About Us
Problem We Are Trying To Solve!!!
Lack pathway in NEP 2020
Lack of curriculum and resources
Lack of awareness
Lack of engaging opportunities for children in the age group of 10-15 to build 21st century skills
India is striving to be the world’s largest economy which would result in better livelihood and better living conditions for all. World Economic Forum Report 2016 has identified 21st-century skills like creativity and problem-solving skills as significant for children to thrive in the innovative world. Also, the report shows, with data of 21st-century skills of children in 90 countries, that children in developed countries are higher on critical thinking and creativity as compared to their counterparts.
Children, in the age group of 10-15 in India, lack engaging opportunities to build 21st-century skills including critical thinking, creativity, collaboration, and perseverance. We all will find it hard to make India the largest economy for a better living if children are not empowered with 21st-century skills. The root causes of the problem are lack of engaging curriculum focused on 21st-centuryst century skills, lack of skilled teachers, and lack of awareness about these innovative skills in parents and other stakeholders.
Our Solution
2.5 times more children from low-income countries ask for access to digital devices*
Coding activities accelerates the executive function in children**
NEP 2020/CBSE suggests teaching coding from grade 6
Computer programming is top 10 emerging skills for job***
Leverage coding as a tool build critical thinking, creativity, collaboration and perseverance
As per a report of UNICEF, children in low income households ask for digital gadgets 2.5 times more which is a huge opportunity to engage children.
We, at CEL, build on the interest in digital devices by using coding as a tool to build critical thinking, creativity, collaboration and perseverance in children from grades 4-9.
With the introduction of coding in the National Education Policy 2020, it would be a perfectly timed tool to build 21st century skills in children.
We collaborate with government and non government organizations to co create a pilot program to showcase proof points. We then support them to scale the intervention through teacher training and mentor teacher program. We also organize the awareness events and compeitions to make the stakeholders informed about the 21st century skills.Â
Our Program Offers
Higher Engagement
Increase Confidence
Value For Money
Child friendly & Scaffold
Curriculum, Enough
Opportunity to Use Device,
Variety of Tools
solve Contextual Problems,
Showcase Opportunity
Co-Creating Curriculum
Journey of a Child
Our model has 3 phases
1. Classroom Phase:
Children are given child friendly problem scenarios and coding skills and other problem solving skills to create technology products are modeled to them.
2. Local Phase:
Children pick a problem from their community, create a product to express or solve it and share it in a local showcase in front of parents, schools and community members.
3. National Phase:
Children in grades 5-9 identify a contextual problem in their community aligned to UN Sustainable Development Goals. They collaborate with peers and share their stories of change with experts and other stakeholders.
Programs
Student Coding Program
A well crafted program
for students facilitated by
inhouse experts.
Teacher Coding Program
A training and support program for teachers to implement CELs coding curriculum effectively and efficiently
CEL Kids Hackathon
A national level coding event for kids in grade 5-9 to showcase their coding talents.
Code On Wheels
A mobile computer science lab to conduct hands on activities with students in rural & tribal areas.
We offer a mix of programs which strategically support in scaling and sustaining the impact.
Impact
About Founder
Irfan is the founder of a non-profit called Code to Enhance Learning (CEL) and currently nurtures it playing different exciting roles. He has done Mechanical Engineering from the Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda, Vadodara.Â
After two years working with Tata Technologies Limited in Pune, he joined Teach For India Fellowship in 2014 in Ahmedabad and taught 3 and 4 graders for two years in a low-income school. He taught coding to his students to build 21-century skills by connecting it with various subjects besides other subjects for the holistic development of children. This experience inspired him to start CEL later.Â
In April 2017, he published a book called Code (with Scratch) to Enhance Learning, a pocket-friendly resource, to help teachers and beginners to start learning to code.
Advisory Board
MuraliKrishnan B.
Seasoned business leader with 28+ years across consumer technology, e-commerce, and retail. Former President of Xiaomi India and senior leader at eBay and Jabong. IIM Calcutta alumnus, active angel investor, & Executive Doctorate holder from ISB.
Sabitha Vuppala
IIM Calcutta alumna bringing over two decades of global leadership in banking and financial services. Her deep expertise in financial strategy strengthens CEL's 21st-century skills mission and operational sustainability.
Ashwath Bharath
Senior Director at Teach For India, a passionate educator and systems leader. From teaching as a 2012 Fellow to leading Firki and government relations, his experience supports CEL’s mission to empower underserved students.
Nidhi Goyal
EVP at Tata Indian Institute of Skills, brings 18 years of experience across sectors with strengths in strategy, growth, and mentoring—advancing CEL’s vision for transformative education.
Maulik Bhansali
CEO of NetWeb Software, is an energetic leader with extensive experience in the Software and IT industry. A mentor to young entrepreneurs and speaker at professional forums, he serves on university boards & is passionate about social responsibility.
Rajni Agarwal
Telecommunications R&D Manager at Sony, brings expertise in tech consulting, wireless networks, IoT, and product strategy—aligning strongly with CEL’s 21st-century skills mission.
Core Team Members
Pankaj Dhurde
Pankaj holds a B.Sc. in Computer Science and a B.Ed., bringing strong grounding in digital literacy, pedagogy, and teacher mentoring. With prior experience at American India Foundation and Eklavya Foundation, he oversees field implementation, government coordination, and educator development at CEL, ensuring program quality and consistency on the ground.
Pooja Jadhav
Pooja has a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science and prior experience with Makeshift and Learning Links Foundation. At CEL, she leads curriculum design and teacher training, integrating coding with 21st-century and life skills. Her work focuses on creating practical, classroom-ready learning models that teachers can confidently adopt.
Ganesh Malghan
Ganesh holds a B.E. in Mechanical Engineering and has worked with Navnirmiti EduQuality Foundation and Eklavya Foundation. He leads government relations at CEL, working closely with Zilla Parishads and DIETs to align programs with district systems and institutionalise computer science education within public schools.
Clients & Supporters
Collaborators
