Akarsh Shroff, founder of YuvaSpark, a Bengaluru-based organization, was awarded the prestigious National Youth Award on April 3, 2025. The award, presented by Union Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, recognizes his commitment to enhancing the quality of early childhood education at anganwadi centers across India.
YuvaSpark, founded by Shroff in 2018, has developed technology platforms that have digitized learning in over 600 anganwadi centers in rural India. The organization provides teachers with interactive, vernacular language content to improve the quality of education. YuvaSpark also undertakes initiatives to improve infrastructure at orphanages, libraries in government schools, and provides smart learning devices to special schools.
Key achievements of YuvaSpark include:
Shroff, a 2022 graduate of BITS Pilani, forwent job placements to dedicate his time to improving children's education in India.
Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Mansukh Mandaviya presents the National Youth Award to Akarsh Shroff, founder of YuvaSpark, in the presence of Minister of State for Youth Affairs & Sports Raksha Nikhil Khadse, Youth Affairs and Sports Secretary Sujata Chaturvedi, and Joint Secretary Nitesh Kumar Mishra, in New Delhi on April 3, 2025. | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Akarsh Shroff of Bengaluru was conferred the prestigious National Youth Award on April 3 for his ‘commitment to improving quality of early childhood education at anganwadi centres in India’.
The award was conferred during a ceremony at Parliament House in Delhi by Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Mansukh Mandaviya. The event was organised to honour award recipients of both this and the previous year. A total of 22 awardees were honoured across both the years.
The National Youth Awardis conferred by the Ministry of Youth Affairs to recognise the excellent efforts of youth working towards national development and social service. The prize recognises work in health, research, culture, human rights, tourism, education, sports, innovation, community service, by people under the age of 30.
Akarsh founded YuvaSpark as a 17-year-old high school student in 2018. The organisation has built technology platforms that have digitised learning at over 600 anganwadi centres across rural India. To enhance quality of education at anganwadis (early childhood education centres in rural India), YuvaSpark’s digital platform is periodically providing teachers with custom-curated interactive vernacular language academic content.
Apart from this, the organisation runs programmes to improve infrastructure at orphanages, enhance library infrastructure in government schools, and provide smart learning devices to special schools.
The organisation has impacted the lives of 3,46,000 children across 10 States by engaging over 700 volunteers from 35 institutions, and has raised ₹2.5 crore in funding from Amazon, BCG, Indian Oil, MNGL, SECI, and other companies.
After graduating from one of India’s most prominent institutions, BITS Pilani, in 2022, Akarsh opted out of placements and chose to devote his time to improving the quality of education for children in India.
Published - April 04, 2025 12:27 pm IST
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