IMPACT ASSESSMENT REPORT
Akshaya Vidyalaya, Arpakkam, Kanchipuram District, Tamil Nadu
AKSHAYA TRUST
IMPACT ASSESSMENT REPORT
OVERVIEW
GOVERNING BODY
1. Mr. G. Gopalan
Founder & Managing Trustee
Mr. G. Gopalan is the Founder and Managing Trustee of Akshaya Trust and has been associated with the Trust since its establishment in 2001. He holds a B.Sc. (Chemistry) degree and a Post Graduate Diploma in Materials Management (PGDMM). Prior to dedicating himself to social service, he accumulated over 25 years of entrepreneurial and corporate experience, managing functions including human resources, finance, production, administration, and marketing. Under his leadership, Akshaya Trust has expanded its interventions across elderly care, education, healthcare, and community development. He provides strategic leadership to the Trust, oversees institutional governance, resource mobilisation, programme expansion, and stakeholder engagement, while guiding the implementation of the Trust’s long-term vision of providing dignified elderly care and quality education to underserved communities.
2. Mrs. Lalitha Gopalan
Trustee
Mrs. Lalitha Gopalan serves as a Trustee of Akshaya Trust and has been associated with the organisation since its inception. She holds a Master of Science (M.Sc.) degree and actively supports the Trust in governance, programme oversight, and institutional development. As a member of the Board of Trustees, she contributes to policy guidance, implementation oversight, and organisational decision-making across the Trust's education, elderly care, and community welfare initiatives. She also plays an important role in strengthening stakeholder relationships and supporting the Trust's mission of delivering sustainable social impact through quality service delivery.
Management Responsibility
Management is responsible for identifying and reporting the proposed project outputs, outcomes, and impact indicators in accordance with the applicable provisions of the SEBI (Issue of Capital and Disclosure Requirements) Regulations, 2018, the Social Stock Exchange disclosure requirements, and other applicable regulatory guidelines. Management is also responsible for establishing and maintaining appropriate systems, processes, and internal controls for project planning, implementation, monitoring, financial management, beneficiary tracking, and reporting of project performance.
In relation to this Impact Assessment Report, management is responsible for ensuring that all information, records, project documents, financial estimates, technical plans, implementation schedules, beneficiary projections, organisational records, and other supporting documentation made available to the Social Impact Assessor are accurate, complete, and prepared in good faith. Management is further responsible for ensuring that the information presented fairly reflects the proposed scope, implementation framework, institutional capacity, and anticipated outputs and outcomes of the project.
Management acknowledges its responsibility to disclose both the expected social benefits of the proposed intervention and any foreseeable limitations, implementation risks, assumptions, or challenges that may influence project execution or achievement of intended outcomes. Such transparency enables stakeholders to obtain a fair and balanced understanding of the proposed project's implementation readiness, anticipated performance, and expected social impact.
Management further recognizes that, as the proposed intervention primarily relates to the construction and operationalization of additional educational infrastructure, the long-term educational outcomes and social impacts—including increased enrolment capacity, improved educational continuity, enhanced learning opportunities, reduced dropout rates, and broader community benefits—will materialize progressively after completion of construction and commencement of academic operations. Accordingly, such outcomes have been presented in this assessment as anticipated impacts based on the proposed implementation framework and supporting documentation
Social Impact Assessor Responsibility
A Social Impact assessment, conducted as an independent, objective and reliable examination of impact of a project / program / project-based activity of a social enterprise, is designed to Assess whether the project / program / project-based activity is operating in accordance with the stated strategic intent and planning, assesses the stated performance in terms of impacts/outcomes and to provide suggestions, if any, to improve the impact measurement and/ or performance and to provide a report thereon.. The Social Enterprise implements similar project(s) in the same geographies funded through sources other than through the Stock Exchange. However, such projects, if any, have not been subject to Social Impact Assessment by us and are excluded from the scope and boundary of our assessment. We conducted our engagement in accordance with SEBI Regulations/Guidelines, as applicable for Social Enterprises listed on a Social Stock Exchange and the terms of listing of the project on NSE. The Social Impact Assessment Report by its very nature involves numerous assumptions, inherent risks, and uncertainties, both general and specific. The conclusions drawn are based on the information available with us at the time of writing this report. No representation or warranty, express or implied, is made with respect to the information contained in this report. The work was limited to the samples/specific procedures described in this report and were based only on the information and analysis of the data obtained through interviews of beneficiaries supported under the project, selected as sample respondents. Accordingly, changes in circumstances/samples/ procedures or information available could affect the findings outlined in this report. The deliverables in this report in no way should be construed as an opinion, attestation, certification, or other form of assurance. We have not performed any procedure which can be constituted as an examination or a review in accordance with generally accepted auditing standards or attestation standards. We have not audited or otherwise verified the information supplied to us in connection with this engagement, from whatever source. Further, comments in our report are not intended, nor should they be interpreted to be legal advice or opinion. To the fullest extent permitted by law, we do not accept or assume responsibility to anyone other than the client for the report, or for the conclusions expressed in this independent Social Impact Assessment Report and the conduct of the engagement is based on the assumption that the data and information provided to us is complete and true. We expressly disclaim any liability or co- responsibility for any decision, a person or entity would make based on this report.
