P&G Shiksha, the flagship CSR program of P&G India, celebrates a major milestone this year — 20 years of transforming lives through education. Over the past two decades, the program has been positively impacting the lives of over 50 lakh children by improving access and learning in underserved communities across the country. To commemorate this journey, P&G has unveiled a special coffee table book titled “Twenty Tales of Triumph”, capturing inspiring stories of transformation and possibility — a powerful reminder of the change education can bring when every child is given the chance to thrive.
Along with the robust programs on the ground, P&G Shiksha has also been raising large-scale awareness on Learning Gaps. This year’s initiative #EraseTheLearningGap dives deeper into the harmful effects of negative labelling on children. When a child falls behind in class, many face unjust labels like “weak”, “Buddhu”, “slow”, or “Kaccha Nimbu”, which can lead to a self-fulfilling prophecy that diminishes confidence and reinforces low expectations, widening the learning gap. The film showcases the story of Bikas who like many others struggles as he internalizes these negative labels, adversely affecting his self-esteem. With only 28%* of adults fully understanding learning gaps, timely support is often lacking. This campaign highlights the urgent need for intervention, showing that with the right enablers, and words of encouragement from parents, teachers, and peers, children can overcome these challenges. As Bikas’ journey demonstrates, when he succeeds, the entire community celebrates, underscoring that every child’s victory is a win for all. With timely support, each child can learn at their own pace, rebuild confidence, and ultimately #EraseTheLearningGap.
Watch the film here – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ooRwqCDmSUE
P&G Shiksha launched this nationwide initiative to spotlight the learning gaps, through a power-packed panel that brought together diverse voices from the world of cinema, psychology, and education.
Moderated by Priyanka Khanna, Author and Former Journalist, the panel included: Soha Ali Khan, Actress & Author, Kalki Koechlin, Actress, Dr. Varkha Chulani, Clinical Psychologist & Psychotherapist, and Abhishek Desai, Vice President – Brand Operation and Category Leader – Grooming, P&G India. The panel explored how learning gaps often go unnoticed or misunderstood — showing up as lack of confidence, low participation, or being mislabelled as “slow” or “disinterested.” These learning gaps are a silent cry for help. Through personal stories and expert perspectives, the conversation highlighted the importance of early identification, timely support, and creating safe environments where children can learn at their own pace. The campaign film, showcased during the event, served as a powerful reminder that with the right enablers, anyone can #EraseTheLearningGap.
Speaking about the initiative, Abhishek Desai, Vice President – Brand Operation and Category Leader – Grooming, P&G India, said, “We proudly celebrate 20 years of P&G Shiksha—a journey dedicated to ensuring that every child is enabled with education that lifts, not limits. Over the two decades, P&G Shiksha has evolved to today focus on learning outcomes. As per ASER 2024, more than half the children in grade 5 can’t read at grade 2 level. With our targeted interventions in underserved communities, we remain committed to enabling children with not just access, but also to learn with understanding. It is not just our scale of impact, but the way the program impacts an individual that also counts. That’s why, we have curated Twenty Tales of Triumph – a testament to the impact created over the 20 years with 20 inspiring stories of individuals transformed by P&G Shiksha.”
He further added, “Statistics reveal that only 28%* of adults are aware of learning gaps. We know identification is the first step to remediation, so we are also working to create large scale awareness about learning gaps and how they manifest for different children. With Bikas’ powerful story, we observe how a child can get labelled when he falls behind. More he hears, more he believes – until an ally comes by with words of encouragement, a safe learning environment and enablers to help him. That’s what Shiksha has been doing on the ground, with our partners. This year’s campaign encourages families and communities to recognize and address learning gaps early, giving every child a fair chance to succeed.”
Speaking on the occasion, Soha Ali Khan, Actress & Author shared, “I’ve had the privilege of being associated with P&G Shiksha for many years now, and it’s incredibly heartening to see the impact it has created over the past 20 years—evolving from education access to now tackling more complex yet pertinent issues like learning gaps. Impacting 50 lakh children from underserved communities is not a small feat, and it is wonderful to have been a part of this journey where P&G has remained committed to education. As a parent, I’ve come to understand how crucial it is to create the right environment at home—one that nurtures confidence, curiosity, and a love for learning. With the right enablers, we can truly #EraseTheLearningGap. This year’s message feels especially relevant, as it reminds us how deeply a child’s sense of self is shaped by the support and encouragement they receive from their families. Every child deserves to grow up in a space where they feel capable and cared for—and that starts with us as parents.”
