Education is one of our primary focus areas-CEO-BALCO

Korba, Chhattisgarh, : The Bharat Aluminium Company Limited (BALCO), one of the leading aluminium producers in India, is committed to improving the standard of education in Balconagar, Korba. The company has been running many stellar education programs in the region and assisting over 15 schools in Balconagar, whose students are excelling in every field today. Expressing his pleasure at the improvement in the academic performance of the children from the region, Mr. Abhijit Pati, CEO & Director, BALCO says, “Education is one of our primary focus areas for socio-economic interventions in the community, for we believe that access to quality education can bring about a sea-change in grassroots. Since inception, BALCO has invested heavily in education and we are happy to see our efforts have been fruitful in transforming the education landscape in Balconagar, positively affecting the lives of thousands of students and youth in the region.” With the support of BALCO’s management, Bharat Aluminium Employees Education Society (INTUC) is providing education free of cost to students at Bal Sadan Higher Secondary School, a majority of whom are from marginal households. Mr. Jai Prakash Yadav, president of the society says that the school has enrolled more than 5000 students till date and its alumni are proud torchbearers of BALCO’s legacy, working with Indian and international firms of global repute. The Vedanta Group’s investment in BALCO has given a much-needed boost to the socio-economic progress of the region. According to Mr. Kishan Yadav, a former employee of the company, “Investment made by the company in the field of education is playing an important role in shaping the future of the country. I hope this journey of progress will continue being led by BALCO in the years to come.” He further shares that his daughter Ms. Alankrita Yadav, a proud alumnus of Kendriya Vidyalaya School, Balconagar, is a successful software engineer in Poland. BALCO is also running ‘Project Connect’ under its community development programme to support students from marginal communities who cannot afford expensive tuition. Nearly 200 students avail special classes at the Vedanta Study Centre, education is funded by employees of the company. The project is helping many students secure seats in premier engineering institutions, besides improving the performance of students in matriculation and higher secondary exams. Besides that, the company is running childcare centres in its operational area, supported by the Vedanta Foundation. These centres impart education through innovative techniques to children aged 2-5 years, while also providing them with nutritious food. The BALCO Vedanta Therapy and Rehabilitation Centre, managed by Inner Wheel Education Society, is working to improve the lives of differently-abled children in the periphery by making physiotherapy, speech therapy, work therapy and behaviour therapy available to them. Last year, the company started Chhattisgarh’s first skill training centre for the blind and deaf youth at Divya Jyoti Hostel premises in Korba. This centre provides training in beautician courses, hospitality, basic computer skills as well as tailoring. Vedanta College and Rehabilitation Centre for Deaf and Blind, is also playing an important role in making differently-abled youths financially independent.