Auditor Independence
The social impact assessment was conducted by professionals with domain knowledge of the concerned thematic subject, and suitable skills, competence and experience in social impact assessment in the thematic area as per SEBI requirements for Social Impact Assessment. Our work was performed in compliance with the requirements of the Code of Conduct for Social Impact Assessors of Institute of Company Secretaries of India (ICSI), which requires, among other requirements, that the members of the assessment team be independent of the organization assessed. The Code also includes detailed requirements for practitioners in relation to integrity, objectivity, professional competence and due care, confidentiality and professional behavior. The social impact assessment organization has systems and processes in place to monitor compliance with the Code and to prevent conflicts regarding independence.
Basis of opinion
Social Impact assessor has made a video conferencing with the office bearers and Management of the society and verified the financials and other documents available with them and the process of their working and undertaking projects. We have also relied on various search engines and internet apart from the data provided by the Management.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
| S. No. | Title | Page No. |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Project Implementation Details | |
| 2 | Baseline and situation analysis | |
| 3 | Output Indicators | |
| 4 | Outcome Indicators | |
| 5 | Geographical Coverage | |
| 6 | Challenges & Risks | |
| 7 | Key Learning & Recommendations | |
| 8 | Documentation | |
| 9 | Success Stories | |
| 10 | Impact Scorecard | |
| 11 | Conclusion |
Name of the NGO: Akshaya Trust
Name of the Project: Akshaya Vidyalaya
Geographical Coverage: Arpakkam Village, Kancheepuram District, Tamil Nadu
Target Beneficiaries: The primary target beneficiaries include children from socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds who receive free, high-quality education through the English-medium school. The interventions are aimed not only at improving students' academic learning and educational progression, but also at fostering their social, emotional, physical and personal development, communication skills, confidence and life skills. The Trust's educational initiatives also seek to prepare students for higher education, future career opportunities and responsible participation in society. Teachers and the wider school community are important secondary stakeholders, as improvements in teaching capacity and the learning environment contribute to sustained educational outcomes for the student beneficiaries.
Sustainable Development Goals covered
The School contributes to the following Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs):
SDG 4 – Quality Education: Providing free, structured English-medium schooling ensures inclusive and equitable primary education for disadvantaged children.
SDG 3 – Good Health & Well-being – School's stated focus includes emotional, social and physical well-being
SDG 8 – Decent Work and Economic Growth: The initiative actively reduces the proportion of youth not in employment, education, or training. Guiding college students and teaching them interview preparation equips them to secure decent work and enter the formal job market.
SDG 10 – Reduced Inequalities: Offering free high-quality schooling and elite professional development workshops to low-income groups promotes social and economic inclusion.
SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals: By collaborating with local colleges and community stakeholders to deliver workshops, your organization fosters multi-stakeholder partnerships to share knowledge and scale social impact.
Project Implementation Details
The Trust implements its educational project through the operation of its school, providing quality education and holistic development to children, with particular emphasis on creating an inclusive learning environment for students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds operating in Arpakkam village, Kanchipuram district, which utilizes the holistic Montessori method of teaching and learning.
The project is implemented through structured classroom teaching and student-centred learning, supported by academic monitoring and activities aimed at developing students' academic, social, emotional, physical and communication skills. The school also undertakes co-curricular and extracurricular activities, workshops, peer interaction, mentorship and career guidance to support the overall development and future readiness of students.
Student progress is monitored through academic assessments, attendance and other school-level records, enabling the Trust to identify areas requiring further support and track educational outcomes. The implementation is supported by teachers and the school's administrative and management framework, with the objective of creating sustainable educational and developmental outcomes for the student.
