How an NGO is giving wings to the dreams of students from marginalised communities to pursue higher studies abroad

The camp’s primary objective was to furnish academic guidance to students coming from historically marginalized communities, such as Adivasis, Dalits, OBCs, nomadic tribes, and denotified tribes, for PhD applications in foreign universities. The bootcamp also invited seven experts from international universities, who offered valuable insights into the complexities of scholarships, application procedures, and academic standards overseas.

Raju Kendre, founder-CEO of Eklavya India Foundation, said the government’s educational policies have failed to ensure socio-educational justice to marginalized scholars by giving less representation on the global stage.

Kendre belongs to the nomadic tribe of Melghat village in Maharashtra’s Buldhana district. He started the foundation in 2018 with the primary focus on filling the socio-economic gap and breaking barriers in academia.

He said that since he belongs to the Vanjari community, a nomadic tribe, he possesses a deep understanding of the circumstances faced by his community in India and his movement has led to a journey that will break through the culture to make academia a democratic space.

“A few years ago, during the celebration of Ambedkar Jayanti, Eklavya inaugurated the Global Scholars Programme at Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar’s London House. The objective was to provide access to quality education to underprivileged and marginalized students in fields like Humanities and Social Sciences, STEM, Law, and Media from renowned universities worldwide,” said Kendre.

“Eklavya is aiming to expand mentorship for PhD applications. In just one year, over 50 Eklavya students have received offer letters from prestigious universities, with 20 of them securing fully-funded scholarships, totalling more than 10 crores,” he added.

Kendre received a prestigious scholarship two years ago, which enabled him to study in London. To provide a similar international education experience to many others, Eklavya initiated the ‘Global Scholars Program.’

Eklavya aims to send minimum 2,000 students abroad for higher education in the next decade. According to Kendre, around 10 students from Pune district have already gone abroad to study.

Snehal Tanpure, a first-generation learner from Mandavi village in Pune, shared how Eklavya provided assistance—from crafting her ‘Statement of Purpose’ to preparing for the IELTS—in her application for a PhD program.

“Around two years ago, I attended the workshop where I met Raju and got inspired by his journey. In the workshops, mentors guide us through the process of applying to foreign universities. The foundation also teaches us to survive and to know the success stories of those from the marginalized community,” she said.

Snehal is currently in the UK, preparing for her academic pursuits. Although she received offers from eight universities in the UK with support from the foundation, financial constraints compelled her to postpone her application to the next year.

Rushikesh Ukirde, a student from Otur village of Junnar taluka, has obtained his Masters in Development Studies at JNU and is currently gearing up to study at the London School of Economics. He said he attended Eklavya’s workshop two years ago as a student and now is one of the mentors at the foundation.

“Students from marginalized communities often lack the necessary guidance and mentoring to navigate the complex process of applying to national and international courses. Those from more culturally privileged backgrounds do not encounter such obstacles. Eklavya bridges this gap and supports vulnerable students,” said Ukirde.

When discussing the state’s education policy, Ukirde said the state government had fallen short in fulfilling its responsibilities. “Education funding is on the decline, the Junior Research Scholarship (JRS) that is offered for PhD is inconsistent. Last year, the state discontinued the Maulana Azad Scholarship for minority communities. In such situation, individual intervention is required,” he said.