Driving Educational Change: Sterlite EdIndia Foundation’s Work in Tripura

In many parts of Tripura, classrooms come alive with the sound of lessons beginning, pupils settling into their seats and teachers preparing to guide another day of learning. Yet behind these everyday moments lies a larger challenge. Teachers constantly adapt to changing learning needs while balancing multiple responsibilities, and educational institutions continue to strengthen academic support systems across schools. As classrooms evolve, the need to connect teacher training, institutional planning and real classroom experience has become increasingly urgent. 

Addressing these challenges requires more than isolated interventions. It requires strengthening the systems that support teachers and schools every day. This has been the guiding approach of Sterlite EdIndia Foundation in Tripura. 

Over the years, Sterlite EdIndia Foundation has worked closely with the State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT), District Institutes of Education and Training (DIETs), teacher educators, school leaders and district officials with one shared belief: lasting change in classrooms begins by strengthening the institutions that support teachers every day. Rather than relying solely on short-term programmes, the foundation’s efforts have gradually evolved towards building long-term academic capacity through pre-service teacher training, supporting education institutions, providing digital tools and collaborative learning initiatives that grow with the state’s changing needs. 

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This commitment was reflected once again in the recent Institutional Strengthening Programme (ISP) workshop conducted in Tripura. More than a standalone event, the workshop became a space for reflection, collaboration and problem solving. Educators and officials discussed practical ways institutions can better support teachers, improve academic mentoring, strengthen planning processes and make classroom learning more meaningful for pupils. 

The programme focuses on helping educational institutions improve planning, academic mentoring, leadership practice and teacher support mechanisms. Through workshops, consultations and collaborative sessions, the programme encourages institutions to move beyond administrative functioning and become more responsive to classroom realities. 

Organised by Sterlite EdIndia Foundation in collaboration with SCERT, Tripura, the sessions brought together principals and faculty members from SCERT and DIETs to reflect on how institutions can play a stronger academic role within the education system rather than merely carrying out administrative responsibilities. 

A key strand of the initiative explored how learning can become more connected to real-life skills and local contexts through vocational education. Sessions emphasised experiential learning, employability skills, local crafts and the idea of “bagless days” proposed under NEP 2020, encouraging educators to reflect on how schools can create more practical and meaningful learning experiences for pupils. 

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Participants were also introduced to Dashboard Monitoring Systems and data-driven planning approaches through sessions on monitoring dashboards. These discussions examined how schools and institutions can use available information more effectively to track programmes, identify gaps, strengthen academic planning and support more informed decision making across the education system. The use of data analytics in public education in India is central to this work: by converting school-level information into actionable insight, institutions can target interventions and monitor impact more reliably. 

While these workshops focused on strengthening institutions, Sterlite EdIndia Foundation’s support for educators extended to pre-service teacher preparation itself. Recognising that strong classrooms begin with strong teacher preparation, the Pre-Service Teacher Education Programme supports aspiring educators before they formally enter schools. This complements the foundation’s broader identity as an education foundation working in India and an NGO supporting teachers in India. 

To make learning more participatory and engaging, several interactive academic initiatives have been introduced across the state. A teaching-plan competition encouraged educators to think creatively about lesson delivery and classroom engagement. Rather than treating lesson planning as a routine requirement, the competition highlighted it as a thoughtful academic exercise that directly influences how pupils experience learning. 

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A similar spirit of collaboration shaped an online State Level Question‑Making Competition. Student-teachers from Tripura participated in designing and reviewing assessment questions alongside student-teachers from other regions, opening up discussion around competency‑based learning and meaningful assessment practices. The initiative strengthened question‑framing skills and prompted educators to reflect on how assessments can support learning rather than rote memorisation. 

Inside classrooms, the focus on improving learning experiences continued through a series of workshops centred on practical teaching approaches. Sessions on safe classrooms encouraged educators to consider the emotional environment within learning spaces and how pupils learn better when they feel heard, respected and comfortable participating. Workshops on Teaching Learning Materials (TLMs) demonstrated how simple, contextual resources can make lessons more interactive and accessible, especially in settings where teachers often work with limited materials. 

Alongside in‑person workshops and training sessions, digital learning became an important component. Through the akrava app, educators gained access to quizzes, mock tests and certification‑based learning opportunities that allowed professional development to continue beyond workshop halls. Teachers could revisit concepts, assess their understanding and participate in learning activities at their own pace, making professional growth more continuous and accessible. 

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For many educators, the akrava app brought both flexibility and motivation. Certificates, quizzes and mock tests became more than digital features; they became incentives for continuous engagement and self‑paced learning. The app’s integration with broader teacher development work illustrates how a data‑driven education programme can support sustained professional learning at scale. 

What stands out across these initiatives is not a single workshop, app or programme, but the continuity of effort for making institutions becoming stronger, educators becoming more confident, and systems gradually evolving to support classrooms more effectively. It is a story where educational change is measured not only by the number of programmes conducted, but by teachers feeling more prepared, institutions becoming more supportive, and pupils experiencing learning in more meaningful ways. 

Sterlite EdIndia Foundation’s work in Tripura is an example of how strategic and evidence‑informed interventions can strengthen institutional capacity and classroom practice. By combining institutional strengthening with teacher education, digital tools and data analytics, the foundation supports a model of education reform in which policy, planning and practice are connected. As Tripura’s institutions and educators continue to build on this foundation, the state moves closer to an education system that is responsive, data informed and oriented towards real learning improvements for all pupils.