Grassroots Leadership, Global Vision

Pravin Nikam’s journey is a testament to resilience—a story that begins in the industrial belts of Maharashtra and reaches the global stage of education and justice. Born in Rajgurunagar (Khed-Chakan) in the early 1990s to parents who migrated from rural Satara in search of work, Pravin’s early life was marked by precariousness. His father moved between factory jobs before joining Hindustan Antibiotics; his mother ran a tiffin service and took on odd jobs. Wages often came late, and hunger arrived early, but these hardships planted the seeds of dignity, solidarity, and justice in Pravin long before he entered a classroom.

A Spark Called Roshni

As a teenager, Pravin gravitated toward activism. Inspired by the ideals of Savitrimai Phule and Dr Ambedkar, he performed street plays and organised youth groups. His parents hoped he’d pursue a stable career in engineering, but a pivotal study visit to North-East India changed his path. There, a girl named Roshni confided she’d left school because menstruation had triggered a community taboo. Her story inspired Pravin to found the ROSHNI Collective (later SAMAVESH), a youth movement dedicated to education and gender equality.

Finding His Voice and Purpose

Pravin switched from engineering to Political Science at SP College, Pune, leading street theatre groups that highlighted inequality. His work with the Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan took him across rural and tribal India, teaching him that true leadership means standing with communities, not above them. He deepened his commitment to justice by pursuing law, interning with social movements and NGOs, and advocating for those denied their rights.

Samavesh: A Movement is Born

In 2021, Pravin wove together his experiences to launch SAMAVESH, evolving from the Roshni Collective. Its mission is ambitious yet clear: help marginalised youth secure legal identity, scholarships, and mentoring. What started with a single story now impacts thousands of students across Maharashtra and beyond. Samavesh has become a hub for nurturing the next generation of leaders.

From selling newspapers as a boy in Pimpri-Chinchwad to earning a Chevening Scholarship at the London School of Economics, Pravin’s journey is defined by grit and hope. His vision: build institutions that ensure no child is denied education or dignity. His story stands as a blueprint for a generation reclaiming its future.

Barriers to Education Beyond Money

Barriers to education in India go beyond finances. Missing documents create deeper exclusion. Nearly 30 per cent of children under 5 lack a birth certificate—a figure that rises to 44 per cent in rural areas. Nineteen lakh students in a single state lack Aadhaar cards. This means tens of millions are excluded from education and government entitlements simply because of missing paperwork. For children with disabilities, the hurdles multiply—they need a Unique Disability ID, a lengthy process. Marginalised communities require caste certificates for scholarships, and when disability, caste, and poverty intersect, exclusion becomes severe. Even minor document errors can block opportunities.

India’s vast scholarship ecosystem, spanning central and state governments, earmarks thousands of crores each year. Yet much of this funding goes unclaimed. The reasons are simple: children lack the required documents, families are unaware of schemes or how to apply, and schools or colleges rarely offer adequate support. As a result, countless students drop out over fees that government scholarships could cover. For first-generation learners, this gap often determines whether they continue their education or enter wage labour.

Even when scholarships are secured, another barrier looms: the lack of structured mentoring and career guidance. First-generation learners navigate higher education without role models or roadmaps. Decisions about colleges, entrance exams, and scholarships are daunting unknowns. Without mentorship, students miss out. Scholarships and documents are not enough; holistic support is essential for students to thrive.

Samavesh at the Grassroots

Samavesh addresses these issues at their source. The process begins by identifying missing documents in marginalised communities—often, families don’t realise what’s needed until a crisis arises. To solve this, Samavesh holds regular community camps where families bring whatever papers they have. Fellows identify gaps, assist families in navigating government offices, draft affidavits, correct errors, and update digital records. Local partnerships with officials help expedite cases and address systemic issues. Fellows track every application until documents are delivered, ensuring children become “identity-secure.”

Once documentation is secured, Samavesh helps families unlock scholarships. The team shares simple brochures and WhatsApp guides about available scholarships in local languages. Application camps guide students step-by-step through the process—creating logins, uploading documents, linking bank accounts. Fellows troubleshoot rejections and track disbursements for accountability and advocacy.

Building Futures, Not Just Paperwork

Documents and scholarships keep students in school, but mentorship drives success. Samavesh’s After-School Program (Grades 9–12) offers evening classes in community centers, academic support, life skills, and exposure visits to universities and workplaces. Early scholarship guidance helps reduce dropout rates after Grade 10 or 12.

The Samavesh Scholars Program for college students matches first-generation learners with mentors from various professions. Workshops cover writing, critical thinking, digital skills, and preparation for entrance exams or global scholarships. Mental health counselling and peer support groups are integral. Every student has a case file tracking their progress, which is reviewed monthly to ensure no one falls behind.

Impact and the Road Ahead

By combining legal identity, financial access, and mentoring, Samavesh addresses the full chain of exclusion. A child at risk of dropping out due to missing paperwork can now prove their existence legally, pay fees through scholarships, and access mentoring to aim for the best colleges and careers. Samavesh is a holistic, grassroots model led by local youth.

The numbers tell the story: Over 1,600 students have accessed scholarships (164 securing more than one award), and over `2.25 crore in government funds have been unlocked, helping students stay in college. More than 530 students have closed legal documentation gaps, 1,130 have received structured mentoring, and a majority of supported students are girls or from marginalised communities. In 2024–25 alone, Samavesh enabled over 2,700 students to pursue education through scholarships, mentoring, and documentation support.

Pravin Nikam’s journey and the Samavesh movement stand as a powerful reminder: when exclusion is challenged at every level—with documents, resources, and mentoring—entire communities can move from the margins to the center of social transformation. It also presents a wonderful example of Nexus of Good. Here is a model that can be replicated and scaled.

Views expressed are personal. The writer is an author and a former civil servant