Ed4All and Microsoft come together to drive women’s literacy in India

Bengaluru: On the occasion of Women's Day 2021, Ed4All - a born digital Formal Education platform - joined hands with Microsoft to roll out 400 scholarships for girl students across eight districts of India, starting with Faridabad in Haryana.
The BLEAP Scholarship for Woman of Tomorrow will enable girls to study from Class 9 to 12 on NIOS and Microsoft Learn curriculum. In addition, Ed4All and Microsoft will set up BLEAP Microsoft Centre of NIOS Excellence, first-of-its-kind Digital Library in anchor NIOS Study Centres across the country to enable children to access digital content on Devices. BLEAP Microsoft CoNE will help students who can’t afford to purchase the device for e-learning, to borrow them and accelerate their learning capacities.
 
Both are transformational initiatives to support girls to successfully complete their school education by enabling them to be job-ready. Besides access to cutting edge technology such as AI and Azure, the initiative is also set to provide access to a wide selection of certified technology courses by Microsoft and Pearson's Certiport, and fully prepare them to be inducted into the workforce. 

Commenting on the occasion, Mr. Sanjay Viswanathan, Chairman – AdiGroup and Co-founder, Ed4All, said “We are delighted to be partnering with Microsoft who share our conviction to transform India through Education. We launched BLEAP® with a singular focus of giving everyone equal access to formal education that is extremely affordable. With Microsoft we will give students access to relevant advanced technology and skills that enhances their employability. We know from McKinsey study that India can add c.25% to her GDP by bringing girls to schools, educating them and making them job ready. To begin with we have chosen 8 districts of India where we know we can make a difference to the ecosystem. Iqraa Public School is first of several schools we will partner with imminently. They have the passion and commitment to transform their region through education for all.``

Adding to this, Mr. Navtez Bal, Executive Director - Education & Public Sector, Microsoft said “The digital transformation of India is driving demand for tech-enabled jobs across every industry and with it the need for digital skills. We are deeply invested in creating a digital skills and education ecosystem that prepares India’s youth for the jobs of the future. Providing equal opportunity and access to digital skills for young girls is an important part of this journey and our partnership with Ed4All is a strong step in that direction.”

Speaking at the launch of BLEAP Scholarship for Woman of Tomorrow and BLEAP Microsoft Centre of NIOS Excellence in Faridabad, Mr.Shafi Mohammed, Chairman Iqraa Public School, who has gender and social equality at the heart of his values, said, "1400 years ago Prophet Muhammad never discriminated between a Boy and a Girl, and Islam or other religions of his time. His belief was centered on education for everyone, since an intelligent society would live in harmony and prosperity. I want to restore this in society through education. I am deeply honoured to have AdiGroup, Ed4All, and Microsoft partner with me to achieve this outcome and make Faridabad a 21st century beacon."