GAIL (India)

Limited

Impact Assessment Report on GAIL

Utkarsh Super 100 – Support for
specialized residential coaching for
Engineering entrance at Kanpur, Uttar
Pradesh- 100 beneficiaries (FY 20-21)

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 Disclaimer and Notice to Reader
1. This report has been prepared by KPMG Assurance and Consulting Services LLP
(“KPMG” or “we”) exclusively for GAIL (India) Limited (“Client”) in accordance with the
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Table of Contents
1.1 Executive Summary 4
1.2 Introduction 6
1.2.1 CSR at GAIL 6
1.2.2 About the Implementing Agency 9
1.3 Methodology and Approach 10
1.3.1 OECD DAC: Evaluation Criteria 11
1.3.2 Geographical Scope 12
1.3.3 Sampling strategy 12
1.3.4 Sample Coverage 12
1.3.5 Data Collection and Analysis 13
1.4 Scoring Matrix 15
1.5 Impact Assessment 16
1.5.1 Relevance of Intervention 16
1.5.2 Coherence of Intervention` 16
1.5.3 Effectiveness of Intervention 19
1.5.4 Efficiency of Intervention 20
1.5.5 Branding/GAIL Visibility 21
1.5.6 Impact of Intervention 21
1.5.7 Sustainability of Intervention 28
1.5.8 Overall rating of the project 28
1.6 Case Study 29
1.7 Conclusion and Way Forward 30

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1.1 Executive Summary
Since gaining independence, India has expedited its journey to being a worldwide leader
in both thought and action. With one-sixth of the world's population, India has the ability
to offer the pivotal traction required to achieve the 2030 Agenda. India's alignment with
the national development agenda, as shown by the motto "Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas"
(common efforts for inclusive growth), underlines the country's commitment to the SDGs
(SDGs).

The country has effectively lifted more than 271 million people out of multidimensional
poverty through economic growth and empowerment. 1 Housing, nutrition, child health,
education, sanitation, drinking water, and power inequalities have all reduced due to
improved access. 2 India achieved 100 percent rural sanitation and a significant reduction
in stunting among children and maternal mortality rates 3 through a cross-country initiative
launched by the Clean India Campaign and the National Nutrition Mission.

Higher education is regarded as a facilitator for growth for any society. According to
UNESCO Report, in the 21st century, higher education is the mandate to bridge the
knowledge gap between countries and communities enriching dialogues between
people, culture, international living and networking of ideas, research and technologies.

In today’s day and age, the premise that quality higher education is crucial for sustainable
human development is undeniable. Higher education leads to acquiring analytical and
problem-solving skills, ultimately helping humans to develop intellectual curiosity and
character. It pushes the students to identify and set career goals that make them ready
for professional setups. Therefore, a refined higher education enables economic,
physical and social well-being to a student.

India has one of the largest higher education systems in the world that stands second in
terms of the higher education network. With the expansion of the education sector, with
increased importance of higher education, coaching for getting enrolled into higher
education institutes with focus on premier engineering and medical colleges has taken
precedence among students across the country. The coaching industry alone
contributes approximately 3.5 billion USD to the share in the education sector, which is
huge considering there are various types of educational institutes in the country including
schools, colleges etc.

Most parents understand the crucial role of coaching in their children's future. They feel
that it helps their children in solidifying their knowledge which is not possible by schools
alone. Coaching institutions also enhance the conceptual learning of the students which
is very crucial for their selection to prestigious institutes like IITs, AIIMS or IIMs. Coaching
institution as an industry is witnessing massive expansion. Data from the National
Sample Survey Office’s 71st round survey reveal that more than a quarter of Indian
students, over 70 million, take private coaching, and around 12 per cent of a family’s
expenses go towards private coaching.

1 Sashakt Bharat- Sabal Bharat (Empowered and Resilient India)- Voluntary National Disclosure :2020
2 Ibid.
3 Voluntary National Review: 2020. India.:. Sustainable Development Knowledge Platform (un.org)

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firm of the KPMG global organization of independent member firms affiliated with KPMG International
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Despite the need and growing demand of private coaching centers, these centers have
also been seen to add to the cost of education which in turns puts economic pressure on
the parents. This puts a financial burden on the students as well as the parents belonging
to economically weaker sections of the society who are unable to afford sending their
children to the top coaching institutes.

In order to bridge this gap with regards to higher education between urban and rural India
and to provide an equal opportunity to students across the country to be able to aspire
for getting enrolled into prestigious engineering colleges without the financial burden,
GAIL (India) Limited collaborated with Centre for Social Responsibility and Leadership
(CSRL) to fund its Super 30 programme linked to transforming lives of engineering
aspirants by providing them with one year of free residential coaching and mentorship
for admission to IITs, NITs, etc. Over time, the enrollment of the number of students in
the centre increased and currently GAIL is supporting a batch of 100 students under the
programme each year.

As part of the GAIL Utkarsh project in Kanpur, GAIL (India) Limited has been supporting
students of Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh who belong to the lowest strata of the
society in achieving their dream of being able to pursue higher education in premier
institutes like IITs and NITs by receiving free of cost residential coaching.

Since the project’s inception, around 1,400+ students have been trained under GAIL’s
patronage in association with CSRL and have successfully gotten admission into the top
engineering colleges of the country.

GAIL (India) Limited enlisted KPMG to carry out an impact assessment study in order to
assess the project's impact and comprehend the perception of the stakeholders. To
understand the goal and scope of the project, stakeholder consultations and a review of
the team's documents and data were conducted. Following a desk review, the
programme team helped identify and finalize key performance indicators. The OECD-
DAC (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development- Development
Assistance Committee) framework was utilised for developing research tools
(questionnaires for qualitative surveys) and evaluating the impact created for this study.

100% of the beneficiaries found the project to be relevant and were satisfied with the
support provided as part of the project. They were also satisfied with the boarding and
lodging facility provided at the center. Academic support provided helped them prepare
for the entrance examinations and regular mock tests helped to improve their
performance and instilled confidence in them.

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1.2 Introduction

1.2.1 CSR at GAIL

GAIL (India) Limited, conferred with the status of Maharatna in 2013, is India’s leading
natural gas company with diversified interests across the natural gas value chain of
trading, transmission, LPG production, LNG- regasification, petrochemicals, city gas, etc.
It owns and operates a network of around 14617 km of natural gas pipelines spread
across the length and breadth of country. GAIL firmly believes that meeting people's
needs, enhancing communities, and safeguarding the environment will ultimately
determine how long progress can be sustained.

Pursuant to the provisions of the Companies Act, 2013 and rules made thereunder
including the statutory modifications/ amendments from time to time as notified by the
Government of India, GAIL (India) Limited earmarks two percent of its average net profit
of the preceding three financial years towards achieving its CSR objectives through
implementation of meaningful and sustainable CSR programmes.

