About SWAMITRA Foundation

A not-for-profit institution advancing legal education, constitutional literacy, safe schools, safe workplaces, child protection and civic responsibility — through research, frameworks, training and institutional partnerships.

About SWAMITRA

A national institution built to make legal knowledge ordinary

SWAMITRA Foundation is a not-for-profit institution working to make legal understanding a normal part of Indian life rather than a specialist possession. We design frameworks, deliver training and publish research for the institutions where daily life actually happens — schools, colleges, workplaces, government departments and community organisations.

Our national purpose is straightforward. The Constitution guarantees rights most citizens cannot name, and places duties on institutions that most institutions have never been taught to operationalise. That distance between the law as written and the law as lived is not a failure of drafting; it is a failure of education and of institutional design. SWAMITRA exists to close it, at national scale, with one consistent standard that can be adapted by every state, board and sector.

Institutionally, the Foundation is constituted as a charitable body with a formal Objects Clause of sixty charitable objects grouped into six missions — constitutional and legal, education and capacity building, research and knowledge, public welfare, institutional development, and future readiness. Every programme, course and publication we run must trace back to one of those objects. That is a deliberate discipline: it keeps the Foundation from drifting into whatever happens to be fundable in a given year.

It is equally important to be clear about what we are not. SWAMITRA is not a litigation body, a political organisation or a campaign group. We do not represent clients, take positions in electoral politics or run awareness drives that end when the funding does. We are a knowledge and capacity institution: we produce evidence, turn it into usable standards, and build the people who can run those standards without us.

Read the full Objects Clause
SWAMITRA Foundation emblem
Constitutionally Aware · Legally Empowered · Civically Responsible
Our Story

Why the Foundation was established

SWAMITRA began with a question that kept returning in classrooms, staff rooms and human resources offices: why do the people most affected by a law almost never understand it?

The founding conviction is simple. A student who cannot name a single fundamental right, a teacher who does not know what to do when a child discloses harm, a committee member appointed two years ago and never trained — each of these is an avoidable failure, and each of them repeats itself thousands of times a day across the country. India does not lack law. It lacks the education, the standards and the trained people that turn law into practice.

The Foundation was established to work on that gap as an institution rather than as a campaign. That meant starting with a constitution of its own — an Objects Clause broad enough to cover the whole problem and specific enough to hold us to it — and then building outward in a fixed order: evidence, framework, training, partnership, measurement.

We chose to work through existing institutions from the beginning. Schools, universities, employers and government departments already have the authority, the reach and the relationships. What they usually lack is a standard they can adopt, material they can trust and people they can send for training. Supplying those three things is more useful, and far more durable, than running parallel programmes of our own.

We also chose to publish everything we can. Frameworks, toolkits, templates and research are released free of cost and free to adapt with attribution, because a safety standard that sits behind a paywall protects nobody.

Journey and milestones

  1. The Foundation is constituted — 2025

    SWAMITRA is established as a not-for-profit institution and adopts its Objects Clause: sixty charitable objects across six missions, drafted so that education, research, safety and governance work sit under one legal mandate.

  2. Research before programmes — 2025

    The first baseline studies on constitutional literacy and institutional safety are commissioned, on the principle that no framework should be published until we can show what problem it solves.

  3. The first national framework is published — 2026

    The National Safe School Framework v1.0 is released free of charge, giving schools a single auditable standard covering policy, committees, physical and digital safety, incident response and annual review.

  4. The first master trainer cohort is certified — 2026

    The Train the Trainer programme certifies its first cohort, so that participating institutions and regions can deliver SWAMITRA programmes independently rather than waiting for us.

  5. The Resource Centre opens to the public — 2026

    Toolkits, policy templates, standard operating procedures and checklists are published for free download and adaptation, with regional-language versions added progressively.

  6. The Research & Policy Centre begins publishing — 2026

    The first baseline study, white paper and policy briefs are released, establishing the evidence base that later frameworks and training curricula are built on.

Where we are going

The next phase is depth rather than noise. We would rather one state implement the Safe School Framework properly than twenty states announce it. Our medium-term commitment is to hold quality constant while reach grows: the same standard, the same training rigour and the same published evidence, whether the institution is a metropolitan university or a single-teacher rural school.

  • Regional-language editions of every core framework and toolkit
  • Certified master trainers in every region we work in, so capability stays local
  • Independent audit and measurement of what our frameworks actually change
  • Long-term research partnerships with universities and public institutions
Impact

The work, in numbers

Figures are indicative and are reconciled with each Annual Report.

Vision & Mission

Building a Constitutionally Aware, Legally Empowered and Civically Responsible India.

