In a photo essay, we share the work of three organizations from across the country who are intensively working with communities to cater to the educational needs of children who need the most amount of support.

In an interview with Samuhik Pahal, Hriday Kant Dewan discusses civil society as a space beyond the state and the market, and helps us unpack the many meanings of the term. He also identifies possible contours of a vibrant civil society, and what we have to do to foster one in India.

Civil Society and Education – A Post-Independence Trajectory,’ by Rahul Mukhopadhyay sets the context by providing a contemporary history of the civil society space in education.

In ‘Sahodaya: Ways of Sustainable Living and Learning,’ Rekha Kumari, Himanshi and Anil Kumar share their experiences of working with, and building, communities as salient aspects of the educational alternatives they are trying to co-create in a remote part of Bihar.

In the ‘Ground Zero’ piece, we narrate the experiences gathered by four non-profits from India, who have community engagement at the forefront of their efforts. These NGOs are partnering with communities to bring about sustainable and systemic changes in the education system, so that it can productively cater to the most marginalized children.