- Cognizant Foundation was established to spearhead CSR initiatives in Cognizant and is based in Chennai
- Cognizant Foundation is an expression of the deep sense of commitment to the society on the part of the management and associates of Cognizant
- Cognizant Foundation objective is to be a model social organization that enables and facilitates the underprivileged sections of the Indian society to access quality Education, Healthcare and Livelihood opportunities
What We Do
Established with the objective of improving, guiding and inspiring the lives of underprivileged people, Cognizant Foundation focuses primarily on the areas of healthcare, education and livelihood.
Cognizant Foundation is committed to fostering a sustainable future and improving lives.
Rajesh Nambiar Chairman, Cognizant Foundation & Chairman & Managing Director, Cognizant India
Healthcare
The Foundation supports healthcare programmes of deserving organisations to bring high-quality healthcare within reach to underserved people in the country. Cognizant Foundation has taken up three focus areas under this pillar to ensure that its activities reach those in need, quickly and effectively.
Our Focus Areas
The Problem
According to a report published by the National Program for Control of Blindness, India has about 12 million individuals with blindness as against the global total of 39 million. More importantly, nearly 75 per cent of them could have been spared the misery with timely medical intervention. Blindness and vision impairment are major public health problems in India that cause a profound human and socio-economic impact.
The Solution
To tackle these issues, Cognizant Foundation has chosen “preventing avoidable blindness” as its flagship programme theme in healthcare. The objective of this initiative is to make timely, quality eye care services accessible and affordable to underserved communities. This is done through the following programmes:
The vast majority of maternal and child deaths occur despite known and affordable treatments being available. The need of the hour is to ensure that women and children have access to quality health services. Cognizant Foundation has been supporting projects which focus on reducing infant mortality, infant disability and maternal mortality, helping save millions of lives in the long run.
Cognizant Foundation has been supporting projects that address of access to affordable, quality medical infrastructure for marginalised sections of society. Over the years, the Foundation has provided grants to numerous healthcare institutions across the country to enable them to procure state-of-the-art medical equipment and better serve the underserved.
Education
In Education, Cognizant Foundation works to enable access to quality education for the underserved communities in India. The Foundation focuses on promoting equity, merit and inclusion. It does so by helping beneficiaries acquire knowledge that is relevant in the modern world.
Our Focus Areas
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Scholarships For Higher Education
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Capacity Building in School Education
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Promoting Vocational Technical Education
The Challenge
In India, the cost of education is increasing rapidly, especially for professional and technical degree courses. Other factors like higher student loan rate and living expenses only increase the barriers for meritorious students from underprivileged backgrounds. Hence, any financial aid or scholarship scheme has gained importance in promoting equity and inclusion in higher education. Although the central and state governments run numerous scholarship schemes offering awards and grants, there is room for more such programmes that can make higher education more accessible.
The solution
Under its focus on Education, Cognizant Foundation has been offering scholarships directly and through partner NGOs, across courses and streams, helping students pursue higher education.
To motivate and provide opportunities to deserving meritorious students from diverse segments of the society to pursue higher education in reputed academic institutions, CF has introduced merit-cum-means scholarship programmes across disciplines, based on the growing needs.
Through the flagship programme “Scholarship for Higher Education” the foundation is providing the following merit cum means scholarships Pan India in well-established institutions with outstanding NAAC/NIRF ratings:
The challenge
Enhancing the quality of school education in India, especially Government schools, is critical for the growth and development of students. It is the key to giving them a better life.
The Draft National Educational Policy 2019 stresses incorporating innovation into all degrees of schooling. It seeks to uphold the expert advancement of educators and create capability in logical temper. The aim is to pave the way for experiential learning.
The majority of the academic institutions are finding it hard to keep pace with scientific and technological innovations in a sustainable way.
The solution
Cognizant Foundation works with not-for-profit organisations and academic institutions to build and scale-up Digital and STEM learning, with a special focus on capacity building of teachers and school administrators.
Over the years, the Foundation, in partnership with reputed NGOs, has set up Computer laboratories, Montessori environments and Smart Classrooms with assistive devices to promote quality learning for Government school children and children with disabilities and improve the capacity building for teachers and school administrators. The sub-programmes under ‘Digital and STEM Learning’ are as follows:
The job market in India demands specialized skill sets. This demand has resulted in students increasingly taking up vocational education courses offered in academic institutions and Government supported training organizations.
