NEW DELHI: In a morning charged with NCC beats, memory and strong resolve, Union Minister for Law and Justice Arjun Ram Meghwal cut the ribbon on the 10,0001st school transformed by Yuva Unstoppable with the philanthropic support of Nuvama. This school, Lady Irwin Senior Secondary School, was established in 1927 and is soon set to complete 100 years of journey in providing education marking its own historical significance in the landmark celebration. The school’s newly built smart classroom stood as the morning’s most visible symbol of change, technology-enabled spaces designed to bring the same quality of learning to a government school classroom. The event drew senior representatives from the Gates Foundation, Nuvama, Fortis, Korn Ferry, Baker Hughes, PolicyBazaar, and several other corporate partners, alongside students, teachers, parents and the wider Lady Irwin school community, whose everyday lives the initiative exists to serve.
The New Delhi ceremony, which inaugurated a future-ready digital classroom at Lady Irwin Senior Secondary School through the partnership of Nuvama and Yuva Unstoppable, brought together leaders from the Gates Foundation, Fortis, Korn Ferry, Baker Hughes, PolicyBazaar, and a wide cross-section of corporate and civic leaders to celebrate Yuva Unstoppable’s two decades of transforming government schools across India.
A Ribbon Cut, A Charkha Offered
The programme commenced with students from the school welcoming philanthropic leaders and corporate guests on a guided tour of the STEM and AI exhibition. The tour featured interactive STEM demonstrations by students alongside innovative AI solutions showcased by startups such as Torchit, Easiofy Solutions, Doto, and Everse, all of which were shortlisted at the AI Impact Summit held in February 2026. The formal ribbon-cutting that followed, performed by the Minister Arjum Ram Meghwal, marked the official launch of the 10,0001st Yuva Model Smart Classroom. In a gesture that has become a signature of Yuva Unstoppable’s events, a student then felicitated the Minister with a Gandhi Charkha, to represent the enduring symbol of patient and dignified work.
Hon’ble Union Minister of Law and Justice Arjun Ram Meghwal inaugurating the Smart Classroom alongside Founder of YUVA Unstoppable Amitabh Shah .
Smart Classrooms, Real Stories
The room then turned from ceremony to demonstration, as a live smart-class session gave guests a direct look at how technology by Yuva Unstoppable is reshaping the everyday texture of a government school classroom. What followed was a sequence of testimonies and short films that grounded the morning in lived experience. A Lady Irwin student, Dikshita Sharma, shared her own experience of the school’s transformation:
“I have been learning from textbooks for quite a long time, but the modern world demands digital skills. The Smart Mode has made learning enjoyable and fun, we can now learn concepts in maths and science easily. Thanks to Nuvama and Yuva Unstoppable for giving us this platform, which we deserve for learning in the modern world,” said Dikshtha Sharma, student.” – Dikshita Sharma, Student Beneficiary, Lady Irwin Senior Secondary School
A film showcasing the impact of Yuva Unstoppable’s school transformation initiative, supported by Fortis in Bikaner, was followed by a first-hand account from a teacher. Reflecting on the transformation, the teacher shared how Yuva Unstoppable’s digital education initiatives and capacity-building efforts, enabled through the support of Korn Ferry, have significantly enhanced teaching and learning outcomes at the school. A third film turned attention to a rarely spotlighted corner of the organisation’s work: the impact of AI-enabled learning tools at a school for the visually impaired in Bikaner, a reminder that the promise of technology-enabled education is one Yuva Unstoppable is determined to extend to every child, without exception.
STEM Exhibition by Lady Irwin Senior Secondary School Students
Voices That Shaped the Morning
Amitabh Shah, Founder and Chief Inspiration Officer of Yuva Unstoppable, who declined a Wall Street placement at JP Morgan after his MBA at Yale to instead build a life’s work among India’s public schools, addressed the gathering next. Reflecting on the distance travelled between the first school in 2005 and the 10,0001st two decades later, he said:
“I am deeply grateful to Union Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal for gracing this occasion, and to every guest who took the time to walk through Lady Irwin’s corridors with us today. Your presence tells our children that they are seen, and that someone believes their future is worth showing up for. This work has never been about charity; it is about selfless sewa, giving without asking what comes back, because that is the only kind of giving that truly transforms a community. Twenty years and 10,001 schools later, that spirit of sewa remains the only compass we have ever needed.” – Amitabh Shah, Founder and Chief Inspiration Officer, Yuva Unstoppable
Satya Jha, Partner, Chief Business Officer of the Grant Thornton, spoke next on behalf of one of Yuva Unstoppable’s most significant global partners, situating the Lady Irwin transformation within the wider concept of purpose and philanthropic investment:
“I’ve been associated with YUVA Unstoppable for quite some time now. And, you know, when people say it’s hard to do a good thing, I say it’s the easiest thing to do. Find somebody who is doing good work and tag to them, and you become part of something good. So, it’s very nice to be here and see so many people here. Educating children is one of my foundational purpose areas. It is very fulfilling. In contributing to some of these initiatives and making an impact on the community, I feel like I’m making something out of my life.” – Satya Jha, Partner, Chief Business Officer of the Grant Thornton
Lady Irwin Senior Secondary School Student followed by the Principal Jyoti Singh along with Hon’ble Union Minister of Law and Justice Shri Arjun Ram Meghwal, Founders of YUVA Unstoppable Amitabh Shah and Rashmi Shah.
