Pradeep Kumar has dedicated his life to empowering rural students by bridging the gap between education and values. Through career awareness, parental guidance, and motivational programmes, he strives to inspire children to dream beyond their circumstances while remaining deeply connected to their family, culture, and roots.

Founder Pradeep Kumar has been running a programme called 'Shiksha Choupal' for the past five years. The campaign was launched with the aim of bringing together education and cultural values while creating awareness about educational opportunities and career options among students, parents, and teachers coming from rural areas. It focuses on providing children from farming families and rural backgrounds with exposure to new innovations in education, diverse career opportunities, and global perspectives.

Apart from creating awareness, Shiksha Choupal is also committed to supporting deserving students from economically weaker backgrounds. The initiative extends assistance to children from farming families with limited financial means, Below Poverty Line (BPL) households, the families of martyred soldiers, families affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, and children who have lost their fathers. The focus is on hardworking students who perform well academically and aspire to pursue higher education but lack the necessary resources.

To fulfil this mission, the Shiksha Choupal team collaborates with educational institutions, social organisations, and philanthropic leaders, appealing to them to support these talented young minds. Pradeep Kumar shares that, by God's grace, many organisation heads and directors have come forward to sponsor and mentor deserving students, enabling them to continue their education and build a brighter future under their guidance and support.

Pradeep Kumar shares that Shiksha Choupal was established with the vision of bringing education and values together. The initiative aims to connect children from rural areas with their parents, cultural roots, and moral values while guiding them towards a brighter educational future.

He explains that one of the key objectives of Shiksha Choupal is to preserve Indian values amid the growing influence of modern lifestyles, social media, and party culture. According to him, progress and modern education should never come at the cost of losing one's cultural identity or drifting away from the values instilled by one's parents. He believes that every child should remain connected to the love, guidance, and principles of their family, even while embracing new opportunities.

Through Shiksha Choupal, he also seeks to raise awareness among parents and guardians, many of whom work tirelessly to earn a livelihood and believe that paying school fees is their only responsibility towards their children's education. Pradeep Kumar emphasises that a guardian's role extends far beyond financial support. Parents should become mentors and friends to their children, standing by them until they establish their careers. Likewise, the initiative encourages teachers to go beyond classroom instruction and actively contribute to the holistic development of every student. These aims collectively form the foundation of Shiksha Choupal.

Reflecting on the gap he observed in rural education, Kumar shares that if talented children from villages are made aware of the opportunities, innovations, and the changing world around them, they can achieve remarkable success in their careers. As a motivational speaker, he believes that every child from a farming family possesses immense potential, much like Lord Hanuman, who was unaware of his own strength until Jambavan reminded him of it. Through Shiksha Choupal, Pradeep Kumar sees himself playing the role of Jambavan—awakening confidence, self-belief, and ambition in young minds, helping them realise their true potential and encouraging them to dream beyond their circumstances.

Kumar further shares that he has personally observed many young people from rural backgrounds moving to towns and cities for education or work, where they are often influenced by social media and misunderstand the meaning of freedom. Through Shiksha Choupal, he strives to help them understand that true freedom lies in making responsible choices while staying rooted in Indian culture, values, and family traditions. According to him, the initiative seeks to ensure that young minds grow with confidence and modern knowledge without losing the identity and values that define them.

As a Parenting Coach, Pradeep Kumar also strives to create awareness among parents by encouraging them to actively participate in their children's educational path. He urges parents to regularly visit their child's school or educational institution, interact with their teachers, and understand the kind of company and friend circle their children are surrounded by. According to him, parents may not always know how to navigate their child's mobile phone or understand the digital world, but they certainly have the ability to understand their child's thoughts, emotions, and behaviour.

He believes that when parents maintain regular communication with teachers and friends, they gain a better understanding of their child's personality and can provide timely guidance whenever needed. Such involvement helps establish healthy boundaries, enabling children to remain focused on their goals while growing into responsible individuals.

Shiksha Choupal Founder Pradeep Kumar further shares that children who grow up with strong values, discipline, and parental guidance are more likely to fulfil their dreams and become responsible citizens. He believes that Shiksha Choupal is not merely an educational initiative but a social movement dedicated to building stronger families, nurturing value-based education, and contributing to nation-building by creating a more aware, responsible, and compassionate society.

