GAIL’s recent visit to the Utkarsh Project in Varanasi, an all-girls centre dedicated to engineering and medical mentoring, reaffirmed its commitment to education, sustainability, and community empowerment. Shri Ayush Gupta, Director (HR), GAIL, along with Shri Anoop Gupta, ED (CSR), and Shri Hirdesh Kumar, ED (HR), interacted with students, faculty, and staff, fostering motivation and encouragement. A key milestone of the visit was the declaration of the GAIL Utkarsh Centre as a 100% Plastic-Free Clean Campus, reinforcing GAIL’s dedication to environmental sustainability and responsible practices.
Enhancing the significance of the occasion, International Women’s Day was celebrated, recognizing achievements and promoting empowerment. The visit concluded with a joyous “Phoolon Ki Holi” celebrating Rang Bhari Ekadashi, blending cultural heritage with a sense of unity and festivity. Through such impactful initiatives, GAIL continues to drive positive change, fostering a cleaner, greener, and more inclusive future.
Nurturing Dreams, Shaping Generations
This Women’s Day, as we celebrate the spirit of strength and transformation, it’s heartening to see how girls at CSRL, hailing from marginalized communities, are being supported in their pursuit of JEE and NEET. With 33 residential centres—including dedicated ones in Pune, Kolkata, and Varanasi—we are nurturing not just aspirations but changemakers. I truly believe that when a girl is educated, she becomes a powerful force of generational impact.
History is filled with women whose everyday struggles inspired extraordinary solutions—Josephine Cochrane, who invented the first dishwasher in 1886 to ease household chores; Mary Anderson, who created the windshield wiper in 1903 to ensure safety on the roads; and Alice H. Parker, who designed the gas-powered home heating system in 1919, bringing warmth to countless homes. These innovations, though seemingly simple, changed lives in profound ways.
Our girls, too, carry that same spark—the ability to reshape society, if only supported at the right time. I feel proud to contribute in this journey of nurturing hope, courage, and meaningful change.
Educate a girl, and you empower a generation.
Meenakshi Shahi
Director at CSRL
Nidhi Soni
Batch 2010-11
Project Manager CSRL
I am Nidhi, and my story begins in a small village in Uttar Pradesh, where girls’ education was a distant dream. Growing up, I never imagined I could achieve anything beyond what was expected of me. But everything changed on May 14, 2003, when my principal told me I was selected for Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya (JNV). At just 10 years old, I saw a glimpse of hope in my life—hope I had never thought possible.
However, life had its own plans. When I was 13, in the middle of class 8, I lost my mother to a heart disease. The pain of losing her was unbearable, yet I had to be strong. My brother was only 6 years old, and I had to step into the role of a caregiver, even as I was drowning in grief. With a broken heart, I returned to JNV, not to heal, but to escape the sorrow. I buried myself in my studies to hide my tears. The cheerful girl I once was turned into a quiet, focused student.
Through my pain, I achieved the second rank in class 10 and first in class 12. But my future still seemed uncertain. My father couldn’t afford the fees for JEE coaching, and I felt stuck in a world with no opportunities. Then, by God’s grace, I cleared the GAIL Utkarsh exam—a free residential coaching program. That was my turning point. With hope in my heart, I joined, and with unwavering determination, I earned a seat in a reputed engineering college.
But life wasn’t done testing me. When I was in my third year, I lost my father to a heart attack. At 20, I was left with no emotional or financial support. My friends rallied together to help me with my final year fees, and I completed my degree and secured a job at TCS. Yet, emotionally, I was shattered. The pressure of family led me into a marriage at 23, which soon ended in heartbreak and separation.
At my lowest point, I decided to return to CSRL—the place that had once helped me rise above my struggles. I joined as a Project Officer in Jaipur, working with 60 girls preparing for JEE. They became my strength, and the CSRL family became my new home. The love and support I received helped me find my way again.
I was promoted to Project Manager, and I found my true calling—helping others fulfill their dreams.
Today, as I watch my students succeed and step into top colleges and companies, I find peace and purpose. Success, for me, is not about a high-paying job or a prestigious degree—it’s about finding joy in helping others, about healing from pain, and about creating a life filled with love and support. My journey has taught me that no matter how many times life knocks you down, if you keep going, there is always light at the end of the tunnel.
Sonali Gupta
Batch 2020-21
PayPal
Growing up, my family faced financial difficulties, which constrained me to stay motivated and determined to build a better future. I cleared the Navodaya Vidyalaya entrance exam and completed my schooling there. Growing up I heard that once you get into an IIT you will have a good job and be financially stable. However, the cost of preparation was a challenge. But I held onto my faith in God, believing he would show a way.
After 12th grade, I got into Super 100 Kanpur, after clearing the entrance exam and interview. What once seemed like a blurred IIT dream now had rays of clarity and direction.