Beyond core academic instruction, the implementation strategy integrates a continuous youth development framework featuring dynamic skill-building workshops on communication, career mapping, and social responsibility.
Baseline and situation analysis
Akshaya Vidyalaya is located at Arpakkam Village, Kancheepuram District, Tamil Nadu, where a significant proportion of families belong to economically weaker sections and have limited access to affordable, quality English-medium education. Prior to the establishment of the school, many children from rural communities either travelled long distances for schooling or discontinued their education due to financial constraints, inadequate educational infrastructure, and limited availability of quality schools in the vicinity.
Recognising education as a critical driver of long-term social and economic development, Akshaya Trust established Akshaya Vidyalaya with the objective of providing affordable, value-based English-medium education to children from underserved communities. Over the years, the Trust has continuously strengthened the school's infrastructure, academic environment, learning resources, and student support systems while expanding educational opportunities for rural children, particularly those belonging to economically weaker families and first-generation learners.
The educational initiative has been implemented through sustained investments in school infrastructure, qualified teaching staff, learning materials, student welfare measures, transportation support, and holistic development programmes. The initiative seeks not only to improve access to education but also to promote educational continuity, reduce dropout rates, enhance learning outcomes, and create opportunities for higher education and improved livelihoods among rural students.
| Inputs | Activities | Outputs | Outcomes | Long-term Impact |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Financial resources mobilized by Akshaya Trust through donations, CSR support and philanthropic contributions; school infrastructure; qualified teachers; administrative personnel; learning materials; transportation facilities; community participation; and institutional management systems. | Establishment and operation of Akshaya Vidyalaya; delivery of affordable English-medium education; recruitment of qualified teachers; provision of classrooms, learning resources and student support services; transportation facilities; extracurricular activities; parent and community engagement; and continuous school development initiatives. | Affordable quality education provided to approximately (number) students; functioning English-medium school established; qualified teaching and administrative staff deployed; classrooms and learning facilities operational; transportation support provided; holistic educational environment created for rural children. | Improved access to quality education for children from underserved communities; increased enrolment and retention; enhanced learning opportunities; improved academic progression; greater participation of girls and first-generation learners; strengthened parent and community confidence in formal education. | Improved educational attainment among rural children; reduced educational inequalities; increased transition to higher education; enhanced employability and livelihood opportunities; social mobility for economically weaker families; and long-term community development through improved access to quality education. |
Output Indicators (Quantitative)
| Output Indicator | Baseline | Target | Achieved | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students enrolled at Akshaya Vidyalaya | 240 | 600 | 470 | Student admission and enrolment records |
| Functional English-medium school established | 1 | 1 | 1 | School registration and operational records |
| Classrooms operational | 8 | 28 | 22 | School infrastructure records and physical verification |
| Teaching and support staff deployed | 21 | 65 | 54 | HR records and staff appointment records |
| Students receiving educational support (uniforms, notebooks, learning materials, etc.) | 240 | 600 | 470 | Distribution registers and school records |
| School transportation facilities operational | 240 | 600 | 470 | Transport records and asset registers |
Outcome Indicators (Quantitative)
| Outcome Indicator | Baseline | Target | Current Status | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Access to Quality English-medium Education | Limited access for children from economically weaker rural communities | Improved access to affordable, quality English-medium education | Achieved through the establishment and operation of Akshaya Vidyalaya | School records, Annual Reports, stakeholder interactions |
| Educational Infrastructure | Limited institutional capacity to serve rural students | Safe and conducive learning environment established | Functional school infrastructure with classrooms, learning facilities, and student support services operational | Physical verification, school infrastructure records |
| Student Participation and Educational Continuity | Risk of interrupted schooling due to financial and accessibility constraints | Improved enrolment and continued participation in formal education | Improved educational continuity observed among enrolled students | Admission records, attendance registers, school records |
| Holistic Student Development | Limited opportunities for structured co-curricular and value-based learning | Promote holistic development through academic and co-curricular activities | Holistic learning environment established through curricular and extracurricular programmes | Annual Reports, activity records, school documentation |
| Community Confidence in Formal Education | Limited confidence in affordable quality education within nearby rural areas | Strengthened community trust and parental engagement | Increased community acceptance and sustained parental participation in the school's educational initiatives | Parent interactions, community feedback, Annual Reports |
Note: Since the educational initiative is a continuous intervention, several long-term outcomes relating to improved learning outcomes, transition to higher education, reduction in dropout rates, enhanced employability, and socio-economic advancement of students will materialize progressively over multiple academic years. Accordingly, these indicators are reported as emerging or anticipated long-term outcomes based on the educational services delivered, institutional systems established, and evidence available at the time of assessment.
