Shikshagraha Awards: Nominations Open for India’s First Education Leadership Prize

The Shikshagraha Awards, presented by The Shibulal Family Philanthropic Initiatives, is now open for nominations. These prestigious awards honour individuals dedicated to making education in India more accessible, equitable, and inclusive, with a particular focus on underserved communities.

Mr S.D. Shibulal, Co-Founder and Former Member of the Board and CEO of Infosys Ltd.; Founder, Shibulal Family Philanthropic Initiatives

Whether it’s a teacher inspiring young minds, a parent advocating for better schools, a policymaker shaping the future of education, a young individual designing school improvement initiatives, a volunteer raising funds to build a learning centre or a community member raising awareness about the importance of the education – they all are education leaders building an equitable and inclusive education ecosystem.

Winners of the Shikshagraha Awards will receive a prize of INR 10 lakh, distributed over two years, to support their work in transforming education and creating a lasting impact.

Shikshagraha, built on an audacious aspiration: to reimagine public education as a shared societal mission driven by collective action, is a people’s movement to improve 1 million public schools in India by 2030, ensuring every child has access to quality education and the opportunity to dream and succeed.

“Exceptional education leaders are the catalysts of change, and every action they take creates ripples that transform countless student lives. These leaders never give up, whatever challenge stands in their way, and this dedication inspires entire communities to join the journey toward education equity. The Shikshagraha Awards will honour such individuals who go beyond their formal roles to drive this meaningful change in India’s public education landscape,” said Mr S.D. Shibulal, Co-founder and Former Member of the Board and CEO of Infosys Ltd.; Founder, Shibulal Family Philanthropic Initiatives and Patron – Shikshagraha.

Nomination Process

Nominations for the Shikshagraha Awards are open until January 20, 2025. Forms are available in Hindi, English, Kannada, Tamil, and Telugu. Interested individuals can submit their entries at shikshagraha.org/awards.

Nominees will be evaluated based on their impact, credibility, and micro-improvement evidence in improving education outcomes. The awards will recognise exemplary education leaders working within formal systems as well as at the community level.

Award Presentation

The winners of the Shikshagraha Awards will be announced on March 7, 2025, in Bengaluru on the first day of InvokED 4.0 – an annual global dialogue on education leadership where experts, educators, and changemakers come together to build the movement towards education equity. As part of this visionary dialogue, the Shikshagraha Awards will spotlight the essential role of leadership in advancing education equity. The Shikshagraha Awards are more than recognition; they amplify stories of courage and inspire action across the movement towards education equity.

For more details, contact info@shikshagraha.com.

About Shikshagraha

Shikshagraha is a people’s movement aiming to improve 1 million public schools in India by 2030, ensuring every child has access to quality education and the opportunity to dream and succeed. The movement brings together diverse stakeholders-government, civil society, markets,, and media-to collaboratively address the challenges in the public education system through the micro-improvement approach. By promoting decentralised decision-making in the education system, enabling leadership across levels and fostering collective action, Shikshagraha aims to create an inclusive learning environment where every student, regardless of background, gender, or abilities, can thrive in the 21st century.