1.2.1.1 GAIL CSR Vision

GAIL, through its CSR initiatives, will continue to enhance value creation in the society
and in the community in which it operates, through its services, conduct & initiatives, so
as to promote sustained growth for the society and community, in fulfillment its role as a
Socially Responsible Corporate, with environmental concern.

1.2.1.2 GAIL CSR Objectives

• Ensure an increased commitment at all levels in the organization, to operate its

business in an economically, socially & environmentally sustainable manner,
while recognizing the interests of all its stakeholders.

• To directly or indirectly take up programmes that benefit the communities in &

around its work centres and results, over a period of time, in enhancing the
quality of life & economic well‐being of the local populace.

• To generate, through its CSR initiatives, goodwill, and pride for GAIL among
stakeholders and help reinforce a positive & socially responsible image of GAIL
as a corporate entity.

1.2.1.3 About the project/programme

Nelson Mandela famously said, “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can
use to change the world.” For ages, education has been the only reliable way out of
poverty. Around the world, education for underprivileged children has a disproportionate
benefit, both to the child and the society at large. The United Nations regards education
as a worldwide “passport to human development”. Children’s education needs to be
prioritized to secure a nation’s future.

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firm of the KPMG global organization of independent member firms affiliated with KPMG International
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Higher education is regarded as a facilitator for growth for any society. According to
UNESCO Report, in the 21st century, higher education is the mandate to bridge the
knowledge gap between countries and communities enriching dialogues between
people, culture, international living and networking of ideas, research and technologies 4.

In today’s day and age, the premise that quality higher education is crucial for sustainable
human development is undeniable. Higher education leads to acquiring analytical and
problem-solving skills, ultimately helping humans to develop intellectual curiosity and
character. It pushes the students to identify and set career goals that make them ready
for professional setups. Therefore, a refined higher education enables economic,
physical and social well-being to a student.

India has one of the largest higher education systems in the world that stands second in
terms of the higher education network 5. The term ‘higher education’ with respect to India
denotes the tertiary level education that is imparted after 12 years of schooling (10 years
of primary education and 2 years of secondary education). The entire higher education
ecosystem in India comprises around 1000+ universities and 42,000+ colleges imparting
education across different streams and courses. The number of institutions has
expanded by more than 400 percent since 2001, with much of the growth taking place in
the private education sector, according to a major 2019 report from the Brookings
Institution 6. The structure of Indian Higher Education is three-layered, consisting of
Universities, Colleges and Courses. The universities and colleges work in unison with
regulatory as well as accreditation bodies to deliver standardized education 7.

With the expansion of the education sector, with increased importance of higher
education, coaching for getting enrolled into higher education institutes with focus on
premier engineering and medical colleges has taken precedence among students across
the country 8. The coaching industry alone contributes approximately 3.5 billion USD to
the share in the education sector, which is huge considering there are various types of
educational institutes in the country including schools, colleges etc.

Most parents understand the crucial role of coaching in their children's future. They feel
that it helps their children in solidifying their knowledge which is not possible by schools
alone. Coaching institutions also enhance the conceptual learning of the students which
is very crucial for their selection to prestigious institutes like IITs, AIIMS or IIMs 9. It is the
trust of parents who are willing to pay exorbitant amounts of fees for their child's
education, coaching institution as an industry is witnessing massive expansion 10. Data
from the National Sample Survey Office’s 71st round survey reveal that more than a
quarter of Indian students, over 70 million, take private coaching, and around 12 per cent
of a family’s expenses go towards private coaching 11.

Even as the world grappled with the Covid-19 pandemic and schools and colleges
remained closed, coaching for entrances continued in the digital space. Industry
observers said that the growth of online coaching is likely to emerge from Tier 2 and 3

4
ResearchGate
5
Indian Higher Education (studyinindia.gov.in)
6
India’s Higher Education Landscape | NAFSA
7
Indian Higher Education (studyinindia.gov.in)
8
The coaching game - India Today
9
The coaching game - India Today
10
The Growth Of Coaching Institutes In India [Case Study] (startuptalky.com)
11
The coaching game - India Today

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firm of the KPMG global organization of independent member firms affiliated with KPMG International
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cities. Rapid rise in internet infrastructure, driven by smartphones and cheaper data
plans, along with wide acceptance of digital payments contributed to the growth of online
coaching.

Despite the benefits of going to coaching institutes, it has been noted that students are
preparing along with hundreds of students in order to clear the competitive exams, and
they compete among themselves to analyze their preparation level. Such an environment
develops anxiety and exam stress in students. Lack of ability to cope with the excessive
stress and anxiety among students leads them to undertake drastic steps such as
physically harming themselves or taking their lives. According to the NCRB’s Accidental
Deaths and Suicides in India (ADSI) report, 2020, around 8.2% of students in the country
died by suicide. The report also notes that 64,114 people under 30 years of age took
their own lives in 2020. Given this scenario of pressure surrounding the students, inability
to access these facilities like a good coaching institute and proper guidance puts
additional pressure on students belonging to economically weaker sections of the
society, which in turn may impact their overall mental and physical wellbeing.

Despite the need and growing demand of private coaching centers, these centers have
also been seen to add to the cost of education which in turns puts economic pressure on
the parents. As per a study by India Today, the following table highlights the average
fees charged by the top coaching institutes for offline classes:

Nature of course Fees in top 5 coaching Fees in top 3 coaching

institutes (INR) institutes (INR)

Coaching for JEE (2 year full 2,63,600/- 2,82,333/-

– time classroom)

Coaching for NEET (2 year 2,45,480/- 2,93,800/-

full – time classroom)

Coaching for CAT (18-20 66,390/- 67,317

months full – time classroom)

Table 1: Annual fees at coaching institutes

This puts a financial burden on the students as well as the parents belonging to
economically weaker sections of the society who are unable to afford sending their
children to the top coaching institutes. Additionally, coaching institute aims to train
students specifically for examination and hence, they prepare them extensively for
gaining a competitive edge. As per the 75th NSS survey in India on education, it was
noted that nearly 13% of males and 19% females aged 3-35 years in rural areas,
compared to 7% among males and 10% among females in the same ages in urban areas
never enrolled in any educational institution 12. Additionally, in rural areas, only 5.7% had
a graduation degree, while in urban areas, the number was around 21.7%. The gross

12 Education — 'The Great Equaliser', Yet Rural/Urban Divide Persists In India (feminisminindia.com)

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 enrollment rate for people in post higher secondary level in rural areas was 18.6%
compared to 34% in urban areas 13.

In order to bridge this gap with regards to higher education between urban and rural India
and to provide an equal opportunity to students across the country to be able to aspire
for getting enrolled into prestigious engineering colleges without the financial burden,
GAIL (India) Limited collaborated with Centre for Social Responsibility and Leadership
(CSRL) to fund its Super 30 programme linked to transforming lives of engineering
aspirants by providing them with one year of free residential coaching and mentorship
for admission to IITs, NITs, etc. Over time, the enrollment of the number of students in
the centre increased and currently GAIL is supporting a batch of 100 students under the
programme each year.

