The Convergence Foundation

A delegation from Gates Foundation, including board members and senior foundation leaders, visited a primary school in #UttarPradesh to witness the state’s impactful Foundational Literacy and Numeracy (#FLN) model in action. 📚 During their visit, the delegation interacted with state department officials, educators and students to learn about the transformation being driven in classrooms as part of the #NIPUNBharat Mission. The encouraging trends seen in Uttar Pradesh's #ASER2024 results truly came to life during the delegation's classroom observations, as they witnessed these positive learning gains firsthand! The group reflected on how the state has embedded #StructuredPedagogy at the heart of its FLN reforms, aligning teaching materials, teacher training & assessment systems to improve student learning outcomes at scale. This visit also reinforced how Uttar Pradesh's strong ownership of the FLN Mission is driving tangible change in the lives of students, teachers and community members, taking us one step closer to the goal of a #ViksitBharat. CSF is proud to have been the primary partner of the Government of Uttar Pradesh in its FLN journey since 2019. These encouraging green shoots inspire us to deepen our commitment and collaboration with the state to achieve the common goal of ensuring all students become #NIPUN! Department of Basic Education | Gates Foundation India | Language and Learning Foundation | Ashish Dhawan | Helene Gayle | Minouche Shafik | Thomas J. Tierney | Ankur Vora | Chris Elias | Gargee Ghosh | Dr. Benjamin Piper | Dr. Dr Asyia K. | Alkesh Wadhwani | Becky Frank | Julia Drost | Shaveta Sharma-Kukreja . . #FoundationHaiSahi #UPEducation #FLNMission #AllStudentsLearning #EducationReform

#GovernanceForAll | “Unless frontline workers are trained and motivated, we cannot deliver anything. Whatever policy is made at the state or central government level, the ultimate person who delivers is these people only.” In Ep. 2 of Governance in Action: #ForAllWomen, we speak with Ms. Alka Tiwari, a 1988 IAS officer and the current Chief Secretary of Jharkhand, about the complexities of governance and public service delivery. From tackling malnutrition by integrating local foods into the ICDS (Integrated Child Development Services) programme in the state to leveraging data for effective fertiliser procurement and distribution, essential for agricultural production across the country, she highlights the multi-pronged approach necessary for #effectivegovernance. She also reflects on the critical role of frontline workers, the value of intrinsic motivation and the importance of understanding community needs to drive real impact. Watch the full conversation to see #governanceinaction and stay tuned for more! (Governance in Action: For All Women is a special series featuring government officers who have seen firsthand the impact of effective governance on citizen lives, especially women.) Vijay Pingale | Manasi Narasimhan | Tipu Sultan | Shivani Raturi |

"India has done remarkably well in terms of access. But we were struggling with #learning outcomes, and frankly, learning outcomes only entered the vocabulary of the system in 2010,” Ashish Dhawan, Founder-CEO of The Convergence Foundation, says. Dhawan explains that between the 1980s and 2010, the #education system was focused on #children gaining access to schools. But now nearly 98 percent of children in Classes 1 to 8 have access to schools. “The access problem in elementary school, which is primary-plus-middle, has been solved,” he says. “Children start dropping out in secondary #school, but even that has improved. Now about 80 percent of children go to Classes 9 and 10, and almost 60 percent go to Classes 11 and 12.” Since 2016, there has been a marked improvement in learning outcomes in several states. For example, says Dhawan, in #UttarPradesh, Bihar, and #MadhyaPradesh, which were lagging in learning levels, current outcomes have improved nearly four times in terms of the percentage of Class 5 students who can read and comprehend basic text, and do additions and subtractions. Read more about how Ashish Dhawan decided to switch gears 15 years ago and dedicated his life to improve education in #India. Click here: https://lnkd.in/gr27tZDu Bikkrama Daulet Singh | Shantanu Bhanja | Shriya Sethi | Praveen Khanghta | Shaveta Sharma-Kukreja | Central Square Foundation

#Blog | What gives rise to a knowledge #economy? And how does it create #wealth? There are some common misconceptions, or ideas that are at best partial truths, in relation to this. One such idea is the notion that #innovation happens when governments withdraw and allow #market forces, as well as a developed system of venture capital and private equity, to blaze away. The latter do have their role to play, but will be ineffective if the #government does not do its bit as well. Another way of putting this is that radical innovation and technological breakthroughs do not happen without an element of “industrial policy”, a bad word in some economists’ lexicon. The best example of this is how #China, once known for goods manufactured with low-cost industrial #labour, has leapfrogged technologically to make, in many sectors, the world’s most sophisticated products. Forced #technology transfers, or intellectual property theft, do not tell the whole story. Swagato Ganguly, Senior Fellow at The Convergence Foundation, writes. Read more: https://lnkd.in/gpNkHFZp Shantanu Bhanja | Subramanian KR | Piyush Doshi | Shriya Sethi | Amrita Agarwal | Bikkrama Daulet Singh | Praveen Khanghta | Varun Aggarwal | Sheel Kapoor | Foundation for Advancing Science and Technology - India

#FFF | "Labour laws in India are archaic," points out Ashish Dhawan of The Convergence Foundation. While he agrees that things are changing for the better of women "but too slowly," he chips in #FutureFemaleForward #FutureisHERs #PoweredByParity #GenderParity #FFFSeason3 #Parity #CNBCTV18 #PathToPeak #cnbctv18digital