Our vision describes the country we are working towards. Our mission describes the six things we do to get there — each one measurable, each one delivered through institutions.

Vision

A Constitutionally Aware, Legally Empowered and Civically Responsible India.

An India where the Constitution is understood as a working guide to everyday rights, duties and choices — not as a distant document quoted on ceremonial occasions.

Mission

Strengthening legal awareness, institutional safety, civic participation and constitutional values through education, research and partnerships.

The mission is delivered through six commitments. Each has its own research base, framework, curriculum and resource library, and each is designed to be run by the institution itself once training is complete.

Our six mission commitments

01

Advance Legal Education

Make structured legal learning available at every stage of education — school modules, university electives, professional courses and community sessions — so that legal competence stops being confined to the legal profession.

02

Promote Constitutional Literacy

Teach the Constitution as a working document: its philosophy, its institutions, and the rights and duties it places in the hands of every citizen and every institution that serves them.

03

Build Safe Schools

Give every school one coherent, auditable standard covering physical safety, child protection, digital conduct and emotional wellbeing — together with the staff training and review cycle that keep it alive.

04

Build Safe Workplaces

Help organisations move from a policy on paper to a working system: correctly constituted committees, trained members, genuine employee awareness and records that stand up to scrutiny.

05

Strengthen Child Protection

Equip every adult around a child to recognise risk, receive a disclosure without causing further harm, and report through the correct pathway without delay or improvisation.

06

Produce Research and Policy Frameworks

Generate the national evidence base — surveys, working papers, standards and policy briefs — that allows institutions and policymakers to act on facts rather than impressions.

Core Values

Seven values, applied to ourselves first

These are the tests we apply to our own decisions — what we publish, whose money we accept, and how we behave when we are wrong.

Integrity

We claim only what we can evidence, keep the commitments we make to institutions, and correct our errors publicly rather than quietly.

Inclusion

Programmes are designed first for the people usually reached last — rural institutions, regional-language learners, women's groups and persons with disabilities.

Excellence

Free does not mean rough. Every framework, module and template is built to a professional standard and reviewed before release.

Constitutional Values

Justice, liberty, equality, fraternity and human dignity govern how we run the Foundation, not only what we teach in its classrooms.

Transparency

Our objects, policies, governance arrangements and finances are published. Anyone should be able to see how the Foundation is run and how it is funded.

Collaboration

We work through existing institutions rather than around them, and we share authorship, data and credit with the partners who do the work with us.

Innovation

We adopt new methods and technologies where they measurably improve reach or quality — and decline them where they only improve appearances.

Our Approach

Research first, then everything else

Every area of the Foundation's work follows the same five-stage sequence. It is deliberately slow at the start, which is what makes it fast and durable at the end.

ResearchEstablish what is actually happening through surveys, field studies and institutional data, before proposing anything.
EducationTurn the evidence into curricula, frameworks and learning material that an institution can adopt without rewriting it.
Capacity BuildingTrain the people who will deliver it — teachers, committee members, leaders and master trainers.
Institutional PartnershipsEmbed the work inside schools, universities, employers and government bodies so it survives a change of leadership.
Community ImpactMeasure what changed for students, employees and communities — and publish it, including where it did not work.

The sequence matters more than any single stage. Skipping research produces frameworks that describe a problem nobody has. Skipping capacity building produces beautiful documents that no one is able to implement. Skipping partnership produces pilots that end with the project. Skipping measurement produces confidence without evidence, which is the most expensive outcome of all.

In practice this means we say no fairly often — to launches without a baseline, to training without follow-up, and to reach figures that count attendance rather than change.

See the Research Centre
  • Nothing is published as a standard until the evidence behind it is published too
  • Every framework ships with the training, templates and audit tools needed to run it
  • Institutions keep the capability: master trainers stay inside the institution
  • Outcomes are reported against a baseline, not against expectations
  • All core material is free to download, adapt and use with attribution
Leadership

The people accountable for the Foundation's work

SWAMITRA is governed by a Board of Directors and run day to day by an executive team. The Board sets strategy, approves budgets and holds the executive to account; the executive delivers programmes within the mandate the Board sets.

Named profiles, photographs and biographies are published on this page as appointments are formally confirmed and the corresponding statutory filings are complete. Until then we list the roles rather than attribute work to individuals who have not yet taken office.

Founder

FD Founder & Managing Director Sets the founding mandate, chairs the Objects and Mission review, and is accountable to the Board for the Foundation's direction. Profile to be published.

Board of Directors

The Board meets at least quarterly. It approves the annual plan and budget, receives audit and compliance reports, and reviews every material risk and conflict of interest disclosure.

