In a world which is proliferated with technology, there are some students living on the outskirts of Jamshedpur unaware of what Google is. Incomprehensible as it may seem, the reality is that while some are fortunate to attain post-graduation there are others barely scraping themselves through the shoddy education system that our government provides.

And this is where XLRI stands apart from its peers. Known for its vision of creating socially conscious managers, it inculcates the feeling of humility towards the deprived section by enabling us to undertake projects which can create a difference to the world. And this is how we started our quest to impart technical knowledge to the students in a village named Khuchdi near Jamshedpur.

The first step was to create awareness regarding the importance of learning interpersonal skills rather than just focussing on the textbook studies. We introduced ourselves to them and this started the long process of knowing each other and thereby inculcating in them the confidence of being able to present themselves. And this ended our first visit to the place that will never be forgotten.

In days to come, we undertook the interviews of the students to ensure that they remember and also to show them how these skills can be improved with proper practice. The interviews were a revelation for us as we were exposed to the plethora of disadvantages that students in villages have to overcome, while we enjoy the fruits of our parents’ hard work.

‘Computer’ and ‘Internet’ considered ubiquitous by most are things that these students haven’t even experienced. And it was during the interviews that we realized how much potential can be unlocked if we could provide this basic facility to the group of students eager on learning. True to the spirit of Magis and the vision of XLRI we took the initiative of imparting basic knowledge of operating a computer and herein was born the initiative Prayaas with the aim to unlock the vast potential lying dormant in the villages of India.