Report on the Udayan Shalini Fellowship Program’s Contribution to Sustainable Development Goals

1.0 Introduction

The Udayan Shalini Fellowship Program (USFP), an initiative by the Delhi-based voluntary organization Udayan Care, addresses a critical barrier to education for talented female students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds in India. Operating across 38 locations, the program provides comprehensive support to prevent dropouts and enhance academic and professional outcomes. This report analyzes the program’s structure, methodology, and impact, with a significant focus on its alignment with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

2.0 Alignment with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

The USFP’s framework and objectives directly contribute to several key SDGs, promoting inclusive and sustainable development.

• SDG 4: Quality Education: The program’s core mission is to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education. By providing financial support and mentorship, it enables girls to continue their education from secondary school through to higher and professional courses, fostering lifelong learning opportunities.
• SDG 5: Gender Equality: By exclusively supporting girl students, the USFP directly tackles gender disparities in education. It empowers young women by equipping them with the qualifications and skills necessary for economic independence and leadership roles, thereby contributing to the empowerment of all women and girls.
• SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities: The program’s selection criteria prioritize students from marginalized communities (SC/ST/OBC, minorities) and households facing severe economic hardship. This targeted approach actively works to reduce inequalities of opportunity based on social and economic status.
• SDG 1: No Poverty & SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth: The five-year support structure is designed to guide students towards gainful employment. By facilitating access to education and job readiness skills, the USFP serves as a direct pathway out of poverty and promotes productive employment and decent work.

3.0 Program Implementation and Methodology

The USFP employs a structured and multi-faceted approach to identify and support its beneficiaries.

3.1 Selection Process

The selection of fellows is a rigorous, multi-stage process managed by local coordinators and volunteers:

1. Awareness and Outreach: The local coordinator visits government schools to inform potential candidates about the fellowship.
2. Application: Interested and eligible students are encouraged to apply.
3. Screening: A comprehensive selection procedure includes a written test, interviews, and home visits.
4. Verification: Home visits are conducted to verify the socio-economic conditions of the applicants, build rapport with families, and reinforce the importance of the student’s continued education.

3.2 Program Components

The support provided to selected fellows is holistic, extending beyond financial aid.

• Financial Support: A monthly scholarship of ₹1,000 is provided for classes eleven and twelve, with modest increases for post-school education. Additional provisions are available for specialized professional courses.
• Long-Term Support: The fellowship typically extends for five years, ensuring continuous support until the student is equipped for employment.
• Mentorship: Volunteers serve as mentors, providing crucial guidance on career planning, course selection, and job readiness. This component is considered a key differentiator and a significant factor in the program’s success.
• Skill Development: Workshops and training sessions are organized to improve essential skills, including communication, public speaking, and English proficiency.

4.0 Case Study: The Udaipur Chapter

A review of the Udaipur chapter highlights the program’s effective implementation and local impact. The chapter’s core committee and volunteers have demonstrated significant dedication, resulting in notable achievements. In addition to the standard program structure, the Udaipur chapter has initiated a special summer educational and skill-building program and has successfully raised local funds to extend support to more students. This demonstrates a strong model of community engagement and local ownership, enhancing the program’s contribution to SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals).

5.0 Observed Outcomes and Success Stories

The program has yielded significant positive outcomes, demonstrating its efficacy in transforming the lives of its beneficiaries.

• Academic Excellence: Deepti Rajput achieved a score of 96% in her Class 12 board examinations. Nazneem Banu, from an artisan family, scored 92% in the humanities stream and showed marked improvement in English.
• Higher Education Aspirations: Gauri Luhar is preparing for the NEET medical entrance examination. Students from the Jaipur center are pursuing degrees in medicine, engineering, and chartered accountancy.
• Leadership and Personal Development: Zuleikha Khatun has excelled in extracurricular activities and public speaking, demonstrating strong leadership potential.

6.0 Recommendations for Program Enhancement

Based on feedback from program stakeholders, the following recommendations are proposed to strengthen the USFP’s impact:

1. Revision of Scholarship Amount: It is recommended that the monthly scholarship amount be reviewed and adjusted upwards to account for inflation and the rising cost of education.
2. Flexibility in Academic Criteria: Consideration should be given to adopting more flexible academic criteria for selection. This would allow for the inclusion of students who, despite not having high scores, demonstrate significant promise and commitment, as verified by their teachers.

