In the august presence of Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir, Manoj Sinha, who served as the Chief Guest at the Inauguration, the philanthropic arm of the Faizal & Shabana Foundation (FSF), which was co-founded by education reformer and entrepreneur Faizal E. Kottikollon and Mrs Shabana Faizal, officially opened the newly built Middle School Building at the Government Girls Higher Secondary School, Kothibagh, Srinagar. The Governor praised the initiative as a significant step.

The project is especially significant for Jammu & Kashmir since it is a step towards achieving social inclusion, empowering the youth, and developing the educational infrastructure. It restates the government’s resolve to guarantee that all children, particularly girls, have access to high-quality education in a setting that is secure and motivating.

Manoj Sinha, the Lt Governor of Jammu and Kashmir, expressed his sincere gratitude to Faizal, Mrs Shabana, and the Faizal & Shabana Foundation for their outstanding dedication to improving public education in the state. This project is an example of how compassionate leadership, teamwork, and visionary leadership can change the direction of public education. In addition to revitalising Kothibagh’s educational environment, the project has given students, faculty, and the community at large fresh optimism. It is a brilliant illustration of how empathy, creativity, and design can raise education to a level that is on par with the rest of the world.

With this project, the Foundation is extending its renowned Nadakkavu paradigm from Kerala to Jammu & Kashmir under a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) paradigm. Design, creativity, and empathy are the foundations of the Nadakkavu Model, a movement in public education reform. Over 977 schools throughout Kerala were inspired by the Nadakkavu transformation in Kozhikode, where a 120-year-old government school was redesigned using the PRISM (Promoting Regional Schools to International Standards through Multiple Interventions) framework. This led to a government scale-up throughout the entire state. The Kothibagh initiative has brought this tried-and-true approach to Jammu and Kashmir, effectively integrating regional ambitions with a single national vision for high-quality public education.

“Today is a historic milestone in our mission to reimagine public education in India,” stated Faizal E. Kottikollon, co-founder of the Faizal & Shabana Foundation and founder and chairman of KEF Holdings. What started as a single project at the Nadakkavu School in Kerala has now expanded into a national movement that ushers in a new age in Jammu & Kashmir. Our goal is straightforward: every child, regardless of circumstance, should have access to top-notch education in a setting that values empathy, dignity, and design. The success of Kerala’s government schools demonstrates that when collaboration and purpose are combined, change is achievable. We are proud to continue this journey and make sure that every child’s potential becomes India’s greatest strength with the unwavering support of the Hon. Lieutenant Governor and the people of Jammu & Kashmir.

Faizal Kottikollon’s 2023 visit to Srinagar as a member of the UIBC-UC team led to the creation of the new DREAM School block, where he pledged to reform the institution. This pledge was made during the historic visit that also featured the Emaar Mall of Srinagar groundbreaking ceremony.

With the gracious assistance and direction of Manoj Sinha, the Lieutenant Governor of Jammu & Kashmir, Kottikollon reiterated his goal to improve public school education in the area through the Faizal & Shabana Foundation. Both infrastructure and teacher capacity are addressed in the recently constructed middle school block to guarantee a long-lasting and quantifiable boost in community trust and student achievement. It offers pupils an inspirational environment in which to learn, develop, and succeed thanks to its cutting-edge robotics and STEM labs, modern, state-of-the-art classrooms, and environmentally friendly infrastructure.

The UAE-India Business Council’s (UAE Chapter) study paper, “Bridging Horizons: UAE–India Partnership and the Future of Education-led Development”, was introduced during the occasion. The study investigates how India’s education and skills ecosystem might be improved by bilateral cooperation through philanthropy, corporate social responsibility, and information sharing. It reaffirms UIBC-UC’s goal of establishing inclusive, knowledge-based relationships between the two countries and emphasises the critical role performed by Shri Manoj Sinha and the J&K Government in promoting development linked to education.