ISF Highlights Senior Mentors’ Role in Education and Nation Building

New Delhi, September 5, 2026: Inspiring Seniors Foundation (ISF) hosted its 3rd Annual Inspiring Mentors’ Meet on Teachers’ Day in New Delhi, bringing together senior volunteers, educators, government representatives and civil society leaders to discuss purposeful ageing and intergenerational learning.

Ms Srija A, Economic Adviser, Vidyanjali, Department of School Education and Literacy, Ministry of Education, attended the event as Chief Guest. Speaking about Vidyanjali’s role in connecting volunteers with government and government-aided schools, she said: “A person may retire from a profession, but the knowledge acquired over 30 or 40 years does not retire.” She encouraged seniors and professional groups to contribute through academic support, career guidance, life skills and other areas of expertise based on schools’ needs.

Delivering the keynote address online, Mr Amit Yadav, former Secretary, Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Government of India, spoke about mentoring in academic learning, career guidance and intergenerational exchange. He also stressed the importance of maintaining the quality of mentoring as such programmes expand.

ISF Founder Malti Jaswal called on seniors to view retirement as a phase of continued engagement and use their experience to support younger generations. She moderated a panel titled “Seniors as Mentors: Purposeful Ageing in Action”, which included Mr Mathew Cherian, former CEO of HelpAge India; Mr Ashish Jha, Founder, TheCSRUniverse; Dr Anita Sharma, Director, SGT University; and Ms Shally Kaushal of HCL Foundation.

The panel discussed mentor preparation, purposeful living and the need for stronger recognition and support for senior engagement. Dr Ashok Khosla, Chairman, DA, also addressed the gathering, sharing reflections from his experiences.

ISF presented two approaches to school engagement: remote after-school tutoring, where mentors and students connect from different locations, and senior-led sessions for entire classes in government schools. The organisation reported that 120 mentors have delivered more than 3,600 intergenerational classes over the past two years.

Following ISF’s collaboration with Vidyanjali, the Ministry of Education’s volunteering initiative, seven volunteers conducted 19 classes across seven Delhi schools in approximately 21 days after a school engagement held on August 14, 2026.

The event also saw the release of ISF’s Impact Report and proceedings of its National Roundtable, organised jointly with HelpAge India. Senior mentors were felicitated for their contributions, while the Vidyanjali team was acknowledged for supporting ISF’s engagement with Delhi schools.