Continuing to speak about the vision behind Shiksha Choupal, its Founder and Public Speaker, Pradeep Kumar, shares that he started the initiative in Hisar district, Haryana, with a single purpose—to connect children with the dreams their mothers nurture in their hearts while preparing meals in the kitchen and with the sacrifices their fathers make while toiling in the fields. Drawing from his own experiences of growing up in a rural setting, he believes that every parent sacrifices their comfort and dreams in the hope of securing a better future for their children.

He says that a mother does not simply cook food in the kitchen; she also nurtures countless dreams for her children. Likewise, every drop of sweat a father sheds while working in the fields carries the hope of seeing his child succeed. With this message, the Shiksha Choupal team travels from village to village, encouraging students to remain connected to their parents' aspirations.

Addressing students, Pradeep Kumar says, "It does not matter whether you are connected with someone else or not, but always stay connected with the dreams your father carries in his eyes. Your family may not have wealth, you may grow up with limited resources, and your parents may not be familiar with modern education or even have subject knowledge. Yet, the dreams they have for you are no smaller than those of any wealthy or highly educated parent." Through these words, he inspires students to value their parents' sacrifices and work with dedication to turn those dreams into reality.

Through the platform of Shiksha Choupal, Pradeep Kumar strives to convince students that, after their birth, the biggest dream their father carries in his heart is them. He further shares that parents, especially those from middle-class families, often find it difficult to express their love openly through words or affectionate gestures like a hug. However, their love is reflected in their actions and aspirations. Whenever they watch a television serial, a film, or read a news article featuring an inspiring personality, they unknowingly begin to see their own child's face in that success story and dream of a similar future for them.

Hailing from the small village of Nimla in the Ellenabad tehsil of Sirsa district in Haryana, Pradeep Kumar draws inspiration from his real-life experiences of his teenage years. Recalling one such incident from his school days, he shares that while studying in Class 12 with Biology as his main subject, he had absolutely no knowledge about medical entrance examinations or even the process of filling out application forms.

He remembers that one of his classmates, Manish, told him that he would be joining coaching classes for the medical entrance examination and had started solving a guide for the preparation. Coming from a rural background with very little exposure to competitive examinations, Pradeep Kumar misunderstood the word guide. He thought his classmate was referring to the MBD guidebooks that were commonly used in schools to prepare for board examinations and score good marks. At that time, he was completely unaware that specialised entrance coaching and study material existed for competitive medical examinations.

Reflecting on this experience, he says it highlighted the lack of career guidance available to students in rural areas and eventually became one of the key motivations behind establishing Shiksha Choupal, so that no student would miss opportunities simply because they lacked awareness or proper guidance.

He further shares that until he completed Class 12, he was not even aware of the NEET entrance examination. At that time, neither he nor most of his classmates had any understanding of competitive examinations or the process of applying for them. Unlike today, when students begin preparing for competitive exams through foundation and pre-foundation programmes from Classes 9 and 11, students from rural backgrounds during his school years had little or no exposure to such opportunities.

Comparing his own experiences with the opportunities available to students today, he realised that while educational resources have increased significantly, the lack of awareness still persists among many children from rural families. This realization became one of the driving forces behind Shiksha Choupal.

Through the initiative, Pradeep Kumar strives to make students aware not only of competitive examinations such as NEET and IIT-JEE, but also of the effective use of technology and mobile phones as learning tools. He believes that when used wisely, digital platforms can provide global exposure, improve the quality of learning, enhance students' skills and efficiency, and help young minds recognise and realise their true potential.

Speaking about the individuals who have shaped his life and values, Motivational Speaker Pradeep Kumar shares that he considers Swami Vivekananda, Bhagat Singh, and Dr. B. R. Ambedkar as his greatest role model. He says that each of them has profoundly influenced his life and values in different ways. From Swami Vivekananda, he draws inspiration to live with self-respect, discipline, and purpose. From Bhagat Singh, he learns the spirit of patriotism and selfless service towards the nation. He also deeply admires Dr. B. R. Ambedkar for empowering the common man through constitutional rights and for his invaluable contribution to drafting the Constitution of India.

Education Activist Pradeep Kumar believes that these three personalities continue to serve as enduring sources of inspiration, especially for young aspirants who consider themselves disadvantaged because of limited resources or opportunities. According to him, students can learn the value of hard work, determination, and education from the life of Dr. B. R. Ambedkar, imbibe patriotism, courage, and selfless service from Bhagat Singh; and embraces self-confidence, character, and a vision for nation-building from Swami Vivekananda. He encourages every young individual to draw inspiration from their lives and work towards building not only a successful future but also a stronger and more value-driven nation.

