New Delhi [India], July 10: Nature conceals countless seeds in its lap. Some of them need only a single ray of sunlight to germinate. When that ray arrives is often a matter of destiny. For one seed, the sun may rise on a particular day as though it has risen for that seed alone—and that day can alter its future forever.
It was 17 September 2020. On that day, the chairman of a non-governmental organisation named Pahal decided to distribute one tablet each to 71 meritorious and underprivileged students as part of an initiative to bridge the growing digital divide.
Seventy-one students received tablets. Today, they are at different stages of their journeys. The video of one of those 71 children has recently gone viral on social media. The young man has secured admission to an IIT. In the viral video, he says with emotion: “The tablet given by Manish Bhaiya made my studies easier. It gave me access to resources that I could never have reached without the internet.”
That tablet was merely a window. A window does not make anyone knowledgeable on its own; it simply opens up a view of the world outside. But for someone who has spent years inside a dark room, the opening of even one window can feel like liberation.
The boy who received that tablet had talent. He had the blessings of his parents. Yet the tablet became a bridge between his ability, his hard work, the sacrifices of his parents and the vast world of knowledge available beyond his immediate reach. Today, that child is carrying the flag of his learning at an IIT.
But this story neither begins here nor ends here. To understand a river, one must travel back to its source.
It was in 2019 that I first met Manish Mishra. By then, the organisation Pahal had already completed eleven years of its existence. It did not have an inexhaustible fund, yet in those eleven years it had built a network of work across eleven states, including Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Haryana and Delhi. From healthcare and education to women’s empowerment and environmental work, Pahal had attempted to create interventions in several areas of public life.
During our meeting in 2019, Manish Mishra shared a concern that had been troubling him. He said that as the world was rapidly becoming digital, talented children from villages and small towns were being pushed towards a new form of illiteracy—digital illiteracy.
These children had intelligence. They had diligence. They had dreams. But they did not have the tools that could give wings to those dreams.
By then, an ocean of digital knowledge was expanding before the world, yet there were still many thirsty children who did not even have a vessel with which to draw from it.
Fortunately, in 2020, Manish Mishra translated that concern into action by distributing tablets to 71 meritorious students. It was not an isolated act undertaken merely for display. It was the first step of a larger vision. Today, Pahal has begun taking concrete steps towards transforming Basti.
The organisation has provided assistance of ₹1 lakh each to one hundred self-help groups in Basti so that women can produce “Ram Ji Ka Peda.” Women who once lived under the pressure of economic hardship are now coming together, singing “Ram Ji Ka Sohar,” and producing peda as a form of prasad through their own labour.
In the same spirit, Pahal has initiated another campaign. More than two thousand women have been identified for the distribution of sewing machines. The objective is to create “Ram Ji Ka Jhola.”
This jhola is, in itself, an idea. Plastic bags are damaging the environment. At the same time, cloth bags have held an important place in Indian tradition. Yet a simple replication of tradition does not always appeal to the younger generation. Therefore, Pahal has sought to create a bag that carries the fragrance of tradition while also reflecting Gen-Z aesthetics.
In the field of education, Pahal has developed a model in Basti that can genuinely be described as a modern-day tapovan: a free digital library with the capacity to accommodate 250 children. Here, students sit before computers and pursue their studies.
In addition, Pahal is now preparing to distribute tablets once again to more than one hundred girls who have performed exceptionally well in Class 12. This initiative, too, will give many young girls the ability to take flight in the digital world.
As part of this broader effort towards digitalisation, Manish Mishra has also announced a vision to make Basti a fully digital district by 2027. Under this plan, every village in Basti would have a computer system containing key data related to that village.
Beyond education, Pahal is also creating direct employment opportunities for more than one hundred young people. In addition, Manish Mishra plans to distribute one cricket kit in each of Basti’s 3,500 villages, with the aim of forming 3,500 cricket teams across the district. His dream is that by 2027, at least one boy from Basti should make the journey to the IPL.
The question may arise: why am I writing this recollection of my meeting with Manish Mishra and his work at this moment?
The first reason is that the video of the IIT student has recently gone viral, bringing back these memories. The second is that we live in an age in which there is very little space left for sincere appreciation in public life. People often publicise the movement of a straw as though they have moved a mountain.
At such a time, when someone works for public welfare with genuine intent and without seeking publicity, it becomes the responsibility of people like us to bring such work before society.
As long as there is even one Manish Mishra in this world—someone willing to use limited resources to nurture limitless dreams—there will remain hope that humanity has not lost its way.
And as long as the work of an organisation like Pahal helps a child reach an IIT, there will remain faith in one simple truth: talent has no substitute; it only needs a little sunlight and a little water.
To further extend the initiative, on 6 July 2026, the organization distributed 100 tablets free of charge to meritorious students from the Bareilly district as part of its mission to promote digital learning and bridge the digital divide. The initiative aims to empower students with access to technology-enabled education, helping them participate more effectively in online learning, skill development and academic advancement. Addressing the gathering, founder Manish Mishra said the organisation’s vision is to give Bareilly a new identity in the fields of education and technology by ensuring that deserving students receive every possible support to build a brighter future.
Such opportunities to transform lives come in many forms. Sometimes, a single act of timely support is enough to change the course of a child’s future—and, perhaps, inspire an entire generation.
Best wishes to the student who reached IIT. Best wishes to Manish Mishra. And best wishes to his organisation, Pahal.
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