The focused and motivating environment at Super 100 helped me identify my strengths and weaknesses. Although I missed my family, I understood the importance of staying disciplined. Everything was on track—I secured 99.02 percentile in JEE Mains and was preparing hard for JEE Advanced. But, to destiny something else was acceptable. Just three days before the exam (JEE-Advance), I was hospitalized with severe pneumonia, causing me to miss the test as I was kept in ICU for 9 days. This was a tough phase, to battle physically with illness and mentally with myself but throughout this crisis, my family, teachers and my friends stood by me, providing immense emotional strength and hope, and Super 100 supported me financially as well. Their combined support was crucial in helping me recover physically and mentally.
Eventually, my JEE Mains score helped me to secure a seat in NIT Allahabad for Computer Science. With my family’s encouragement and consistent hard work, now I am placed in PayPal with a package of 34.4 LPA. Looking back, this journey taught me that challenges are just part of the path, not the end. I am grateful to my parents, CSRL and Super-100 Kanpur family for their unwavering support.
Pallavi Gupta
Batch 2010-11
Director at Morgan Stanley
CSRL Super 30 was nothing short of a blessing in disguise. It gave me a second chance to reattempt the JEE exam—without any financial burden. That one opportunity became the turning point of my life. I got into one of the top Government Universities in the North East, and soon after, secured a placement with TCS, one of India’s leading IT giants.
Life at CSRL Super 30 was not lavish—but it was full of love, learning, discipline, and dreams. The support extended beyond academics—they took care of our boarding, education, and even helped me secure a scholarship for my engineering fees.
Because of this, I take pride in saying that after Class 12, I never had to ask my parents—who were already battling a financial crisis—for a single rupee.
Today, I work as a Director at Morgan Stanley, but my journey began with the values and foundation built at CSRL Super 30. From TCS (2015) to Deloitte (2018), Teradata (2021), and finally Morgan Stanley (2022)—each step was driven by gratitude and the desire to grow.
What CSRL Super 30 gave me wasn’t just a platform—it gave me purpose. It taught me to stand tall and now, it inspires me to give back. Apart from my job, I actively work as a resume coach, helping my LinkedIn community with interview tips, HR negotiation strategies, and cloud adoption. And when I’m not working, I find joy in dancing and connecting with people—because I believe stories and smiles can heal the world.
I’m also a proud mother to my son, Atharv, and I wish to raise him with the same values, empathy, and wisdom that have shaped my own journey—so that he too grows up to be someone who believes in uplifting others.
A heartfelt thank you to GAIL, for the most impactful CSR support, —your support helped me turn dreams into reality
Puja Kumari Singh
Batch 2019-20
Data engineer at Lloyds technology centre
Success is never an individual effort—it is shaped by the people, guidance, and opportunities we receive along the way. I owe a significant part of my journey to GAIL Utkarsh Super 100 – a unit of CSRL, a program that provided me with the right mentorship and support when I needed it the most. Today, as a Data Engineer at Lloyds Technology Centre, I look back with immense gratitude for the life-changing impact of this initiative.
What made GUS 100 truly special was not just the high-quality teaching but the round-the-clock mentorship provided by the program managers. While our teachers helped us master the academic concepts, it was the managing team of GUS 100 who ensured we remained disciplined, motivated, and always on the right track.
Living in a residential environment with like-minded peers and dedicated mentors was an experience that shaped my work ethic and mindset. The rigorous schedule, structured learning, and unwavering support from mentors who truly cared made all the difference. Looking back, I realize that this program didn’t just prepare me for JEE, it prepared me for life.
I will always be grateful to GAIL Utkarsh Super 100 for shaping my journey, not just academically but in every aspect of life.
To every student currently part of this program: make the most of this opportunity, trust your mentors, and give your best effort. Whether or not things go exactly as planned, every experience here will teach you something valuable and help you grow.
Shivani Saraswat
Batch 2019-20
Software Developer at Oracle
I am Shivani Saraswat, from Chandausi, a small town in Uttar Pradesh. My father is a farmer, and my mother is a homemaker. I studied at Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya, Moradabad, from Class 6 to 12.
I was always good at studies and topped my class, but like most Navodaya students, my focus was mainly on board exams. There wasn’t much guidance for competitive exams like JEE, so I didn’t know where I stood in that race.
In 12th grade, I got an opportunity to appear for an entrance exam for GAIL Utkarsh Super 100, Kanpur, a free residential JEE coaching program. I was selected and moved there for 11 months of rigorous preparation.
That year was tough but life-changing. The study pressure was intense, and the competition was on another level.
I secured 99 percentile in JEE Mains and also cleared JEE Advanced. I had the option to join top IITs with core engineering branches, but my goal was clear—I wanted to study Computer Science in a reputed institute. So, I chose Motilal Nehru National Institute of Technology (MNNIT), Allahabad, for my B.Tech in Computer Science and Engineering.
My four years at NIT Allahabad were full of learning and growth. In my final year, I got the highest package in my college and was placed as a Software Developer at Oracle India.
Coming from a small town with limited resources, I’ve realized that hard work and the right opportunities can change everything. Whether it was studying at Navodaya, preparing for JEE, or making career decisions, I always tried to give my best.
If there’s one thing I’d tell students from backgrounds like mine, it’s this: Your starting point doesn’t define where you can go. Stay focused, keep pushing forward, and believe in yourself.
