underscoring the collective responsibility inherent in shaping the pedagogical landscape, asserting that the stakeholders themselves are the architects and designers of education. Following a welcome address by Dr. Hewasa L. Khing, Principal of Tetso College, the event featured a showcase of the District Empowerment Program (DEP), which highlighted early initiatives toward system-level transformation. In a potent keynote address, Dr. Darlando Thamni Khathing, Vice Chancellor of North East Christian University, emphasized the absolute urgency of aligning education with an evolving global environment, stating that the system must prepare for inevitable changes to ensure students remain future-ready through adaptability and responsiveness.
The discourse deepened during a panel titled “From Infrastructure to Learning Impact: What Is Changing on the Ground?” which featured representatives from Samagra Shiksha, NECTAR, and the school ecosystem providing a candid assessment of progress, implementation gaps, and policy alignment. A second keynote by Dr. Mary N. Odyuo, Associate Professor at Nagaland University, challenged traditional metrics of success, advocating for an education system that supports real-world preparedness by nurturing confidence, identity, and aspiration alongside academic rigor. This theme was further expanded in the panel “It Takes a Village: Building an Ecosystem for Future-Ready Children,” where organizations such as Highland Dreamers, Bridges Educational Foundation, Pratham Education Foundation, and the Nagaland Board of School Education emphasized that collaborative ecosystems are essential for sustained change.
Enriched by a cultural interlude from the Tetso College Dance Club celebrating regional heritage, the Samvaad concluded with a recognition segment and a collective mandate to maintain momentum. Supported by HDFC Parivartan alongside partners ELEVATE Foundation, Mantra4Change, and ShikshaLokam, this Nagaland edition signals a profound shift toward collaborative, context-driven education reform. As the Shikshagraha network continues its work across 1,17,000 schools in 33 districts, the message from Nagaland remains clear: the future of the Northeast depends on a unified effort to prepare children not merely for examinations, but for the complexities of life.
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