Legal Status and Governance
Panth Foundation is registered as a section 8 non-profit organization under the Companies Act 2013, dedicated to advance education, health, and leadership development among adolescent girls and underserved communities in rural areas. The Foundation is committed to the highest standards of transparency, accountability, and ethical governance and is duly registered under Section 12A and Section 80G of the Income Tax Act, enabling eligible donors to avail tax benefits on their contributions. It is also registered through CSR-1, making it eligible to undertake Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives as per Law, and listed on NITI Aayog’s NGO DARPAN portal, the Foundation is committed to transparency, accountability, and impactful social change.
Our Journey
From a Question to a Transformation
Panth is more than an organisation. It is a path — built from silence, struggle, and the stubborn belief that every girl deserves a chance to begin again. The story of Panth begins with two lives that refused to stay defined by the circumstances they were born into.
Usman grew up in a small rural community where education was a struggle, not a given. As a first-generation learner, he was bullied for going to school instead of madrasa, humiliated for not paying fees on time, and often left alone with his books as his only friends in a corner of the house. In 2003, his family moved to a nearby town in search of better schooling, as there was no school beyond class 8 in their village. His sister, a district-level mathematics champion, was full of promise. Yet when finances tightened and no government school beyond class 8 was available even in the town, she was pulled out while Usman was sent to a low-budget private school. That quiet, painful question — “Why not her?”— stayed with him for years.
Rani’s childhood was marked by a different kind of silence. She never went to school. At 15, her marriage was fixed despite her fear and hesitation. What followed was violence, neglect, and isolation. She was pregnant, abandoned, and emotionally broken when her family brought her back. For years, she lived in fear and shame, believing her story would never matter.
Her life began to change in 2006, when she connected with a local women’s rights organisation. For the first time, she was heard. In group meetings with other women, she found belonging, courage, and a voice. She began supporting other women — accompanying them to police stations, attending court hearings, and helping them navigate systems that once felt impossible. She fought her own legal battles, raised her daughter alone, and returned to education as an adult. Rani’s journey taught her a simple truth: change begins when girls and women are listened to, trusted, and given space to lead.
Usman began to understand why girls were left behind when he started working in western Uttar Pradesh in 2013, supporting government schools to ensure quality education. He saw firsthand the social and structural challenges women faced, especially in rural areas. During his M.Phil. and Ph.D. at the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), Mumbai, he delved deeper into gender and educational realities in rural western Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand as part of his research. These experiences took him back to 2003, and he realised that even after 20 years, things had changed — but not enough for girls in rural areas.
Usman and Rani’s paths converged through their shared belief that exclusion is not accidental — it is structured. Through his research and grassroots work, Usman met hundreds of adolescent girls who had dropped out of school. They told him clearly: “We want to learn, but there is no pathway for us.” Rani, working for over two decades with women facing violence, poverty, and displacement, saw the same pattern in her communities. Girls were not without dreams; they were without support.
In 2024, they founded Panth Foundation together.
This is not just an organisation. It is a path back to possibility. It is built on the understanding that girls do not lack ambition — they lack flexible, tailored pathways to education and independence. Through their ‘Addressing Needs and Promoting Solutions’ model, Panth works to reintegrate dropout girls into learning by addressing academic, emotional, and social barriers.
Panth means ‘path’. And this path is built on two truths:
“Every girl deserves to be heard.”
“Every girl deserves a chance to begin again.”
From Usman’s question — “Why not her?” — and Rani’s answer — “Because she was never given a chance”— Panth was created. Today, it stands as a space where girls who were told to stop can start again. Where education is not a privilege, but a right. Where dreams are not paused, but nurtured.
This is Panth’s story. A story of two lives, one mission:
“No Girl Left Behind.”
Our Approach
Knowledge, Access, Confidence
VISION
An inclusive society where every marginalized girl can be educated, healthy, confident and empowered to shape their own future.
MISSION
We are committed to building a just and inclusive society where girls are not left behind due to poverty, stigma, and systemic neglect. Our mission is to bridge the gap between potential and opportunity—so girls can fully live their lives with a strong sense of self-worth and confidence.