Majority of the students enrolled into the project belonged to socially weaker sections of
the society. For example, out of the 100 students enrolled into the programme in FY
2020-21, 38% of the students were SC, 34% were OBC whereas 22% were SC.
Additionally, for a majority of 49% of the students, agriculture was the primary source of
income for their families. Thus, the project was relevant for them given their socio –
economic background and need for the support so that even they can gain access to
higher education.

As part of the GAIL Utkarsh project in Kanpur, GAIL (India) Limited has been supporting
students of Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh who belong to the lowest strata of the
society in achieving their dream of being able to pursue higher education in premier
institutes like IITs and NITs by receiving free of cost residential coaching.

Since the project’s inception, around 1,400+ students have been trained under GAIL’s
patronage in association with CSRL and have successfully gotten admission into the top
engineering colleges of the country.

1.2.2 About the Implementing Agency

Founded in the year 2008, Centre for Social Responsibility and Leadership (CSRL)
primarily works towards social upliftment. The organization was founded in Delhi mainly
to address the issue of lack of opportunities to the underprivileged but talented students.
The parents of these students could not afford the financial support needed for shaping
their careers. CSRL works with large scale Corporates and Organizations to execute
CSR programmes in the education and skill development sectors and focuses on life
transformation for deserving candidates.

The vision of CSRL is to be focused and determined in transforming lives and bridging
the socio – economic disparity of the society. Their mission is to clear the pebbles of
financial stress and carve the path to success for the blessed minds and nurture a sense
of leadership by promoting sense of social responsibility.

The focus area of CSRL is to work towards giving back to the society, nurturing talent,
supporting the underprivileged through education and enabling them to compete for the
elite and prestigious institutes for engineering in India. The organization has been

13 Education — 'The Great Equaliser', Yet Rural/Urban Divide Persists In India (feminisminindia.com)

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firm of the KPMG global organization of independent member firms affiliated with KPMG International
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 actively involved in educating students coming from the underprivileged section of the
society through its various projects being executed pan India. Presently, CSRL is
managing centers at 23 locations spread across states like New Delhi, Assam, Uttar
Pradesh, Jammu Kashmir, Assam, Maharashtra, etc. with the sole objective of reaching
out to the most deserving ones and bridging the socio-economic gap existing in our
society 14.

One of the flagship projects of CSRL is Super 30, which was launched in 2009 in Kanpur.
The aim of the project was to transform lives of engineering aspirants by providing them
with one year of free residential coaching and mentorship for admission to IITs, NITs,
etc. The well thought out system of residential mentoring focuses on a one – to – one
relationship with students and concentrates on providing them with the adequate
academic support along with their overall development 15.

1.3 Methodology and Approach

GAIL has been implementing successful CSR initiatives based on community needs. A
third-party evaluation of the results attained is essential given the dynamic nature of the
social development programmes deployed. This impact assessment aims to explain
what has been done well and what can be done moving forward. It will not only assist in
determining the significance of the project, including the efficiency of project design and
interventions, sustainability of results, and impact of the intervention on the target
community, but it will also provide guidance for expanding or replicating the successful
initiatives while redesigning or ending the projects/initiatives that were unable to have
the intended impact.

The impact assessment is intended to provide key insights on the following questions:

14 CSR in India | Best NGO for Education | CSR Project Super 30 (csrl.in)
15 Real Abhayanand Super 30 | Free Coaching for IIT JEE (csrl.in)

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 Figure 1: Research questions

The study was conducted through a combination of qualitative and quantitative data
collection techniques. These include in-depth interviews and focus group discussions
with beneficiaries and key stakeholders, as well as secondary research in the multiple
thematic areas for a baseline perspective.

1.3.1 OECD DAC: Evaluation Criteria

Given the fundamental approach for conducting an impact study, the OECD-DAC
(Development Assistance Committee) Evaluation Network's framework is well regarded
for assessing the efficacy of development programmes. In response to the need for a
method through which bilateral development agencies could monitor the financing
supplied to multilateral organisations for various development initiatives, the DAC
Evaluation Network developed a set of evaluation criteria for measuring the performance
of any development project (UNICEF, 2012).

In 1991, the OECD Development Assistance Committee (DAC) devised the criteria for
assessing international development cooperation. They are now widely used beyond the
DAC and have established themselves as a cornerstone of evaluation methodology.
These standards have routinely been used for international donors, including UN
agencies (OECD, 2020).

The OECD DAC Network has identified six evaluation criteria and two principles for their
application: relevance, coherence, effectiveness, efficiency, impact, and sustainability.
These criteria are meant to help facilitate evaluations. They were revised in 2019 to
improve the accuracy and utility of assessment and to strengthen evaluation's
contribution to sustainable development (OECD, 2020).

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 Figure 2: OECD-DAC Evaluation Criteria

1.3.2 Geographical Scope

The impact assessment for this project covered 1 state and 1 district.

State Districts
Under GAIL’s
Uttar Pradesh Kanpur
CSR initiative
Table 2: Geographical Coverage

1.3.3 Sampling strategy

The sample size for this study has been calculated using purposive sampling
methodology. Out of the total population of 100 beneficiaries, a sample size of 30 was
chosen for the study. This was done keeping in mind the beneficiary spread as well as
collecting data from diverse stakeholders. The actual sample size covered for the study
was 35. Duplication of responses were also avoided to ensure opinion of all
stakeholders is covered adequately.

1.3.4 Sample Coverage

An actual sample of 36 was covered across the state of Kanpur. The sample is divided
among beneficiaries and GAIL Utkarsh Kanpur centre staff and teachers.

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 Sample coverage
38 36
36
34
32 30
30
28
26
Sample targetted Actual sample covered

1.3.5 Data Collection and Analysis

In Uttar Pradesh, KPMG carried out the data collection exercise on - field with assistance
from GAIL CSR SPOCS as well as CSRL SPOCS.

In-depth interviews and focused group discussions were conducted with the relevant
stakeholders, with the help of pre-designed questionnaires, through face-to-face
interviews for data collection. The data was later updated and translated into excel
sheets. Following data collection and cleaning, the data was analysed, and the outcomes
were utilised to assess the project's impact.

1.3.5.1 Stakeholder Map

Stakeholders play an imperative role in project implementation on the ground.

