TALEEM

Transnational Alternate Learning for Emancipation and Empowerment thorough Multimedia (TALEEM) Research Foundation was set up by Shri Subhash Chandra as a literary, scientific and charitable society and trust in May 1996.

TALEEM is an initiative of the Essel Group to channelize part of its creative and financial resources to address issues of national concern.

The TALEEM mission is to provide access and opportunities for world class research and education both in residential and distance and open mode learning leading to employment and income generation, to promote and conduct research and training.

Under its auspices, the TALEEM Foundation has three main activities:

Research, Training and Capacity Building

Asian Communications and Creative-Arts Research Institute for Training and Information (ACCRITI) has continuously supported and promoted social science research with a focus on health, communication, micro economy, social marketing, education, social audit and poll studies. Since its inception, the Foundation has conducted a wide range of researches funded by several national and international agencies. Besides its home state Gujarat, the Foundation has worked in almost all parts of the country including north eastern states of Assam, Meghalaya, and Nagaland, in urban, rural and tribal regions of the country.

Sponsors of the research and training programmes include:

Government of India- Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Indian Council of Medical Research, Indian Space Research Organization, Vigyan Prasar, Department of Science and Technology, Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS), Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, National Institute of Social Defence, CAPART, Registrar General of India (ORGI), Ministry of Home Affairs.
 
State Government includes Gujarat State AIDS Control Society, Ahmedabad, TATA Chemicals Limited, Mithapur, Gujarat, Integrated Population and Development Project, Commissioner, Rural Development, Government of Gujarat, Commissioner, Gujarat Tribal Development Corporation, Gandhinagar, State Programme Director, Mahila Samakhya, Gujarat, Uttar Gujarat Vij Company Limited, Ahmedabad, SPIPA, Ahmedabad, City Managers' Association, Gujarat, Tribal Development Department, DSAG, Government of Gujarat, Gujarat Ecology Commission, Gandhinagar, Department of Health and Family Welfare, Government of Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra Health Systems Development Project

World Bank, DANIDA, CIDA, DFID, Harvard Institute for International Development, Canadian International Development Agency, American India Foundation , British Council Division, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, DKT International, PATH Canada, Center for International Project, Columbia Water Center India (CIPT), Save the Children, U.K, Shastri Indo Canadian Institute, Micro-Nutrient Initiative and NIPI Secretariat, UNOPS International Institutions.

Today TALEEM has become India's pioneer and leading health care, media and opinion poll research institution.

Development and Rehabilitation

Programme for Rural Advancement, Guidance and Training Initiatives (PRAGATI) strives to create grass-root level awareness and contribute towards the empowerment of the disadvantaged through education and training. PRAGATI's activities are focused towards tribal and rural development by initiating need-based participatory action programmes for community development.

After the devastating earthquake in Gujarat on January 26, 2001, the TALEEM Foundation and Zee Telefilms Ltd adopted Samakhiali village in Kutch District. The Group has contributed more than Rs 1.5 crore towards the reconstruction and rehabilitation of the village.

The first step was to set-up communication links through satellite phones. Simultaneously, TALEEM set up a round-the-clock helpline facility at the Zee News office in Ahmedabad.

The Zee Telefilm Relief Fund was set up with contributions from Zee viewers across the world. The fund was used to provide tents for temporary shelter, medicines and installation of water storage tanks at various locations. A girls' school, a children's play school, a veterinary hospital and a multi-purpose community centre were built at a total cost of Rs 1.5 crore.

Further responding to the needs expressed by the community, Chandra and his brother Laxmi Narain Goel, initiated a second phase of construction of public utilities including an overhead water tank with a capacity of 1,00,000 litres, a Panchayat Ghar, a bus stand, crematorium and a shelter for cows. In addition, the office of the District Development Officer, at Bhuj in Kutch was reconstructed and support was provided to digitize land records by way of supplying computer hardware and manpower.

Development rehabilitation activities of the Foundation have given it as distinctive position as a corporate social responsibility.

Education

The Foundation has established Himgiri Zee University in Dehradun, Uttarakhand.  The University has been established under Act No. 17 of 2003 of the State Legislative Assembly, Government of Uttarakhand (Act 2003, Uttaranchal Adhiniyam Sankhya 17 of 2003) and started functioning since 2005. The vision for the University is to provide research and world class education both in residential and distance and open learning mode.  Vocationalisation of education is the mission of the University.

Currently University offers Bachelor's degree in Architecture (B. Arch.), Bachelor of Education (B.Ed) and Bachelor in Computer Application (BCA) in distance mode. In academic year 2012-13, University plans to start bachelors and masters degree in Media and Communication and will have community radios. An additional course in distance mode such as B.Sc graphic animation is being planned.

The University has international collaboration with various institutions of USA, Canada, Norway, Singapore and Moscow.