Nikhil Kamath's Young India Philanthropic Pledge on a mission to transform education in Karnataka

Leading businessman and philanthropist Nikhil Kamath, along with Amitabh Shah, Founder, Yuva Unstoppable, has played a pivotal role in driving the Young India Philanthropic Pledge, garnering substantial financial commitments to fuel the Karnataka Model School Pathways Programme (KMSPP).

The Young India Philanthropic Pledge is a commitment by India’s young change-makers to dedicate a minimum of 25% of their wealth back to enhance global change, starting with India.

According to a press statement, KMSPP, backed by the Government of Karnataka and anchored by Sattva, aims to transform over 210 schools and co-located anganwadis/preschools across Tumkur, Davangere, Haveri, Yadgir, and Chitradurga by the 2025-26 academic year through the Model Schools Collaborative.

With the support of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, JSW Foundation, SwissRe, Prashanth Prakash, and the Young India Philanthropic Pledge, the programme has raised significant resources to impact over 45,000 students, 1,100 teachers, and various education and administrative officials across Karnataka.

Key initiatives under KMSPP include enhancing digital and physical infrastructure, integrating 21st-century skills, emphasising STEM education, implementing foundational literacy and numeracy (FLN) programmes, providing career counselling, reintegrating irregular students, and offering capacity-building programmes for teachers and education officials at the district level.

The child-first approach of KMSPP has resulted in increased access to WASH facilities, libraries, and ICT labs, leading to significant improvements in student performance, said the statement.

According to the statement, proficiency in basic FLN competencies has risen by 11.3%, and over 95% of students have engaged with scientific concepts and experiments through science kits. High school students have also actively participated in career counselling, with many exploring viable higher education pathways.

It added that with state-level steering committees led by the State Project Director of Samagra Shikshana Karnataka and district-level committees chaired by zilla panchayat CEOs, KMSPP is institutionalising best practices and driving systemic change across the state.

Nikhil Kamath, Co-founder of Young India Philanthropic Pledge, said, “The programme aimed to transform not just infrastructure, but also the perception of education among parents, teachers, and education officials. While we have made some strides, we have a long way to go in making Karnataka the superpower of literacy in India.”