Karnataka is the ninth largest state in India, with a 61.43 per cent rural population. Since the 1980s, Karnataka emerged as a leader in the field of information technology, biotechnology and floriculture. The state Human Development Index in 2017 was 0.675 which is higher than the national average of 0.639 as per Global Data Lab and ranked 19 among the states and UTs. However, the situation in the districts of North-East Karnataka is quite different from the rest of Karnataka, and far below the state average in all development indices.

We work in the districts of North East Karnataka: Kalaburagi, Yadgir, Bagalkot, Ballari, Vijayanagar, Bidar, Koppal, Raichur, and Vijayapura. We have begun work in Mandya, Ramanagara, Chamarajnagar and Bangalore.

Our work in Karnataka started in 2001. We began with various programmes to improve educational quality: the Computer Aided Learning Programme, Learning Guarantee Programme, Education Leadership Development Programme, and so on. Around 2012, we moved from a ‘programme mode’ to an ‘institutional mode’, building professional capacities of key stakeholders through multiple modes of engagement via workshops, voluntary teacher forums, exposure visits, seminars, etc.