A Minister’s Word, A Family’s Blessing
With the blessings form duly filled and the room’s attention gathered, the Minister returned to the stage to present the Gandhi Charkha to the morning’s philanthropic leaders, in appreciation of their participation and continued commitment to the cause. Union Minister for Law and Justice Arjun Ram Meghwal then delivered the keynote address wherein he recited Chadariya Jhini Re Jhini” (चदरिया झीनी रे झीनी) verse from Kabir, where he uses the metaphor of a finely woven sheet (chadar) to represent the human body and soul. Drawing from Kabir, Hon’ble Minister inspired to imbibe purity and selflessness in soul when we give back to the society. He emphasised on living mindfully, protecting oneself from spiritual decay, and staying drenched in divine awareness of our deeds.
Hon’ble Union Minister of Law and Justice Shri Arjun Ram Meghwal addressing the event.
Additionally, the Minister also appreciated the transformative work done by YUVA Unstoppable in ensuring the access of dignified and inclusive education. These concluding remarks delivered by the Minister carried the morning’s themes of gratitude and shared responsibility back to the students and teachers of Lady Irwin, before the formal proceedings drew to a close.
A Conversation That Left the Girls Charged
The morning’s most animated moment, however, was reserved for its final act. Mr. Rajiv Gupta, President of PolicyBazaar, sat down with a group of girl students from Lady Irwin for an informal, unscripted conversation, part mentorship, part masterclass in ambition. What began as a quiet exchange soon opened into a lively back-and-forth on careers, confidence and what it takes to build a future on one’s own terms. The students left the session visibly energised and motivated, several of them lingering afterward to continue the conversation, a fitting coda to a morning that had, from its very first ribbon cut, been about opening doors rather than simply marking them.
Ten thousand and one schools on, Yuva Unstoppable’s conviction remains exactly what it was in 2005: that transforming a school is, in the same act, transforming a community. Lady Irwin’s smart classrooms are not an endpoint. They are, as ever, a marker on a road still being built.
About Yuva Unstoppable
After completing his Master’s degree at Yale University, Amitabh Shah, Founder of Yuva Unstoppable and a Viksit Bharat Ambassador, turned down a Wall Street offer from JP Morgan to work on the real streets of India and establish Yuva Unstoppable, one of India’s top 10 NGOs. Amitabh is also the youngest Indian to receive the U.S. Government’s Ellis Island Medal of Honor, an honour previously bestowed upon global icons including President Bill Clinton, Muhammad Ali, and Malala Yousafzai. Yuva Unstoppable’s work has also been recognised by former Presidents of India, Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam and Ram Nath Kovind.
Our interventions include Education (WASH facilities, digital classrooms, solar electrification, rainwater harvesting, modern sports facilities, STEM labs, scholarships, and early childhood care); Health and Nutrition (transforming anganwadis, providing nutritional support to children and pregnant and new mothers, and vaccination drives); Employability (placement-focused skilling for youth in soft skills as well as domain-specific skills across IT/ITES, BFSI, AI, ML, and more); and Environment (agroforestry, afforestation, water body restoration, solar street lighting, urban heat stress mitigation, and carbon credits).
Impact at a Glance:
- 10 million+ beneficiaries empowered across 25 Indian states
- 10,000+ schools and pre-schools transformed with WASH facilities, STEM labs, and smart classrooms, boosting attendance by 15% and improving learning outcomes fourfold, as validated by the London School of Economics
- 7,000+ students supported through scholarships
- 1,50,000+ youth skilled for jobs in AI/ML, IT/ITES, BFSI, and manufacturing
- 32 lakh trees planted across approximately 8,000 hectares, supporting 6,000+ farmers and sequestering approximately 1.5 lakh metric tonnes of carbon
- CSR projects implemented with partners including HDFC Bank, IBM, Disney, EY, PwC, Adani, Torrent, Bank of America, and the Gates Foundation. KPMG serves as the audit partner.
For a quick overview of Yuva Unstoppable’s impact, watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9elW8E-2cR4
