"Money invested in the promotion of learning gives a multiple return to the people even as a seed sown in good soil returns a luxurious crop."

NTPC has marked 15-20% of its CSR-CD budget for education to individual stations. Among the various activities on education are:

• Facilitating primary education through adopting schools and introducing programmes to boost its universalisation
• Promotion of rural culture and sports; Adult Education Centres; programmes of education for girls
• Provision of education aids and equipments, scholarships and sponsorship

NTPC's deep commitment to provide quality education systems and co-curricular activities to children of its employees and from neighbouring areas is reflected in the 48 schools being currently run in NTPC power projects benefiting about 40,000 students. These schools are managed by premier academic societies like the DPS Society, the DAV Society, the Chinmaya Mission Trust, St. Joseph's Society and the Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan, among others. Apart from providing infrastructural and financial support wherever required, NTPC also provides requisite support to ensure availaibility of qualified teachers and quality annual educational plans for each and every institution.

NTPC also provides a 50% subsidy for organising coaching classes in power project townships, for students who wish to pursue higher studies in engineering and medicine..

To make education more efficient, effective and enjoyable NTPC conducts regular training programmes for teachers in order to upgrade their teaching and technical skills. Apart from this, workshops are also organised for principals through Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad - India's premier business school. Overall excellence in these schools is ensured through improved educational standards, innovative extra-curricular activities , value education and implementing professional management systems.

NTPC also takes initiative to propagate overall personality development of students by organising quiz competitions for the children at project, regional and national levels, through Medha Pratiyogita, theatre workshops through reputed institutes like NSD and SPIC MACAY, Scouts and Guides training, sports activities for children in the townships and coaching camps for various sports events. The children are encouraged to actively participate in cultural meets to discover their creative potential. Students are also encouraged to become ‘News Readers’ for the monthly video magazines of project townships. Besides this educational films obtained from Children’s Film Society (CFSI) are regularly screened over the cable TV network in townships.

NTPC has successfully introduced the concept of Inclusive Education in its project schools so that children with special needs can study alongside other children. The objective is to ensure quick, easy and dignified integration of children with special needs in the social mainstream.

A pilot project on Inclusive Education has been taken up at Dadri. Children with special needs were identified from neighbouring villages and they have been integrated in its schools from the academic session 2005-2006. This model will also be adopted by NTPC schools.

Introduced with a view to meet NTPC’s social initiatives towards propagation of adult education, the company aims at providing functional adult literacy with a view to endow the illiterate with skills for self directed learning.

NTPC Foundation, registered in December’2004, is striving to serve and empower the physically challenged and economically weaker sections of the society. The Foundation is carrying out focused CSR activities in identified niche areas of helping the physically handicapped and other marginalized communities.

Recent initiatives of NTPC Foundation in line with current need and priorities are:

ICT Centres:

The Foundation has set up Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Centre for the physically challenged at Delhi University. The ICT Centre, set up jointly by NTPC Foundation and University of Delhi and inaugurated in Oct’08, will enable approximately 1000 physically challenged students to learn IT Skills and help them move along with the mainstream society. Similar Centres for the visually challenged have been started at Mysore, Thiruvananthpuram, Lucknow and Ajmer. The efforts of Foundation are being appreciated by one and all. Similar ICT facilities are planned to be set up at all the States in a phased manner.

DOT Centres:

NTPC Foundation is running Directly Observable Treatment Centres (DOTs) in its hospitals at 10 power stations to take care of tuberculosis patients in the vicinity of 25 km radius of these stations. Besides providing space and doctors’ services, your Company has also given mobile vans and diagnostic equipment to the Centres.

District Disability Rehabilitation Centre (DDRC):

The Foundation has also set up District Disability Rehabilitation Centre (DDRC) in collaboration with National Institute for the Orthopaedically Handicapped (NIOH) at NTPC- Tanda which is serving the beneficiaries in nearby areas.

Distributed Generation (DG) Programmes for Rural Electrification.

NTPC Foundation is also providing grants for setting up of Distributed Generation Projects for preparation of feasibility report, DPR, Insurance, Energy Plantation and for meeting funding gap limited to 30% of the approved project cost.

Relief Operations

NTPC has always reached out to victims of natural calamities or any other disaster.

Rs. 15.2 million as employees’ contributions and Rs.80 million from the company was donated to Prime Minister’s Relief Fund.

Treatment provided to 7,838 patients.

Provided food to 18,398 villagers & children.

Assisted in restoration of power supply in 53 relief camps.

"Poverty is the worst form of violence."
-Mahatma Gandhi

NTPC focuses on enhancing quality, skill and sustainability of the poor, thus widening the scope of livelihood opportunities for them. Some of the related activities are:-

• Organising training for vocational trades.
• Facilitating government sponsored schemes.
• Schemes for specific target groups like women, disabled, elderly and other marginalised groups.
• Marketing tie-ups.
• Creating small-scale economic opportunities other than farming.

NTPC volunteers run E-VOICE (Employees Voluntary Organisation for Initiatives in Community Empowerment) at its stations with numerous programmes on education, livelihood, health, advocacy, etc.

NTPC employees are contributing actively to 25 E-VOICE across the country.