Cognizant Foundation works towards promoting Vocational Technical Education by supporting various trade-based technical skilling programmes. Support is extended only to institutes which offer programmes benchmarked with industry standards, approved by skill sector councils, and have exceptional placement services.
Livelihood
Under the pillar of Livelihood, Cognizant Foundation focuses on empowering and enabling underserved youth, persons with disabilities and women to gain employment. The Foundation collaborates with credible skill training providers and organisations in identifying, training and supporting job placement.
Our Focus Areas
The Challenge
Obtaining gainful employment is a major challenge for youth from underserved socio-economic backgrounds, both in urban and rural areas. They are either school dropouts or whatever education they have, does not prepare or qualify them for jobs in the market. They resign themselves to menial jobs that pay a pittance with almost non-existent opportunities for career progression and economic growth.
The Solution
To improve the lives of this critical segment of the population, Cognizant Foundation has adopted “Skilling Underserved Youth” as one of its flagship programme themes under Livelihood. It supports short-term skill training programmes that offer skill-building, life skills training and job placements for deserving underserved youth. Youth trained under this programme graduate with specialised skills and become economically independent.
The Foundation partners with credible skill training providers and organisations in identifying, training and supporting job placement through the following skilling programmes:
The Challenge
In India, persons with disabilities have poorer health, lower education achievements, less economic participation and higher rates of poverty compared to people without disabilities (The World disability by WHO (2011)). The reason is partly that persons with disabilities experience barriers in accessing services that many of us have taken for granted, including health, education and employment. Improving the vocational training and employment opportunities for persons with disabilities is not only a critical element for enhancing the quality of life of their individuals and their families, but there are also substantial gains for the broader economy.
The Solution
To improve the lives of the persons with disabilities, Cognizant Foundation has adopted ‘Skilling Persons with Disability’ as one of its flagship programme themes under Livelihood. The Foundation supports short-term skill training programmes that offer skill-building, life skills, soft skills training and job placements for persons with disabilities (PWDs). PWDs trained in these programmes graduate with specialised skills and become economically independent.
Cognizant Foundation collaborates with reputed not-for-profit organisations that work exclusively to train, enable and empower PWDs with knowledge and skillsets for gainful employment.
Women empowerment is essential for the socio-economic development of any society. In a country like India, it allows women from underserved communities to free themselves from the vicious circle of social, economic and gender-based discrimination. It helps build their self-confidence and self-esteem. Identifying and developing their skills and providing women with an opportunity to get a job, helps improve the quality of life for the women and their families.
Cognizant Foundation has adopted “Skilling Women” as one of its focus areas under the pillar of Livelihood. In partnership with reputed not-for-profit organisations, women are provided training in specialised skills paving the way for them to become economically independent. Women are encouraged to take up industry-linked jobs or consider self-employment, depending on their prerogative.
All of our initiatives are focussed on improving the quality of life of those who need it the most. We work with some of the best organisations in India and beyond to deliver the promise of quality healthcare, education and skill-training to underserved sections of society. Our projects are designed to create a tangible impact on society and the individual.
- Board of Directors
- Cognizant Foundation Secretariat
- Core Committees in Cognizant locations, other than Chennai, serving as the local representatives of Cognizant Foundation in their locations
- Focus on promoting inclusion through interventions with a focus on children, women and persons with disabilities
- Leverage digital technology as an enabler to amplify and scale the impact of interventions
- Explore avenues to leverage Cognizant’s expertise in leveraging technology as well as learning from CF’s past partnerships
- Create knowledge and assets that benefit the overall ecosystem and promote thought leadership to move the needle on impact
- Intrinsic merit of the proposal and its adherence to Cognizant Foundation Charter and the credibility of the organization/institution seeking the grant will be the key criteria for consideration
- Review of the project proposal and due diligence of the organization seeking the grant – by Cognizant Foundation Secretariat directly and through local core committees as appropriate
- Recommended/shortlisted proposals put up to Cognizant Foundation Board of Directors for their final decision
- Cognizant Foundation grants are designed to provide/enhance infrastructure facilities including equipment, training aids etc., in the areas of Education, Healthcare and Livelihood. Cognizant Foundation does not entertain requests for providing financial support for administrative / establishment / maintenance expenses
Please contact Cognizant Foundation office in Chennai at the following address:-
Cognizant Foundation5/535, Old Mahabalipuram Road,
Okkiyam, Thoraipakkam,
Chennai – 600097, Tamil Nadu.
Email: cognizantfoundation@cognizant.com