Pahalgam, Sep 11: Bharti Airtel Foundation and Army Goodwill Schools (AGS) under HQ Northern Command on Thursday marked a decade-long partnership aimed at strengthening quality education, school systems, teacher capacity and student opportunities across Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh.

Established in 2016, the partnership has evolved from supporting individual schools to driving institutional transformation across all 43 AGS in the region.
The milestone event, held at Army Goodwill Public School, Pahalgam, was attended by Lieutenant General Pratik Sharma, PVSM, AVSM, SM, General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Northern Command, and Rakesh Bharti Mittal, Co-Chairman, Bharti Airtel Foundation and Vice Chairman, Bharti Enterprises, besides senior representatives of the Army and the Foundation.
Speaking on the occasion, Lt Gen Pratik Sharma said the partnership reflected a shared commitment to ensuring quality education and meaningful opportunities for every child.
He said the past decade had witnessed significant transformation in AGS through stronger systems, empowered educators, innovative learning and expanded opportunities for students.
“Together, we remain committed to nurturing confident, capable and future-ready young citizens,” he said.
Rakesh Bharti Mittal said meaningful transformation in education required patience, strong partnerships and sustained commitment to institution building.
He said the collaboration had evolved from strengthening individual schools to creating ecosystems that empower educators, encourage innovation and expand aspirations among students.
Over the past decade, the partnership has expanded from 14 AGS to all 43 schools across Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh. Its interventions have progressed through three phases—School Support, System Strengthening, and Institutional and Student Transformation.
The initiative has supported leadership development, structured academic and co-scholastic programmes, school operating processes and governance mechanisms aimed at improving consistency and learning outcomes.
Teacher development has remained a key focus, with continuous professional development in pedagogy, foundational literacy and numeracy, technology integration and NEP 2020. All AGS teachers now have lifetime free access to ongoing learning through TheTeacherApp.
Students have also benefited from exposure visits, internships, career guidance, scholarships and experiential learning. Innovation Clubs across AGS have supported more than 160 student-led projects, with participation in platforms including ISRO YUVIKA, INSPIRE-MANAK, Young Scientist India, School Enterprise Challenge and Young Technology Scholars.
The impact has also brought national and international recognition, with Army Goodwill School Wuzur being recognised among the World’s Top 10 Schools in the Innovation category.
Following the renewal of the partnership in 2026, Bharti Airtel Foundation and Army Goodwill Schools have reaffirmed their commitment to developing schools as centres of excellence, innovation and holistic development, while equipping students with the skills and confidence to meet future challenges.