Stakeholder involvement can offer insightful information that aids in making critical
decisions for the organisation. They can aid in designing improved guidelines,
processes, and systems, as well as future communications and plans. Institutions and
stakeholders taking part in the exercise include:

Project Type of Stakeholder Number of stakeholders

GAIL CSR project SPOC 1

GAIL Utkarsh Super
100 – Support for
specialized residential Students 33
coaching for
Engineering entrance
at Kanpur, Uttar GAIL Utkarsh Kanpur Project Head 1
Pradesh- 100
beneficiaries (FY 20-21)
GAIL Utkarsh Kanpur subject
1
teacher
Table 3: Stakeholders involved in sampling

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 1.3.6 Impact Map
Thematic Implementing Overall
Location Project Name Key Activities Key Outputs Key Outcomes Impact
Area Agency Objective
•Selection of
students based
on eligibility
criteria
•Providing
• No. of students
classroom/online •Improvement in
enrolled in the
GAIL Utkarsh coaching and access to higher
•Providing project
Super 100 – training to the education
specialized • No. of students
Promoting Support for selected •Reduced
coaching/online from low-income
Education specialized candidates along financial burden
Centre for for IIT/JEE and groups receiving
[Item no. residential with boarding on parents for
Kanpur, Social other free of cost •Increased access to
(ii), coaching for and lodging higher education
Uttar Responsibility engineering coaching higher education from
Schedule Engineering •Conducting cost
Pradesh and Leadership entrance • No. of students premier institutes
VII, entrance at mock tests and •Improvement in
(CSRL) examinations to who sat for the
Companies Kanpur, Uttar other the living standard
underprivileged entrance exams
Act 2013] Pradesh- 100 preparatory tests of family by
children at No. of students
beneficiaries Supporting reducing
Kanpur (UP) who successfully
(FY 20-21) students for inequality across
cleared the
entrance exams the social strata
entrance exams
of various
engineering
institutions like
IIT/JEE, AIEE &
others
Table 4: Impact map of the project

14
1.4 Scoring Matrix

A scoring guideline was designed where OECD DAC parameters were scored and
bundled basis our understanding of GAIL Utkarsh project and availability of information.
Weights were assigned to the bundled OECD DAC parameters. Also, a parameter on
Branding was included to understand the community’s awareness on the project. Various
components within the parameters have been assigned scores. Weights and scores
have been used to compute the overall score for Kanpur.

The following scoring matrix was developed to rate the performance of the project:

Table 5: Scoring Matrix

OECD Combined
Indicators Weightage
Parameters Weightage
Relevance Needs Assessment Report 20% W1: 40%
Relevance to target beneficiaries 50%
Alignment to SDGs 30%
Coherence Alignment with national policy 50%
Alignment with GAIL CSR policy 50%
Efficiency Timeline Adherence: Project Completion 40% W2: 40%
Duplication 20%
Adherence: Budget 40%
Effectiveness Identification of problem 25%
Process driven implementation strategy 25%
Qualified implementation team 25%
Targeted beneficiaries 25%
Impact Improvement in performance while giving mock tests 25%
Satisfaction with the boarding & lodging facility 25%
Improvement in confidence for giving entrance exam 25%
Improved access to coaching and preparation for entrance 25%
exams
Branding Visibility (visible/word of mouth) 100% W3: 10%
Sustainability Sustainability Mechanism, Convergence 100% W4: 10%
Score= W1*Average (Relevance, Coherence) + W2*Average (Efficiency, Effectiveness, Impact) + W3*
(Branding) + W4* (Sustainability)

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1.5 Impact Assessment

1.5.1 Relevance of Intervention

Relevance is a measure of how much the intervention objectives and design respond to
the needs, beliefs, and priorities of the beneficiaries and continue to do so even if
circumstances change.

Relevance measures how effectively a programme is aligned with the goals and policies
of the Government in which it is implemented. It also aims to know if the programme is
relevant to the needs of the beneficiaries. The program's relevance is understood in this
context in terms of community needs as well as linkages to existing Government
operations.

Coaching classes have gained immense popularity in the metropolitan cities of India in
recent times 16. There are classes catering to diverse needs in terms of different courses,
varying timings and locations and course material. Several coaching centers, popularly
known as tutorials or tuitions have sprung up all over the India and are a big part of the
nation’s educational system. They have come to be a mainstay and with the kind of
competition faced by students these days at every stage, coaching classes have become
a very popular parallel education system. This parallel education system supports the
huge chaotic and overburdened formal education system. Classes providing guidance
on every course and field of study are now available to students with great facilities in
terms of locations, timings and method of instruction based on their needs and wants.

The growing competition and increasing expectations from students across different
schools of study in India, has given rise to a steady growth in coaching classes. This has
led to immense pressure on the parents, specifically of the under privileged students,
when it comes to enrollment into coaching classes. The aspiration of getting enrolled into
prestigious institutes like IITs and NIITs is often countered by the increased fees charged
by the private coaching classes which becomes difficult for the students coming from
lower income families to achieve.

The project focused on aiding provision of free of cost coaching with boarding and
lodging facility to such students belonging to economically backward families. All
stakeholders deemed this project as relevant as it helped in ensuring access to means
of receiving higher education by getting support in terms of free of cost coaching and
study material to be able to apply to premier engineering colleges such as IITs & NIITs.
This would subsequently aid the students to secure an effective career path for
themselves and go on to gain employment in suitable jobs which would in turn help in
their economic wellbeing.

1.5.2 Coherence of Intervention`

Coherence refers to the compatibility of the intervention with other interventions in a

country, sector, or institution.

16https://www.bing.com/search?q=Coaching+classes+have+gained+immense+popularity+in+the+metropol

itan+cities+of+India+in+recent+times.+&qs=ds&form=QBRE

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 It measures the extent to which other interventions (particularly policies) support or
undermine the intervention, and vice versa.

I. Alignment of the programme with National Priorities - Sustainable

Development Goals (SDGs)

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), commonly recognized as the global goals,
were established in 2015 by all United Nations members with the purpose of eradicating
poverty, protecting the environment, and ensuring that everyone lives in peace and
prosperity by 2030. India was a significant contributor to the development of the SDGs
and is committed to achieving them by 2030.

SDG Goal Target Sub-targets 17 Relevance

GOAL 4 Quality 4.3 By 2030, ensure equal The project's aim was to
Education access for all women and men improve the access to
to affordable and quality coaching for students
technical, vocational and belonging to economically
tertiary education, including weaker sections of the society
university so that they can receive free of
cost residential coaching and
4.6: By 2030, ensure that all aspire to sit in engineering
youth and a substantial entrance exams. This would
proportion of adults, both men enable them to gain admission
and women, achieve literacy into the top engineering
and numeracy colleges in the country so that
they can receive quality higher
education and secure a career
for themselves for gainful
employment opportunities in
the future.
Table 6: Coherence to SDGs

II. Coherence with national priorities:

The project is further aligned with the national and state government goals, policies, and
initiatives, as listed below:

Project Description Coherence

The National Education Policy

2020 was approved by the Union In line with the vision and
Cabinet in July 2020. It proposes objectives of the policy, the project
National Education various measures to improve activities aim at contributing
Policy (2020) gross enrollment ratio at all levels towards giving access to higher
of education such as providing education from premier institutes
universal access and opportunity to children belonging to
to all children, effective and economically weaker sections of

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 sufficient infrastructure, safe the society by providing free of
conveyances and hostels, cost residential coaching so they
especially for the girl children, can appear for the entrance
children who are dropping out of exams.
school are brought back into
mainstream education, enhancing
access by establishing more high-
quality educational institutions in
aspirational districts, integration of
vocational Education with School
and Higher Education,
Scholarship / Fellowships for
SEDGs/Girls/Divyangs, etc.

