RISHI Equity Statement

SC Project RISHI is an independent partner of Ekal Vidyalaya, which functions under Ekal Abhiyan, a non-profit organization based in both the United States and India that assists in the expansion of educational resources across rural India. We understand that Ekal Vidyalaya has been critiqued for its previous endorsements by both Prime Minister Modi and the BJP, and currently has connections to Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP), the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and the BJP. However, SC Project RISHI rejects far-right politics and we are confident that Ekal Vidyalaya’s current presence in the villages that we work with is inclusive, just, and solely for the benefit of the village residents. 

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SC Project RISHI develops all of our initiatives independently, ensuring that Ekal’s past controversial actions incited by the aforementioned political parties are not present in the villages we currently work with. For each of our projects, we rigorously consult amongst our peers, university professors across the country, and on-the-ground contacts in our villages in India. Going forward, we will perform thorough background checks on every non-profit and NGO we partner with, ensuring that current and past political backing, funding, and support are thoroughly investigated prior to forming a partnership. Every initiative SC Project RISHI creates strives to be equitable, accessible, and sustainable for each of the communities they were designed for. SC Project RISHI does not tolerate any discriminatory practices on the basis of caste, race, religion, national origin, sex, gender expression, creed, color ethnicity, sexual orientation, age, physical or mental ability, marital status, or any other characteristic protected by law.