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

The article on the Udayan Shalini Fellowship Program (USFP) addresses several interconnected Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by focusing on providing educational opportunities to girls from economically and socially disadvantaged backgrounds. The primary SDGs identified are:

• SDG 1: No Poverty – The article highlights that many students cannot continue their education due to “economic hardships faced by their families.” The program directly addresses this by providing financial support to students from households facing “extreme hardship,” such as the loss of a primary breadwinner.
• SDG 4: Quality Education – This is the central theme of the article. The USFP is an initiative designed to ensure talented girls can continue their education from class eleven through post-school years, aiming to provide them with the “qualifications and skills needed for gainful employment.”
• SDG 5: Gender Equality – The program exclusively supports “talented girl students,” directly addressing the gender-based barriers that prevent girls from accessing and completing their education. The goal is to empower these girls through education and mentorship.
• SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth – The program’s long-term objective is to equip students for “gainful employment.” By providing scholarships, mentorship, career planning, and skill-building, it prepares young women to enter the workforce and achieve economic independence.
• SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities – The USFP actively works to reduce inequalities by targeting students from vulnerable and marginalized groups. The selection criteria prioritize girls from “disadvantaged social or economic background,” with the article noting that most belong to “SC/ST/OBC or minority communities.”

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

Based on the program’s description and objectives, the following specific SDG targets are relevant:

1. SDG 4: Quality Education

   • Target 4.1: “By 2030, ensure that all girls and boys complete free, equitable and quality primary and secondary education…” The program supports girls starting in class eleven, helping them complete their secondary education, which is a critical step mentioned in this target.
   • Target 4.3: “By 2030, ensure equal access for all women and men to affordable and quality technical, vocational and tertiary education, including university.” The fellowship extends support into “post-school years” and provides for “special needs, such as those arising from professional courses,” with some former students now pursuing “medicine, engineering, and chartered accountancy.”
   • Target 4.5: “By 2030, eliminate gender disparities in education and ensure equal access to all levels of education and vocational training for the vulnerable…” The program’s focus on girl students from “disadvantaged social or economic background” and “SC/ST/OBC or minority communities” directly aligns with this target of ensuring access for the vulnerable and eliminating gender disparities.
   • Target 4.b: “By 2020, substantially expand globally the number of scholarships available to developing countries…” The USFP is a direct example of a scholarship scheme that expands educational opportunities for students in a developing country (India).

2. SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities

   • Target 10.2: “By 2030, empower and promote the social, economic and political inclusion of all, irrespective of… sex… ethnicity… or economic or other status.” The program’s selection process, which includes home visits to “identify those most genuinely in need,” and its focus on girls from marginalized communities, is a direct effort to promote social and economic inclusion.

3. SDG 5: Gender Equality

   • Target 5.5: “Ensure women’s full and effective participation and equal opportunities for leadership…” The mentorship component, which helps students improve “communication and public-speaking skills,” and the example of Zuleikha Khatun displaying “strong leadership potential,” contribute to this target by preparing young women for future leadership roles.

4. SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

   • Target 8.6: “By 2020, substantially reduce the proportion of youth not in employment, education or training.” The program’s stated goal is to equip students “with the qualifications and skills needed for gainful employment by the time the support ends,” directly addressing the issue of youth not being in education or training (NEET).

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

Yes, the article mentions or implies several quantitative and qualitative indicators that can be used to measure progress:

• Number of beneficiaries: The article states the program has been “supporting thousands of such talented girl students across 38 locations in India.” This number serves as a direct indicator for the scale of the scholarship program (relevant to Target 4.b).
• Financial support provided: The specific scholarship amount of “₹1,000 per month in classes eleven and twelve,” which “increases modestly during the post-school years,” is a measurable indicator of the financial aid provided to reduce economic barriers (relevant to Target 1.3 and 4.b).
• Academic performance: The article cites specific academic achievements as measures of success, such as “Deepti Rajput scored 96% in her Class 12 board exams” and “Nazneem Banu… scoring 92% in the humanities stream.” These scores are indicators of educational quality and student achievement (relevant to Target 4.1).
• Progression to higher education and professional courses: The mention that students are “now studying medicine, engineering, and chartered accountancy” is a key indicator of successful transition to tertiary and professional education (relevant to Target 4.3).
• Targeting of vulnerable groups: The fact that “Most of the selected students belong to SC/ST/OBC or minority communities” serves as an indicator for progress towards reducing inequalities and ensuring access for the vulnerable (relevant to Target 4.5 and 10.2).
• Skill development: The focus on improving “communication and public-speaking skills” and helping students who “need help in English” are qualitative indicators of skill enhancement, which is crucial for job readiness (relevant to Target 8.6).
• Mentorship engagement: The article emphasizes the value of the “strong mentoring effort,” which is described as “even more valuable than the financial support.” The number of mentors, volunteer hours, and types of guidance provided (career planning, course selection) can be used as process indicators.

4. Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: counterview.net