The scheme aims to empower the

students belonging to minority The project aims at providing free
communities and prepare them of cost residential coaching to
for competitive examinations, so underprivileged students so that
Naya Savera – Free
that their participation in they can sit for competitive exams
coaching & Allied
government and private jobs and get admissions into top
scheme
improves. The scheme provides engineering colleges which in turn
financial support for free coaching will enhance their income
to notified minority students in generating opportunities.
selected coaching institutions.

The Central Sector Scheme of

Free Coaching for SC and OBC
Students is started by central
government (Ministry of Social
Justice and Empowerment)
department of disability affairs of
OBC and SC students who
belong to the economically The project aims at providing free
weaker family to assist them of cost residential coaching to
financially and enhance their underprivileged students so that
Central Sector Scheme
skills. they can sit for competitive exams
of Free Coaching for
and get admissions into top
SC & OBC Students
The objective of the Scheme is to engineering colleges which in turn
provide coaching of good quality will enhance their income
for economically disadvantaged generating opportunities.
Scheduled Castes (SC) and Other
Backward Classes (OBC)
candidates to enable them to
appear in Competitive
examination and succeed in
obtaining an appropriate job in
Public/Private sector.

In line with the vision and

The 'Abhyudaya' scheme of Uttar
objectives of the policy, the project
Pradesh government was
U.P Abhyudaya Free activities aim at contributing
kickstarted on Monday, 15
Coaching Scheme towards giving access to higher
February 2021. The scheme aims
education from premier institutes
to set up free of cost coaching
to children belonging to
centres in the state for the
economically weaker sections of

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 students preparing for competitive the society by providing free of
examinations. cost residential coaching so they
can appear for the entrance
The scheme will provide coaching exams.
facility to the students who are
preparing for Joint Entrance Exam
(JEE), Civil Services Exam
(UPSC/UPPSC), National
Eligibility cum Entrance Test
(NEET), National Defence
Academy (NDA), Combined
Defence Services (CDS).

The motive of this scheme is to

provide assistance to the students
who want to prepare for various
competitive examinations but are
unable to do it due to financial
restrictions.

Table 3: Coherence to national priorities

1.5.3 Effectiveness of Intervention

Effectiveness is defined as an assessment of the factors influencing progress toward

outcomes for each stakeholder as well as validation of the robustness of systems and
processes.

It aids in ensuring that the implementation and monitoring processes are sturdy in order
to achieve the greatest possible social impact. The efficacy of the programme is
established by examining how well the program's activities were carried out as well as
the efficiency with which the program's systems and processes were implemented.

The project’s goal was to provide free of cost coaching along with boarding and lodging
to economically underprivileged students so they can gain admission into the country’s
top engineering institutes. Therefore, to successfully attain these outcomes, the project
adopted the following measures:

I. Identification of the problem: The project's main objective was to solve the
issue of difficulty in accessing proper coaching for underprivileged students
who aspire to join premier engineering colleges like IITs. Due to the lack of
financial means to enroll themselves into private coaching institutes, these
students are unable to fulfill their dream of getting educated from the country’s
top colleges. To be able to deliver the best results for such students and
stakeholders involved, the issue was identified, and the project was
effectively developed.

100% of the beneficiaries interacted with agreed that the programme had
helped to solve the challenge of getting adequate coaching for being able to
compete in entrance examinations of top engineering colleges. Majority of
these beneficiaries aspired to enter into IITs and NIITs but did not have the
required means to fulfill their dream. Support provided by GAIL helped to curb
this challenge effectively.

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 II. Process driven implementation strategy: The project employed a process-
driven implementation strategy that includes fundamental market research to
ensure a context-specific initiative, standardised activities with a set
timeframe to assure quality, and pre-determined KPIs to ensure consistency.

III. Qualified implementation team- The implementing agency deployed a

qualified team with previous expertise managing similar tasks. The
implementing agency is well equipped in providing support as part of this
project and has been involved in end – to – end management and monitoring
of the project. This contributed to the preservation of implementation quality
and ensured successful admission of multiple batches of students across the
years into top engineering colleges of India.

IV. Targeted beneficiary mobilization: The core of the project is to provide the
students with free of cost residential coaching so that they can appear for
competitive exams and get admission into premier engineering colleges of
their choice. The implementing agency is responsible for proper mobilization
of the beneficiaries and a set selection criterion is followed to ensure
beneficiaries belonging to the economically and socially weaker sections of
the society are taken for the project.

For effective project implementation, the implementing agency has a

mobilization process in place. A mobilization team on behalf of the
implementing agency and GAIL (India) Limited visits Government schools as
well as localities and villages in all the districts of Uttar Pradesh to spread
awareness regarding the programme. As part of their school – to – school
visit programme, the team visits Javahar Navodaya Vidyalayas and other
Government schools, to onboard students for this project. Apart from this,
they are also involved in spreading awareness about the programme through
advertisements, newspaper articles, on their website, through posters and
pamphlets etc.

Due to this mobilization process, a majority of 72.2% of the beneficiaries received

awareness about the programme through their school management as part of the
school – to – school visit programme. 16.6% of the beneficiaries got to know about
the programme through friends and community members.

1.5.4 Efficiency of Intervention

The efficiency criterion seeks to determine whether the project was completed in a cost-
effective and timely way.

The purpose is to establish whether the inputs—funds, knowledge, time, etc.—were

effectively employed to create the intervention outcomes. This evaluation criterion
attempts to determine whether the programme was completed on schedule and within
budget.

The project has been efficiently implemented in the target districts with the support of
key stakeholders.

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 I. Timeliness of delivery or implementation of project interventions
The programme was implemented within the given time period by CSRL with
support from GAIL CSR team in the target districts.

II. Cost efficiency of project activities

Interaction with the GAIL CSR and CSRL team members also revealed that
there was no budget overflow and that all the activities were successfully
carried out within the allotted budget. Payment milestones were clearly
defined as such, and interventions were implemented in the districts in
consultation with the key stakeholders.

III. Duplication/ overlap of project activities

Duplication of effort arises when similar interventions are needlessly
undertaken within the same community/ location due to poor knowledge
management and inadequate coordination of projects, thereby resulting in
fund and resource inefficiency. In this case, it was discovered that no similar
activity was being carried out in the district. As a result, students from different
parts of the country came to the center to receive the coaching support. This
project contributed to expanding the reach of the intervention and avoiding
duplication or overlap of project activities in the target districts.

1.5.5 Branding/GAIL Visibility

The center at Kanpur showcases adequate branding and visibility of GAIL (India) Limited.
The center has a GAIL branded board at the entrance along with mention of GAIL on the
notice boards. Additional GAIL branding has been provided on the course material, T-
shirts and sweatshirts shared with the students so that they are aware that the project is
being funded by GAIL (India) Limited.