Talking about the struggles and hardships in his life, Kumar shares that he has never looked upon challenges as obstacles. His friends often describe him as an evergreen and optimistic person because of the confidence, trust, and positivity he carries wherever he goes. He believes that maintaining meaningful relationships and being someone his friends can rely upon has helped him develop a mindset that does not dwell on the word difficulty.

Whenever he feels low or faces challenging situations, he often sings a few lines that inspire him to keep moving forward:

"कब तलक ये तक़दीर भला हमसे यूँ रूठेगी,

कभी तो इन अँधेरों से उजालों की किरण फूटेगी।

मैं नहीं कहता, किताबों में लिखा है यारों,

जिसका कोई नहीं, उसका ख़ुदा है यारों।

हम तो क्या हैं, वो फ़रिश्तों को भी आज़माता है,

बनाकर हमको मिटाता है, मिटाकर फिर वो बनाता है।"

Explaining the meaning behind these lines, Pradeep Kumar says that just as every dark night is eventually followed by a new morning, every hardship carries the promise of a brighter future. He believes these words give him the strength to remain optimistic, face every challenge with courage, and continue moving forward with faith and determination.

Conveying a message to society, Pradeep Kumar shares that everyone associated with the field of education is an integral part of Shiksha Choupal. Whether it is a teacher, an attendant cleaning the classrooms or blackboards, a floor in-charge, administrative staff, or any other member of an educational institution, he believes that each person plays a vital role in shaping the future of children and is, therefore, a part of the Shiksha Choupal family.

He further appeals to village Sarpanches, Teachers, and School Principals to collaborate with the initiative and organise Shiksha Choupal programmes in their respective villages. He requests interested institutions and village representatives to connect with the team, which will take complete responsibility for planning and organising the programme.

Under this initiative, the team will visit the selected village for a full-day programme. Students from Classes 6 to 12 who have secured 70% or above in the previous academic year will be honoured with medals in recognition of their academic achievements. The programme also includes an hour-long motivational and value-based interactive session for students, along with the felicitation of teachers and principals for their contributions to education.

Founder of Shiksha Choupal, Pradeep Kumar, shares a message for all the parents and guardians of students, urging them to take some time for their children as a responsibility. Expressing his personal experience, he shares that more than 90% of the parents do not take any responsibility after paying the fees, sending their children to hostels, visiting only during festivals, and never visiting the institutions. As a result, there is almost no conversation between parents and teachers.

Kumar also convinces every parent to become a friend to their children. He believes that when parents are friends with their children, the child does not seek a sense of togetherness in the outside world. He further feels that if a girl or a boy considers their parents to be their friends, no force in the world can mislead or betray them.

Social Worker Pradeep Kumar laments that almost everyone- whom he refers to as his brothers and sisters- is gradually becoming a victim of depression because, rather than sharing their thoughts with family members, they discuss their personal lives on WhatsApp and social media. He points out that many children even create three or four Instagram IDs. Addressing them, Kumar shares a message, urging children to come out of this fake world of social media and have real conversations with their sisters, uncles, relatives, and other family members, making them their friends.

He believes that just as parents should give time to their children, children should also build friendships with their grandparents and learn from the experience reflected in the wrinkles on their faces. He also encourages every child to be a friend to their father. He says that while a friend may talk to you for some time or even leave the conversation midway, a father will continue working to solve your problems until they are resolved. Therefore, he urges every child to move beyond the fake glamour of social media and build genuine relationships with their family members, as these real connections will help them face life with confidence and pursue bigger dreams.

On a concluding note, Pradeep Kumar shares a message, urging everyone to observe their village, family, society, and neighbourhood, and look at the people who are highly respected and those who have progressed over the last five years. He says, "Though I may not know where you belong, I can tell you with confidence that in every family, society, and locality, the people who earn respect and make progress are those whose families uphold strong principles and cultural values, where open conversations take place and family members communicate freely."

He further emphasises that every family should initiate open conversations, as this will certainly help children and family members succeed in life.

"On behalf of the Shiksha Choupal team, I extend my best wishes to everyone," concludes Pradeep Kumar.