Gurugram, July 10 -- Shiksha Prayas, an NGO that began as a small tuition centre for underprivileged children in Gurugram's Kanhai village, has now turned into a platform for opportunities. Established by Gurugram resident Rajeev Sinha and his partner in 2000, the NGO now supports nearly 400 children. According to Sinha, the idea took shape during his professional years, when he felt the need to contribute to society. "We started thinking about this initiative in 1999, and in 2000 we opened our first tuition centre in Kanhai. We initially had five students, with more joining us. We called it a free tuition centre (FTC)," he said. The classes are held after school hours, from 4.30 pm to 6.30 pm, five days a week. They cater mainly to students from classes 4 to 10, with a focus on strengthening their basic concepts and building a strong academic foundation. Sinha said each class usually has around 10 to 12 students with five teachers managing their studies. "Our initiative began with a simple vision, which is to provide quality education and mentorship to underprivileged children," Sinha said. He said that students going to private schools receive mentorship from the best teachers. "We wanted to bring a similar concept to our FTCs as well, so that even our students also get equal opportunity and learn from the best," he said. "We have mentors who are top students from leading colleges across the country in the fields of commerce, science and arts. We connect them with our students through special mentoring sessions to broaden their horizons," he added. Now the NGO has four centres, including one in Kanhai and three in Siwan, Kaithal; Taraori, Karnal; and Polar, Kaithal. Sinha said the initiative was initially sustained through crowdfunding, but the Covid-19 pandemic forced the centres to shut down, drying up personal funds. Later, the organisation expanded its support base by partnering with corporates through their corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives. "Every step of this journey has been driven by the belief that every child deserves equal opportunities and platforms to learn, grow and achieve their maximum potential," he added. Sinha said one of their students is pursuing a Master's in Psychology from a renowned university. Another student of his NGO is an excise officer with the Central government. He added that another student is a superintendent at the directorate of secondary education in Panchkula. "The achievement of our students is our milestone, which also reflects the hard work of mentors, the support of the community and the determination of the children. Their journeys inspire us and remind us about the impact that these centres are creating," said Sinha....