Figure 3: Centre highlighting GAIL branding

1.5.6 Impact of Intervention

Impact has been measured in terms of the proportion of respondents who reported
having a significant change in their lives due to the initiation of the project.

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The goal of measuring the impact is to determine the project's primary or secondary long-
term impacts. This could be direct or indirect, intentional, or unintentional. The
unintended consequences of an intervention can be favorable or harmful.

I. Improved awareness, access and systematic mobilization

The GAIL Utkarsh center at

Beneficiary social category
Kanpur was established in the
5.50% year 2009. The project focusses
on enrolling students belonging
to socio – economically weaker
22.20% sections of the society. Out of
33.30% the total beneficiaries interacted
11.10% with (n=18), 50% (9 out of 18) of
the beneficiaries belonged to
Other Backward Classes
50%
(OBC). 11.1% of the
beneficiaries interacted with
were females whereas 88.8%
beneficiaries were male.
General General (EWS) OBC OBC/NCL SC Children with families having an
annual income of below INR 2.5
Lakh were initially considered for the programme as they were seen to be unable to
afford private coaching and higher education in the long run. Subsequently, this
criterion was revised to include children with families having an annual income of INR
4 Lakh or below. The table below highlights the annual income of the childrens’
families that were selected for the project:

Annual Income (INR) Percentage of beneficiaries

40,000/- to 60,000/- 55.57%

70,000/- to 90,000/- 5.55%

1,00,000/- to 3,00,000/- 27.77%

3,00,000/- to 4,00,000/- 11.11%

Table 4: Annual income of beneficiaries

As part of the mobilization process, a mobilization team on behalf of the implementing

agency and GAIL India Limited visits Government schools as well as localities and
villages in all the districts of Uttar Pradesh to spread awareness regarding the
programme. As part of their school – to – school visit programme, the team visits Javahar
Navodaya Vidyalayas and other Government schools to onboard students for this
project. All the students selected for the programme have completed their senior
secondary education and are 12th class pass outs.

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 Source of knowledge about the project
80% 72.20%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
16.60% 16.60%
20%
10%
0%
School Management GAIL/CSRL Community/friends/family

A majority of 72.2% of the beneficiaries received awareness about the programme

through their school management as part of the school – to – school visit programme.
Apart from the above-mentioned source, some students may also get to know about
the programme from other sources such as newspaper articles, friends or community
members, through banner advertisement, advertisement through mike or directly
from the implementing agency’s website. This helped to increase the awareness of
the students regarding such a programme. As part of the mobilization and selection
process, a written test is conducted for the students in the subjects of Physics,
Chemistry, Mathematics and Aptitude. The duration of the test is 2-3 hours and, on
an average, around 2,000 – 3,000 students appear for the test every year. A face –
to – face interview is then conducted for the students who successfully clear the
written test. Post the interview process, a batch of 100 students is selected for the
programme each year.

For all the beneficiaries interacted with, their aspiration for attaining higher education
and dream to enter into premier engineering colleges of India like IITs and NIITs
encouraged them to join the center and the programme. Additionally, as majority of
the children came from remote locations, access to a reliable coaching center was a
challenge for them. This led them to join the GAIL Utkarsh project.

100% (18 out of 18) of the beneficiaries interacted with felt that their access to private
coaching to prepare for competitive exams had improved due to the intervention by
GAIL.

II. Reduced economic expenditure due to residential coaching facility

The GAIL Utkarsh coaching programme is an eleven-month free of cost residential

coaching programme. The coaching center has one classroom, one computer lab,
one self – study room and four dormitories. The center also has one dining hall where
all the children have their meals.

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 Figure 4 & 5: GAIL Utkarsh classroom & dormitory

Figure 6 & 7: GAIL Utkarsh computer lab & kitchen

Being a residential coaching center, the day starts for the students at 6 A.M. in the
morning. The first class for the students starts at 7:30 A.M in the morning. The
students take their breakfast at 9:30 A.M post completion of the first class. The
students are involved in subject wise classes from 10 A.M to 2 P.M every day. The
lunch break takes place at 2:30 P.M. The students are also involved in self- study as
well as completion of their assignments throughout the evening. They are also
provided with a tea break in the evening and dinner at night.

The students are provided with nutritive and healthy food by ensuring that they
receive a balanced diet rich in vitamins, minerals, protein and all other nutrients
required for them to keep their bodies and minds healthy and work hard to excel.
100% of the beneficiaries interacted with found the food supply to be adequate for
them at the center.

With regards to the lodging facilities, the students are provided with an independent
bed, blanket, mattress, pillow, table for keeping luggage, bucket, mug, plate for food
etc. All the beneficiaries were satisfied with the boarding and lodging facility available
at the center.

Being a residential coaching center has been highly beneficial for the students as
they get an opportunity to meet children belonging to different regions of the country
under one roof. This not only helps forge stronger bonds of friendship but is also a

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tool for improving one’s inter – personal skills, communication skills and ability to
interact with people of different backgrounds. The facilities provided at the coaching
center also enable the students to study together by aiding and assisting one and
another with regards to doubt clarifications, group study sessions etc. which is
essential while preparing for any competitive exam. Additionally, a fully residential
coaching center helps to reduce and save the time that a student might spend in
traveling from his home to a coaching center which is a tiring and cumbersome
process. Travelling, especially for longer distances may also reduce the time
available to the child for self – study.

While all the beneficiaries agreed on the occasional provision of extra – curricular or
leisure activities from time to time, the frequency of conducting such activities is
limited. Activities such as birthdays of the students as well as festivals are celebrated
at the center every month. Due to the schedule as well as the study curriculum of
students, extracurricular activities like sports are conducted on an occasional basis.
The implementing agency may incorporate more extra – curricular activities from time
to time to ensure relaxation of the students.

Improved academic performance and increased interest in studies

The primary aim of the coaching institute is to provide academic support to the
students so that they get the required guidance and support in order to clear entrance
exams required to pursue higher education. To this benefit, the center has appointed
a dedicated faculty who are subject matter experts and have tremendous experience
in teaching students over the years. The center has separate teachers for Physics,
Chemistry and Mathematics who have experience of teaching at premier educational
institutes.

These teachers not only conducted classes but also helped in clearing subject matter
specific doubts for the students and help in providing conceptual clarity. As agreed
by all the beneficiaries, when they joined the center, the subject matter as well as
concepts were difficult to comprehend. But consistent support from the teachers
helped the beneficiaries to understand the concepts and enhanced their confidence.

