From mining to empowerment: NMDC’s expanding footprint in Bastar
Mumbai : NMDC Ltd., India’s largest iron ore producer, has been making significant strides in fostering sustainable growth and empowering communities in Chhattisgarh’s Bastar district. Through initiatives focused on education, skill development, and environmental stewardship, NMDC is helping shape a brighter future for local residents in and around its projects. The organization is focused on ensuring equitable development in the field of education through its proactive intervention with the help of its social schemes.
Some of these initiatives are-
NMDC Balika Shiksha Sahyog Yojana
Balika Shiksha Sahyog Yojana, the largest scholarship initiative by an Indian PSU so far has been at the forefront of the NMDC’s commitment towards promoting higher education among adolescent girls in the rural parts of the state of Chhattisgarh. This scholarship scheme benefits students from Class 9 to the undergraduate level and is specifically designed to support girls from SC, ST, and OBC communities. Since its inception in 2008-09, the scheme has impacted lives of over 2 lakh students across 623 schools, disbursing over ₹65 crore directly into students’ accounts through bank transfers.
This initiative has significantly improved their academic performance and fostered all-round development of young girls, bringing them closer to their dreams.
Establishment of Industrial Training Institute (ITI) at Nagarnar
The Industrial Training Institute (ITI) at Nagarnar, established solely by NMDC in 2010-11, reflects its dedication to transforming Bastar’s educational landscape. ITI Nagarnar prioritizes land losers of NISP, SC/ST, and BPL families, offering a one-year course in Welder and Mason trades. The initiative focuses on enhancing employability in the region through classroom training, hands-on lab work, and practical workshops.
The institute has already facilitated skill development to around 500 youth with an expenditure of more than 100 lakh in last three years. A state-of-the-art permanent building featuring 24 classrooms and 10 workshops is under construction at an estimated cost of ₹917.22 lakh, aiming to provide advanced infrastructure for skill-building and create sustainable livelihood opportunities for the region’s youth.
Through this initiative, NMDC is not just fostering individual growth but also contributing to the socio-economic development of Bastar by equipping the local youth with skills for a brighter future.
Imparting Education through Residential School at Nagarnar, Bastar
Under NMDC’s extensive efforts to provide quality school education to students in the remotest parts of Bastar, the organisation has established a Residential School at Nagarnar, Bastar, reaffirming its commitment to providing quality education in the region. The school currently admits over 600 tribal students from classes 1 to 12, annually. Initially, most of the students admitted were first generation students, most of them brought by NMDC employees from the hinterlands and given free residential schooling. As on date, more than 5000 students have benefitted from receiving quality education in this school.
In the past three years, NMDC has almost spent ₹500 lakh to enhance the school’s operations. Additionally, the construction of a full-fledged school with 36 classrooms, 8 laboratories, and a residential complex is underway, with an estimated expenditure of ₹2,307 lakh, further strengthening the educational infrastructure for tribal students in the region.
Through these efforts, NMDC is proving that its commitment extends far beyond its mining operations. The company’s initiatives are investments in the future by empowering young minds and ensuring that the benefits of its activities reach the heart of the community. NMDC is creating a movement of empowerment and responsible growth, where the youth are equipped with the skills, education, and resources to thrive, and the environment is preserved for future generations.