Deliverables of the project
Free English-Medium Schooling: Operational execution of a tuition-free English-medium school at Arpakkam village using the holistic Montessori pedagogy.
Holistic Early Childhood Education: Continuous tracking of the physical, emotional, social, and academic development of primary-level including periodic evaluation of students' learning and academic performance..
Life Skills & Employability Workshops: Delivery of dynamic training modules covering social skills, career pathways, interview techniques, and social responsibility.
Structured Mentorship Framework: Deployment of a personalized mentorship program matching first-generation college students with dedicated mentors for career and exam guidance.
Goal Setting & Tracking Systems: Implementation of SMART goal-setting tools to empower students to independently map and monitor their academic progress.
Peer Exchange & Leadership Forums: Creation of interactive platforms including debates, inter-school networking, and guest speaker sessions on critical issues like environmental awareness.
Intergenerational Community Service: Scheduled student volunteer visits to Akshaya Trust old age homes to build social empathy and cross-generational community ties.
Challenges and Risks
a. Key Challenges Faced and How They Were Addressed
Challenge:
High student dropout or absenteeism rates due to seasonal agricultural demands, domestic chores, or families requiring older children to support household income.
Solution:
Conduct mandatory community orientation and parental counseling sessions to demonstrate the long-term economic value of English-medium education. Introduce flexible school tracking to identify and support students showing early signs of regular absenteeism.
Challenge:
Students come from homes where English is not spoken, making it difficult for first-generation learners to grasp a full English-medium curriculum immediately.
Solution:
Implement bilingual instructions in the early stages using the Montessori method to ease the transition. Use audio-visual aids, peer-to-peer conversational circles, and immersive storytelling to build confidence naturally.
Challenge:
Scarcity of certified, high-quality Montessori educators willing to commute to or reside in the rural Arpakkam village ecosystem.
Solution:
Partner with urban teacher training institutes to offer fully funded certifications for local youth. Provide transport allowances and career-advancement incentives to retain high-performing staff locally.
b. Risks and Their Impact
Risk:
Frequent power outages and poor internet connectivity in the rural district affecting digital classrooms and SMART tracking tools.
Impact:
Disruptions to computer literacy classes, mentorship syncs with corporate mentors, and regular communication with external guest speakers.
Mitigation:
Equip with solar power backup grids and dual-provider cellular routers to guarantee uninterrupted power and internet connectivity.
Risk:
External corporate or academic mentors dropping out mid-way through the academic year due to their own professional time constraints.
Impact:
Disruption in the goal-tracking journeys of vulnerable, first-generation college students, leading to a loss of motivation or guidance gaps.
Mitigation:
Transition from a strict 1-on-1 mentoring model to a "pod" or group mentoring system (e.g., 2 mentors to 5 students). Create a standby pool of backup mentors and standardise the curriculum modules so a new mentor can seamlessly step in.
Key Learning and Recommendations
It is very difficult to get trained teachers to come and work here at Arpakkam, especially married teachers with children as there are no schools to cater to the needs of those teachers.
Recommendations: It is better to hire fresh graduates and give them on the job training, be it Montessori or regular classroom teaching. Retired teachers can also be hired.
Lessons Learned:
Fresh teachers and retired teachers are happy to stay on campus and deliver their service to students with passion.
Recommendations for Future Projects:
Collaborate with colleges/ Universities nearby to hire people who are passionate and provide skill training continuously during summer and during school breaks including weekends.
