‘Coding Ki Pathshala’: A silent revolution for women in Chhattisgarh’s Raipur

A silent revolution is unfolding in Chhattisgarh’s Raipur with a new residential school providing free training in coding for young women who belong to poor and underprivileged families

Urmila Gurudaswani, a Commerce graduate from Chhattisgarh’s Tilda-Nevra who nurtures a dream of working in the IT sector, says that little did she know that there would be a day when her dream would come true.

Two-hundred women, aged 17-29, have enrolled in the first batch at the ‘Coding ki Pathshala’ in Chhattisgarh’s Raipur. (HT Photo)

According to her, a silent revolution is unfolding in the state Capital Raipur with a new residential school providing free training in coding for young women like her who belong to poor and underprivileged families.

The school, named ‘Coding Ki Pathshala,’ started in August and was made possible through the collaborative efforts of the Raipur district administration and NGO ‘Navgurukul.’

Two-hundred women aged 17-29, all having completed at least the 10th grade, have enrolled in the first batch. The school has provided them with laptops to practise and perfect their coding, android programming, and software engineering skills.

Gurudaswani recalled how she delved into simple algorithms in her first class and found joy in solving puzzles through code. “This is a dream come true. I am learning what I wanted to learn,” she said.

“With each passing day, my passion for coding is growing stronger,” said Pushpa Teeka from Mandir Hasaud, a 12th-grade pass-out who was earlier deprived of technical education due to financial constraints.

Nikesh from Navgurukul, the NGO providing technical support to the district administration for the school, said the school’s objective is to secure placement for the students with a minimum package of ₹3 to 8 lakhs.

“The Coding Pathshala is more than just about coding. It is about nurturing creativity, problem-solving, and critical thinking in a whole generation. This revolution asserts a belief in the power of education and technology to break barriers. It is a story of transformation, hope, and empowerment,” said Nikesh.

“The aspirational project is aimed at securing a hundred percent placement- it’s a testament to what can be achieved when young minds are given the tools and the opportunity to explore the limitless world of technology. With each line of code they write, they are not just shaping their future but also the next generation, one algorithm at a time,” said Sarweshwar Bhure, Raipur Collector.

Nidhi Anarkat, a Harvard Graduate and the co-founder of Nav Gurukul, echoed the sentiment, emphasizing the project’s aim to transform young minds with 21st-century communication and collaboration skills.

“Nav Gurukul is privileged to collaborate with the Raipur district administration, and we firmly believe in the positive outcomes this project will yield,” said Anarkat.