•Beneficiaries took regular mock tests

100% •Beneficiaries found improvement in their
scores due to mock tests

The teachers also conducted regular mock tests for the students as part of the
curriculum. At the beginning of the course, Combined Mains Tests (CMTs) are
conducted for the students. As the course module progresses, different kinds of mock
tests are conducted for the students to gauge their understanding of the subject
matter. These tests are extremely beneficial for the students as they aid in ensuring
regular practice for the students who plan to sit for the entrance exams. The tests
also help the students to identify the strengths as well as areas of improvement with
regards to the course content which helps them plan their self – study schedule.
According to the beneficiaries, 3 – 4 mock tests are conducted every month.
Coaching is primarily provided to clear JEE – Mains and JEE - Advance examination
which makes the students eligible to apply to engineering colleges across the
country.

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The following table highlights the details regarding number of students in FY2020 –
21 who sat for JEE – Mains as well as JEE – Advanced examination along with the
number of students who qualified both to get admission into engineering colleges
across India:

No. of No. of students No. of No. of students No. of

students in who appeared students who who appeared students
FY2020-21 for JEE - Mains qualified JEE - for JEE - who
Mains Advanced qualified JEE
- Advanced

100 100 100 99 79 (80%)

Table 5: Qualification results of batch of FY 2020-21, source: CSRL

The students are also provided with free of cost study material, books, stationary,
bags, uniform and track – suits with adequate GAIL branding to ensure access to all
study related requirements.

Figure 7 & 8: Study material & GAIL branded T-shirts

Figure 9 & 10: GAIL branded sweatshirts & GAIL board at center

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 Residential coaching was also beneficial for the students who were part of the
programme during the out – break of the COVID – 19 pandemic. The closure of
educational institutions and coaching centers during the pandemic had significantly
affected students, especially those belonging to the Economically Weaker Section
(EWS) of the society. Buddy4Study.com, a technology platform supporting students
with scholarship related assistance and mentoring solutions, conducted a survey of
school students across the country to understand the impact of ongoing lockdown on
their studies and the challenges they are facing towards exploring alternate ways of
learning. More than 75% students reported severe impact on their education due to
COVID 19 crisis. More than 75% of students said they found it difficult to pursue an
online course as they have never done it before 18.

While students across the country faced difficulties in studying, GAIL Utkarsh Center,
being residential in nature, was functional during the COVID – 19 pandemic as well.
The students as well as the teachers and support staff were made to stay at the
center with all required facilities to ensure minimum exposure and proper isolation.
Adequate steps were taken to sanitize the surroundings and ensure proper
cleanliness and hygiene for the students. Due to the support, 100% of the
beneficiaries agreed that the pandemic did not adversely impact their examination
preparation.

III. Overall impact of the project

Overall, all the beneficiaries found the support provided by GAIL to be beneficial for
them. They were satisfied with the different facilities available at the center. Provision
of free of cost coaching with boarding lodging facilities has ensured that the students
belonging to economically weaker sections of the society are able to receive the
adequate support required to fulfill their aspiration of attaining higher education and
forming a successful career for themselves, thus attaining economic self –
sufficiency. The following figure represents the level of satisfaction of the
beneficiaries on various aspects of the skill center on a scale of 1 to 5 with 1 being
least satisfied and 5 being most satisfied:

Quality of Quality of mock Study Material:

teachers: tests: 4/5
4/5 4/5

Classroom Administration Boarding &

Infrastructure 4/5 Lodging
5/5 5/5

Cleanliness & Food: Leisure

hygiene: activities:
5/5
4/5 3/5

Figure 11: Beneficiary rating on GAIL Utkarsh facilities

18Lockdown Hits Poor Students Hard, 86% Unable to Explore Online Learning: Survey
(ndtv.com)

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 All the beneficiaries were satisfied with all the facilities available at the skill development
center due to which they rated the facilities as either 4 out of 5 or 5 out of 5. The
component on leisure activities was rated as 3 out of 5 due to the lack of leisure activities
being conducted at the center. Implementing agency may incorporate more extra –
curricular activities for relaxation of the students as well as their mental and physical
wellbeing

1.5.7 Sustainability of Intervention

Sustainability assesses how well the programme secures the long-term viability of its
outcomes and influence.

The continuation of a positive effect after development or aid has stopped is referred to
as sustainability. This evaluation criterion contains key elements concerning the
likelihood of continuous long-term benefits and risk tolerance. To achieve sustainability,
a governing framework, financial model, and operating system must be established.

Although the project provides one year support in terms of residential coaching to the
students, it currently focuses on ensuring that the students are well prepared for the
entrance examinations and help them in selecting the adequate colleges for the children
basis their ranks. The project does not have a formal system of following – up with the
students once they get admission into the colleges of their choice with regards to
understanding the retention rate of the children post admission as well as reasons for
dropping out, if any. Developing such a mechanism into the project structure would
ensure long term sustainability of the project by capturing the retention rate of the project.

Additionally, a well-developed alumni network of students who have previously studied

at the center and went on to take admission into India’s premier engineering colleges as
well as students who have successfully been placed in their career and have become
financially independent, would aid the current students in reaching out and interacting
with them to gain motivation and an understanding of the scenario post coaching and
how should one go about it.

Regular alumni meets and guest lectures would help the students to gain first hand
experience of hearing students who were in their shoes in the past and they coped with
the stress and pressure and excelled in their future.

1.5.8 Overall rating of the project

The scoring matrix was used to evaluate and score performance of the project across
districts of Kanpur. The following table provides the district-wise rating across the defined
parameters:

Total
Location Relevance Coherence Efficiency Effectiveness Impact Sustainability Branding
Score

Kanpur 80% 100% 100% 100% 100% 80% 100% 94%

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 Table 6: Overall scoring of project

The GAIL Utkarsh project implemented in Kanpur scored an average of 94%. The project
was aligned to GAIL’s CSR policy and SDGs and were relevant to the needs of the
community. The project was efficiently executed across the selected districts within the
allocated budget and timelines. The completion rate was 100% for the project and 100%
of the beneficiaries surveyed were satisfied with the support being provided. Majority of
the beneficiaries were also satisfied with the boarding and lodging facility provided at the
center along with academic support provided by the teachers. Sustainability of the project
is at 80% as more frequent follow – ups can be conducted with the students who have
gotten admission into the colleges. Development of a strong alumni network would be
beneficial for the students in the long run.

The total score of the GAIL Utkarsh Project in Kanpur came to 94% due to which this
project can be rated as “Highly Impactful” in nature.

1.6 Case Study

Case Story 1: Kuldeep Kumar, IIT Kanpur, 2nd year, Electrical Engineering

Kuldeep Kumar is an alumni of GAIL Utkarsh Coaching Center at Kanpur. He is from

Aligarh; Uttar Pradesh and his father is a farmer, and their primary source of income is
from the agriculture sector. The family’s annual income is INR 50,000/- to 60,000/-.

While studying in school, Kuldeep got to know about the coaching center from a senior
in his school. Before joining the center, he had given one attempt to clear JEE – Mains
examination but was unable to clear the same due to lack of proper guidance and
support. When he heard about the free of cost residential coaching center, he decided
to join it and gave the entrance test and interview for the same.