CPChairpersonChairs the Board, sets the governance agenda and leads the annual review of the Foundation's performance. Appointment to be announced.
MDManaging DirectorExecutive director responsible to the Board for delivery of the approved plan. Appointment to be announced.
ILIndependent Director — LegalIndependent oversight of legal soundness, constitutional accuracy and public statements. Appointment to be announced.
IEIndependent Director — EducationIndependent oversight of curriculum quality, pedagogy and assessment standards. Appointment to be announced.
IFIndependent Director — Finance & AuditChairs the Audit & Finance Committee and reviews internal financial controls. Appointment to be announced.
NENon-Executive DirectorBrings sector perspective from partner institutions and communities. Appointment to be announced.

Executive Leadership

The executive team runs programmes, training, research, partnerships and compliance. Each function reports monthly to the Managing Director and quarterly to the Board.

CEChief Executive OfficerOverall responsibility for operations, people and delivery against the annual plan. Appointment to be announced.
PRHead — ProgrammesLeads the national programmes, from school and higher education projects to community legal awareness. Appointment to be announced.
TRHead — Training & CertificationOwns curriculum delivery, trainer quality, assessment integrity and certification. Appointment to be announced.
RPHead — Research & PolicyDirects the Research & Policy Centre, its publications and its academic collaborations. Appointment to be announced.
POHead — Partnerships & OutreachBuilds institutional, government, academic and corporate partnerships. Appointment to be announced.
CSCompliance & Company SecretaryStatutory filings, governance records, policy review and the register of interests. Appointment to be announced.
Governance

How decisions are made, recorded and checked

Governance at SWAMITRA is designed to be boring in the best sense: predictable meetings, written decisions, declared interests and an audit trail that outlives the people who created it.

Governance structure

The Foundation operates a three-tier structure. The Board of Directors holds ultimate responsibility for the charitable objects. Board committees carry out detailed scrutiny in their areas. The executive team delivers within a written delegation of authority.

  • Board of Directors — strategy, budget, risk and appointments
  • Board committees — audit, programme quality, research ethics, safeguarding
  • Executive team — delivery within a documented delegation of authority

Committees

Each committee has written terms of reference, a defined composition and a reporting line to the Board. Statutory committees, including the Internal Committee and the safeguarding function, are constituted and trained before any related activity begins.

  • Written terms of reference, reviewed annually
  • Independent membership where the subject requires it
  • Minutes recorded and reported to the next Board meeting

Decision-making framework

Decisions are classified by value and by risk. Routine operational decisions sit with the executive; anything that commits the Foundation financially, publicly or reputationally beyond a defined threshold goes to the Board or its committee.

  • Every material decision is recorded in writing with its rationale
  • Conflicts of interest are declared and the interested person recuses
  • Research and advisory outputs are not influenced by funding relationships

Risk & compliance

The Foundation maintains a risk register covering safeguarding, statutory compliance, financial control, data protection and reputational risk. It is reviewed by the executive monthly and by the Board quarterly.

  • Safeguarding and child protection treated as the highest-priority risk category
  • Statutory filings, audits and policy reviews tracked on a compliance calendar
  • Whistleblower channel available to staff, volunteers and partners

Committee structure at a glance

Board committees, their remit, composition and meeting frequency
CommitteeRemitCompositionMeets
Board of DirectorsStrategy, annual plan, budget, appointments, risk and adherence to the Objects ClauseExecutive and independent directorsAt least quarterly
Audit & Finance CommitteeInternal controls, statutory audit, utilisation of funds and financial reportingChaired by an independent directorQuarterly
Programme & Quality CommitteeCurriculum quality, framework revisions, trainer standards and assessment integrityDirectors and subject expertsQuarterly
Research Ethics CommitteeResearch design, consent, data protection and publication ethicsIndependent academic membersAs required, minimum twice a year
Internal Committee (POSH)Complaints of sexual harassment, inquiry and annual reportingPresiding officer, members and an external memberAs required, minimum quarterly
Child Protection & SafeguardingSafeguarding policy, screening, training and incident responseDesignated Child Protection Officer and membersQuarterly and on incident
Grievance RedressalGrievances from staff, volunteers, participants and partner institutionsGrievance officer and nominated membersAs required

Committee membership is published alongside leadership profiles once appointments are confirmed.

Advisory Council

Independent expertise, organised by sector

The Advisory Council is a non-executive body. Its members review our frameworks, challenge our research and tell us when we have got something wrong — which is the only reason to have one.

Legal

Practitioners and academics who review the legal accuracy of every framework, template and training module before release, and flag developments in law that require our material to be revised.

Appointments in progress

Education

School leaders, curriculum designers and teacher educators who test whether our modules are genuinely teachable in real classrooms with real timetables and mixed levels of teacher preparation.