Kalki Koechlin, Actress added, “Over the years, I’ve witnessed P&G Shiksha evolve remarkably—from building schools and enhancing learning environments to tackling a critical issue: the various manifestations of learning gaps, with harmful labels being the most detrimental. These labels—‘weak,’ ‘slow,’ ‘not good enough’—are incredibly limiting, quietly eroding a child’s confidence as they internalize them. I am inspired by P&G Shiksha’s commitment to confront this challenge directly, and I’m proud to be part of this journey. This initiative has deepened my understanding of learning gaps, empowering me to better support my child in her educational journey. It’s time to replace judgment with empathy and create nurturing environments where every child feels seen, heard, and supported. I also want to congratulate P&G Shiksha on a wonderful 20 years of dedicated commitment to education, impacting over 50 lakh children across the country!”
Sharing her perspective, Dr. Varkha Chulani, Clinical Psychologist and Psychotherapist, said, “As a clinical psychologist, I see firsthand how children often struggle not because they lack ability, but because they’ve internalized limiting labels that breed self-doubt and fear about their potential. The film beautifully captures this through a child who perceives himself as ‘Kaccha Nimbu,’ a belief that resonates not just in the classroom, but also on the playground. Yet, it’s remarkable how the right intervention can transform a child’s confidence. A simple gesture of support—a teacher’s reassurance or a peer’s encouragement—can shift self-doubt into self-belief. This film is a powerful reminder that small moments can either reinforce insecurity or nurture potential. It serves as a wake-up call for parents and educators: learning gaps are often hidden, yet with early recognition and the right support, no child needs to be left behind. It was wonderful to learn how deliberately P&G Shiksha is working with schools and communities to create safe and exciting learning environments, to encourage the children to learn with understanding. The stories of impact we heard are a testament to the power of what P&G Shiksha is doing.”
Maharashtra is a key focus area for P&G Shiksha, creating a sustainable impact through education in hundreds of underserved communities, including tribal communities, in partnership with NGOs and the State Government. To commemorate 20 years of P&G Shiksha, we unveiled “Twenty Tales of Triumph,” showcasing inspiring stories like that of Lata Tai from Bhoyepada, who returned to education at 43 after 31 years and became an ASHA worker, empowering others in her community. Building on this progress, P&G Shiksha has expanded the Mindspark program to tribal areas, aiming to bridge learning gaps and promote holistic development.
Recent results from the Annual Status of Education Report show improvement in Class 5 reading levels in Maharashtra’s government schools, rising to 59.3% from 56.8% in 2022. This encourages P&G Shiksha to continue creating impact. Recently, in Maharashtra, in collaboration with the state’s Tribal Welfare Department, the program introduced its Digital Remedial Learning program by implementing ‘Mindspark’, an AI-powered adaptive learning tool that personalizes education for students and impacting thousands of children, many of whom are first generational learners from tribal communities. P&G Shiksha is also implementing its Early Childhood Education and Community Remedial Learning programs in the state, including in Tribal communities like Vikramgad in Palghar district.
Over the last 20 years, P&G Shiksha has supported thousands of schools and communities across the country, impacting over 50 lakh children from underserved areas via targeted educational interventions. As part of this, to improve learning outcomes in children, P&G Shiksha focuses on prevention and remediation. For remediation, it leverages AI-backed technology with ‘Mindspark’, a computer-based adaptive learning tool, in partnership with Educational Initiatives. The program also implements on-ground remedial learning interventions in partnership with Pratham Education Foundation, using both community-based and in-school models supported by trained volunteers and teachers. For prevention, P&G Shiksha focuses on early childhood education through Pratham Education Foundation, developing motor, cognitive, social-emotional, language, and creative skills in children to prevent learning gaps, and laying a strong foundation as they begin school. P&G Shiksha continues working to enhance learning environments to make them more conducive to learning, with Round Table India.