Documentation- Good Quality Photos and newspaper cuttings regarding the programme
Impact Scorecard
| KPI Group | Weight (%) | Performance Summary |
|---|---|---|
| Educational Outcomes | 30% | Assessment of students' learning achievements, educational continuity and overall academic progress. |
| Student Development & Well-being | 25% | Evaluation of students' holistic development including emotional, social, physical and life skills growth. |
| Institutional Effectiveness | 20% | Assessment of teaching quality, learning environment, educational processes and school management systems. |
| Future Readiness & Social Responsibility | 15% | Evaluation of mentorship, career preparedness, leadership and community engagement initiatives. |
| Stakeholder Satisfaction & Sustainability | 10% | Assessment of student, parent and teacher satisfaction, community trust and sustainability of outcomes. |
| TOTAL | 100% |
| KPI Code | Outcome Indicator | Definition | Current | Target | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EO-01 | Student Learning Improvement | Improvement in students' academic learning levels during the assessment period. | Students in Preprimary are doing well in terms of their work. We do not have formal assessments for them. It is only observations from the teacher and parents are also given opportunities to observe their children in action once in a quarter and the overall rating is very good from the parents. The primary students have midterms and end of the term assessments. While most of the students in standards 1 and 2 have done well during the first midterm, a handful of students in Standards 3 and 4 were found struggling mainly because they had either come from Tamil medium schools and had difficulty in even identifying English alphabets or because they came from English medium schools, but did not have exposure to spoken English. | Alls students in standards 1 to 4 should be able to understand and speak in English in addition to doing well on the assessments. | Assessment / examination records |
| EO-02 | Academic Achievement | Proportion of students achieving the expected academic/grade-level learning outcomes. | About 70% are achieving the expected learning outcomes. | More than 95% should achieve the expected learning outcomes. | Report cards / assessment results |
| EO-03 | Student Attendance & Retention | Regularity of attendance and continuity of students in the school programme. | Attendance register / student records | ||
| EO-04 | Educational Progression | Proportion of students successfully progressing to the next grade or stage of education. | 100% of students are progressing | 100 % of students should progress | School records |
| SD-01 | Communication & Confidence | Improvement in students' ability to communicate, express themselves and participate confidently. | Around 70% | More than 95% | Teacher assessment / student feedback |
| SD-02 | Social & Emotional Development | Development of interpersonal skills, emotional maturity, cooperation and positive behaviour. | Around 70% | More than 95% | Teacher observations / feedback |
| SD-03 | Co-curricular & Physical Development | Participation and development through sports, arts, cultural and other co-curricular activities. | Around 60% | More than 95% | Activity records / participation records |
| SD-04 | Life Skills & Personal Development | Development of self-discipline, decision-making, responsibility and other life skills. | NA | NA | Teacher assessment / student feedback |
| IE-01 | Teaching Quality | Effectiveness of teaching practices and implementation of the school's educational approach. | We had 6 teachers at the highest level, 4 teachers at the above average level and 3 teachers at the below average level out of a total of 13 yteachers last year | We would like all of the 33 teachers to be at the highest level | Classroom observations / teacher records |
| IE-02 | Teacher Capacity | Extent to which teachers receive training and develop their teaching capabilities. | Same as above | Same | Training records / attendance |
| IE-03 | Learning Environment | Quality, accessibility and effectiveness of the classroom and overall learning environment. | Very Good | Very Good | Site observation / student feedback |
| IE-04 | Student Progress Monitoring | Effectiveness of systems used to monitor and respond to individual student progress. | Observations written by teachers and are screened b Montessori trainers for preprimary children. Assessment scores, activities, exposition are used by teachers to assess students learning and these are monitored by headmistress and Dean of school | Student progress records / MIS | |
| FR-01 | Mentorship & Career Guidance | Access to and effectiveness of mentorship and career guidance provided to students. | NA | NA | Programme records / student feedback |
| FR-02 | Future Readiness | Improvement in students' preparedness for higher education, employment and future opportunities. | NA | NA | Student progression / surveys |
| FR-03 | Leadership & Social Responsibility | Development of leadership, civic awareness and participation in community/service activities. | NA | NA | Activity records / student feedback |
| SS-01 | Student Satisfaction | Students' perception of the quality, usefulness and overall benefit of the educational programme. | NA | NA | Student survey |
| SS-02 | Parent / Community Satisfaction | Parents' and relevant community stakeholders' perception of the school's contribution to beneficiaries. | We have little quantitative data. However, all parents express their satisfaction during parents teachers meeting and we get around 70% attendance during PTM. | We want to collect quantitative data and want ALL parents to give a score of 95% or above. | Parent/community survey |
| SS-03 | Sustainability of Outcomes | Extent to which educational and developmental benefits are likely to continue beyond the immediate intervention period. | Follow-up records / interviews |
Scorecard Output Summary
| KPI Group | Weight | Score Achieved | Weighted Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Educational Outcomes | 30% | ___ / 100 | ___ |
| Student Development & Well-being | 25% | ___ / 100 | ___ |
| Institutional Effectiveness | 20% | ___ / 100 | ___ |
| Future Readiness & Social Responsibility | 15% | ___ / 100 | ___ |
| Stakeholder Satisfaction & Sustainability | 10% | ___ / 100 | ___ |
| TOTAL | 100% | ___ / 100 |
Conclusion
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