Appointments in progress

Judiciary

Retired members of the judiciary and legal services authorities who advise on access to justice, legal aid linkage, mediation and the practical realities of grievance and inquiry procedure.

Appointments in progress

Corporate

Human resources, legal and compliance leaders who advise on workplace dignity standards, committee practice, employee awareness at scale and credible CSR collaboration.

Appointments in progress

Public Policy

Policy researchers and former public officials who help translate our findings into recommendations that departments and regulators can actually act on.

Appointments in progress

How the Council works

Members serve in an honorary, non-executive capacity for a fixed term, declare their interests annually, and have no role in the Foundation's financial or operational decisions. Names and affiliations are published once appointments are formally accepted.

Join as an advisor
Transparency & Accountability

Statutory information and financial disclosure

We ask institutions to be transparent about how they handle safety and compliance. The same standard applies to us, which is why this section exists before we have every certificate in hand.

The entries marked To be published below are intentional placeholders. The Foundation publishes a registration number, certificate or financial figure only once the document has been issued and verified — never in anticipation of it. This table is updated as each item is confirmed.

Statutory information and registrations

Statutory information and registration status of SWAMITRA Foundation
ItemParticularsStatus
Legal formNot-for-profit charitable institution governed by its Memorandum and the Objects ClauseTo be published
Date of incorporationAs recorded in the incorporation documentsTo be published
Registration numberCorporate identity / registration number issued by the registering authorityTo be published
PANPermanent Account Number of the FoundationTo be published
TANTax deduction and collection account numberTo be published
Registered officeRegistered Office, New Delhi, IndiaFull address to be published
Income-tax exemptionRegistration for exemption available to charitable institutionsTo be published
Donation tax benefitRegistration enabling tax benefit on eligible donationsTo be published
CSR eligibilityRegistration required to receive corporate social responsibility fundingTo be published
Foreign contributionStatus in respect of foreign contribution; no foreign contribution is accepted until confirmedNot applicable at present
Statutory auditorIndependent auditor appointed by the BoardTo be published
Financial year1 April to 31 MarchConfirmed

Financial information and CSR compliance

Annual accounts and audit

Accounts are maintained on a financial year running from 1 April to 31 March and are audited by an independent statutory auditor. Audited statements are published with the Annual Report and presented to the Board through the Audit & Finance Committee.

Utilisation of funds

Funds are applied only to the charitable objects set out in the Objects Clause. Programme, training, research and administration costs are reported separately so that the balance between delivery and overhead is visible.

Donations and grants

Donations are accepted only through authorised channels and are receipted. The Foundation may decline any contribution that conflicts with its values, its independence or its legal obligations.

Read the Donation Policy

CSR compliance

Corporate partners receive a written scope, a utilisation statement and an impact report for every CSR-supported project. CSR funds are ring-fenced to the agreed project and reported against the agreed outcomes.

CSR collaboration
Annual Reports

Reports, impact and publications

Everything the Foundation publishes about itself is collected here: annual and impact reporting, and the research output that our programmes are built on.

Annual and impact reports

Selected publications

Policies

The policies that bind us

These policies apply to every employee, trainer, volunteer, intern, consultant and partner working with or for the Foundation. They are reviewed at least annually and republished whenever they change.

Concerns about conduct, safeguarding or misuse of funds can be raised through the Whistleblower Policy, including anonymously. Contact details for the designated officers are on the Contact page.

Frequently Asked Questions

Questions we are asked most often

No. SWAMITRA is an independent not-for-profit institution. We work with government departments, education boards and public bodies as partners, and our frameworks are offered for voluntary adoption, but we are not part of government and hold no regulatory authority.
No. Frameworks, toolkits, templates, checklists and research publications are free to download, adapt and use with attribution. Customised institutional training, certification and advisory support may be chargeable on a cost-recovery basis, and the basis is stated in writing before any engagement begins.
Most partnerships begin with a short conversation about what the institution already has in place, followed by a baseline assessment. From there we agree a scope covering framework adoption, staff training and a review cycle. You can begin through the Partner With Us section or the Contact page.
Concerns relating to a child should be raised immediately with the designated Child Protection Officer, and concerns relating to workplace harassment with the Internal Committee. Both routes are listed on the Contact page. Concerns about any other form of wrongdoing can be raised under the Whistleblower Policy, including anonymously.
Because we publish only what has been formally confirmed. Board and executive appointments appear here once they are accepted and the related statutory filings are complete, and registration details appear once the certificates are issued. Listing roles now, and names later, is more honest than publishing information that might change.
Work With Us

See what the mission looks like in practice

Ten national programmes, certified training, free frameworks and published research — all built on the sixty charitable objects that define the Foundation.