Coming from an economically weaker section of the society, the center was a boon for
him as it gave free access to preparation for the entrance exam. The teachers at the
center were experts in their subject matter and provided the correct guidance required
for studying. Kuldeep received constant guidance and motivation from the teachers, and
they helped to clear all his doubts as and when required.

According to Kuldeep, GAIL has helped to fulfil his dream of entering into IIT Kanpur as
his family did not have the adequate resources to enroll him into private coaching. The
residential coaching center also helped to save the travel time that would have been
required by him to reach any coaching center. The presence of peers at the center helped
in providing a healthy studying and learning environment for him.

Post completion of his engineering, Kuldeep wishes to pursue M.B.A in the future. Before
pursuing his M.B.A he wants to gain work experience for which he plans to opt for a
campus placement. The main purpose is so that he can become financially independent
and support his family as well as collect money for his M.B.A fees. Through being
financially independent he would be able to also contribute in the marriage of his sisters
and help reduce his family’s burdens.

Overall, he was satisfied by the support provided by GAIL and the GAIL Utkarsh project
for helping in shaping his future in a positive manner.

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 Case Study II: Anuj Tiwari, NIT Patna, 2nd year, Electronics and Communication

Anuj Tiwari is an alumni of GAIL Utkarsh Coaching Center at Kanpur. He is from Kanpur
Dehat; Uttar Pradesh and his father is a farmer, and their primary source of income is
from the agriculture sector. The family’s annual income is INR 60,000/- to 70,000/-.

Anuj heard about the GAIL Utkarsh coaching center from his friends and community
members while he was taking a drop year after completing his senior secondary. He had
taken a drop year to prepare for the entrance examinations on his own as his family did
not have the required financial resources to send him for private coaching. This
motivated him to join the center and enroll himself into residential coaching programme.

Anuj faced several challenges on joining the coaching center as the first week away from
home was tough for him and he took some time to adjust within the environment of the
coaching center. The change of routine and schedule led him to face challenges. He
received tremendous support from the faculty as well as the center management. The
teachers were very helpful and supportive, and the center staff provided constant
motivation to him.

Anuj found the boarding and lodging facility to be extremely helpful and comfortable. He
had all the necessities required at the center to live comfortably. Being a residential
institute, all the children lived together, and it created a healthy environment wherein
everyone studied together and helped each other out.

Being a part of the center, Anuj learnt the importance of hard work and perseverance.
He got admission into his dream college and the engineering branch of his choice. Post
completion of his course, he wishes to become a Software Engineer and support his
family financially. He also aspires to sit for the Civil Services Examination and serve his
nation.

Overall, he was satisfied by the support provided by GAIL and the GAIL Utkarsh project
for helping in shaping his future in a positive manner.

1.7 Conclusion and Way Forward

The coaching industry is rapidly growing. Data from the National Sample Survey Office’s
71st round reveal that more than a quarter of Indian students (a stupendous 7.1 crore)
take private coaching. Around 12% of a family’s expenses go towards private coaching,
across rich and poor families alike. A majority of the middle-class parents have been
spending one-third of their monthly income on private tuitions for their wards to do better
in their examinations and prepare them for competitive entrance exams for professional
courses.

According to a report by the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India,

because of a “desire to stay ahead in the global economy and the failing quality of
mainstream education system, a whopping 87% of primary school children and up to
95% students in high schools receive private tutoring in metros.

Most students who plan on attending the IITs start preparing for the national level
entrance exam (JEE-Advanced) at the higher secondary education level (Grade 11/12),
The exam is held annually in May or June, and over 150,000 students appear for it every

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firm of the KPMG global organization of independent member firms affiliated with KPMG International
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year. To prepare for the JEE-Advanced, children begin preparations early by joining the
coaching centres. The average age of students enrolling for these coaching centres
ranges between 15-17 years and it takes a minimum of about 2 to 3 years of preparation.

Students belonging to economically weaker sections of the society find it difficult to gain
access to private coaching to the exorbitant fees charged and lack of affordability. This
hinders their aspiration of being able to attain higher education and to make a mark for
themselves by receiving equal opportunity of being able to study in some of the premier
colleges of the country.

GAIL Utkarsh Super 100 project has helped to realize this dream of thousands of young
aspirants who did not have the economic support and means to take admission into
private coaching institutes. Th project, through its free of coat boarding and lodging
facilities has aided the children belonging to weaker sections of the society to study in a
healthy environment with all their needs being met along with support from experienced
faculty members.

In order to make the project more robust and long lasting, GAIL (India) Limited and the
implementing agency may consider looking at the following challenges and way forward:

• Provision of more extra – curricular activities/leisure activities: As per

discussion with various stakeholders, it was noted that while birthdays and
festivals are celebrated from time to time at the center, there are no fixed extra –
curricular activities or leisure activities designed for the students within the
curriculum. Due to the hectic schedule of the students, they do not get enough
time to play any sport or engage in physical activities which are equally important
for a healthy mind and body. GAIL and the implementing agency may redesign
the curriculum in such a way so that students are given a designated time for
extra – curricular activities during the day. This would help them to manage the
stress more effectively.

• Provision of counselling sessions for the students: The students residing in

the centers are part of a competitive environment and are subject to multiple
study schedules, deadlines and mock tests from time to time. They come from
economically weaker sections of the society and right out of school into a new
environment and a completely different schedule. This leads them to take some
time to adjust and cope to their new surroundings and requirements of the course.
Given this scenario, regular counselling sessions from a trained professional will
help the children to discuss their fears and apprehensions more openly and help
them adjust better in the future.

• Provision of guest lectures on a regular basis: While interacting with the

beneficiaries, it was suggested that the center may organize guest lectures from
the alumni of the center. Such guest lectures from time to time would help
motivate the students and ensure their perseverance is maintained to reach their
goal. Additionally, interacting with past alumni of the center would help them
better understand basis a first-hand experience on how to effectively prepare for
the examination.

• Provision of medical professional at Center: Detailed discussion with the

stakeholders at the coaching center revealed that for any type of major medical
need, students have access to the nearby hospitals and the center also informs

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the parents. Although the center has provision of medicines for general medical
needs like cough and cold, GAIL and the implementing agency may explore to
bring in a medical professional 2-3 times a week or get the center affiliated with
a hospital in the city at subsidized rates for any kind of emergency and easy
access to medical facilities.

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firm of the KPMG global organization of independent member firms affiliated with KPMG International
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The information contained herein is of a general nature and is not intended to
address the circumstances of any particular individual or entity. Although we
endeavour to provide accurate and timely information, there can be no guarantee
that such information is accurate as of the date it is received or that it will continue
to be accurate in the future. No one should act on such information without
appropriate professional advice after a thorough examination of the particular
situation.

© 2023 KPMG Assurance and Consulting Services LLP, an Indian Limited Liability
Partnership, and a member firm of the KPMG global organisation of independent member
firms affiliated with KPMG International Limited, a private English company limited by
guarantee. All rights reserved

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