#Live #Update #Event The Udaiti Foundation in partnership with HSBC, Cognizant and FICCI is geared up for CNBC-TV18's third edition of the 𝘍𝘶𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘍𝘦𝘮𝘢𝘭𝘦 𝘍𝘰𝘳𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘥 𝘔𝘦𝘨𝘢 𝘚𝘶𝘮𝘮𝘪𝘵, which is now live. The event aims to drive real impact toward building an equitable workforce. We are delighted to power the 𝘊𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘎𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘎𝘢𝘱 (𝘊𝘎𝘎) 𝘎𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘗𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘐𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘹, unveiled today by Pooja Sharma Goyal, CEO, The Udaiti Foundation, at the summit. The CGG Gender Parity Index ranks NSE-listed companies based on their performance in women’s workforce representation, retention, and leadership advancement. The index is based on gender diversity data from 1,081 NSE-listed companies.    Why It Matters:  ✅ Evaluates workplace inclusivity, pay parity, and benefits like maternity leave and daycare.  ✅ Encourages companies to publicly report gender diversity data through the BRSR framework.  ✅ Recognizes companies leading in gender equity and motivates others to strengthen their workplace policies. 👉Explore the Close the Gender Gap (CGG): https://lnkd.in/dCMitS8b 📍 Watch the live event here: https://lnkd.in/dXRcJuRW Stay tuned for real-time insights as we work towards building a more inclusive, equitable, and gender-diverse future. HSBC|Cognizant|FICCI|Pooja Sharma Goyal|Rhea Mazumdar Singhal| Shereen Bhan|Komal D.| Parth Pande|Smriti Mehra|suma nair|Swarolipi Sengupta|Shruti Mishra|Sri Rajan|Deepika Rana|Manisha Girotra|Meena Ganesh Hitendra Dave, HSBC India | Rajesh V., Cognizant, India | Ameera Shah, Metropolis Healthcare | Rajesh Jejurikar, Mahindra Group | Prabha Narasimhan, Colgate-Palmolive | Ashish Dhawan, The Convergence Foundation | Vartika Shukla, Engineers India Limited #FutureFemaleForward #TheLeadersForum #InclusiveGrowth #GenderEquity #DiversityAndInclusion #CNBCTV18 #GenderParity #FFFSeason3 #CNBCTV18 #PathToPeak

#India produces the highest number of #science, technology, #engineering, and #mathematics (STEM) graduates in the world, after #China. Indeed, it is bursting with #tech talent, as is indicated by the fact that three-quarters of the top 500 multinational corporations in the world have established #development centres in India. All that #talent means India can do a lot more to develop its own technological base, aiming to be among the top three science and #technology (S&T) nations in the world. Ashish Dhawan, Founder-CEO of The Convergence Foundation, and Swagato Ganguly, Senior Fellow, write on how India should step up its R&D spending by 1% of #GDP over the next decade. Read more: https://lnkd.in/dQQXK4Qz Subramanian KR | Piyush Doshi | Shantanu Bhanja | Shriya Sethi | Amrita Agarwal | Praveen Khanghta | Bikkrama Daulet Singh

President #Trump has ushered in upheaval in the global order, in interlinked economic and geopolitical domains. By saying he will impose reciprocal #tariffs on all countries – he has also singled out #India as a country that imposes high tariffs – Trump has effectively pulled the plug on the World Trade Organization (WTO). Trade arrangements will no longer be multilateral, but bilateral or plurilateral. Powerful countries like the United States (US) or #China would prefer all of them to be bilateral, which allows them to exert the maximum pressure on other countries. A reciprocal tariff would also do away with another cardinal principle of international #trade that was enshrined in WTO – that of “special and differential treatment” of developing countries such as India, giving them space to develop their infant industries. What are India’s options, if #Washington imposes trade terms Delhi is unable to agree to? Swagato Ganguly, Senior Fellow, writes for The Convergence Foundation. Read more: https://lnkd.in/dZsGt7Gn Shantanu Bhanja | Piyush Doshi | Praveen Khanghta | Subramanian KR | Amrita Agarwal | Shriya Sethi

#WeAreHiring #TeamUdaiti is #hiring for the role of 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗺𝘀 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗱 – 𝗨𝗣 to lead transformative Women’s Economic Empowerment (WEE) initiatives in Uttar Pradesh. This is an excellent opportunity for individuals with 15+ 𝘺𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘱𝘶𝘣𝘭𝘪𝘤 𝘱𝘰𝘭𝘪𝘤𝘺, 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘮 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘱, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘺𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘮𝘴 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 , who are driven by the desire to create lasting impact. As Programs Head, you will play a pivotal role in driving impactful strategies, collaborating with key stakeholders, and enhancing economic opportunities for women in Uttar Pradesh. If you're passionate about advancing women’s economic empowerment, this role is your chance to make a significant difference. 📍 Location: Lucknow 👉 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗹𝘆 𝗻𝗼𝘄: https://lnkd.in/d426q7Xv #WomensEconomicEmpowerment #Leadership #SystemsChange #PublicPolicy #WEE #UttarPradesh #Lucknow #Hiring #JobOpportunity #LeadershipRole #ChangeMakers #ImpactfulCareers

Congratulations to Ashish Dhawan, Founder-CEO of The Convergence Foundation, on being honoured with the Forbes India Leadership Award for Institution Builder! With a deep commitment to #systemschange and #philanthropy, Ashish has built institutions and nurtured ecosystems that drive lasting social impact. His visionary leadership in #education, policy, and philanthropy has played a crucial role in promoting collaborative and sustainable solutions. #ForbesIndia #impact #nonprofit