Gifted Summer Program for Delhi CM Shri Students

The case, on one page

Talent is equally distributed. Opportunity is not. India has roughly 15 lakh gifted children in the 10–14 age band. Fewer than 1,500 of them are identified and nurtured today. The window to act is narrow, and by high school it has mostly closed.

15 lakh

gifted children in India aged 10–14 (top 1–2% of the cohort)

<1,500

identified and nurtured today: about 0.1% of the gifted, 0.001% of all students

6.6%

of US public-school students are in gifted programmes; China nurtures ~0.3%

10–14

the age band in which identification and nurturing must happen

The window is narrow. Identification and nurturing are time-sensitive and should happen between ages 10 and 14. Intervention at high school or college is typically too late; the talent has already gone quiet. GenWise, "Unleashing Potential", Sept 2024; GenWise–Ei Gifted India concept note, 2026

Third party

Avanti Fellows' 2026 JEE data makes the access point plainly: "Talent was never the problem. Access is." As Avanti scaled from 800 to 7,300 students, the qualification rate held above 31%. Their lightest-touch test series, reaching 4,400 government-school students in Punjab, produced a top scorer at the 99.7th percentile nationally. 42% of Avanti's 2026 JEE qualifiers came from ordinary government schools outside the JNV system. "We did not run out of talented students as we grew. We just found more of them."

Vandana Goyal and Akshay Saxena, co-CEOs, Avanti Fellows, newsletter of 13 Aug 2026

Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas educate the top 1–2% of government-school students. The top 10% of that pool is the top 0.1% of public-school talent in India. Delhi's CM Shri Schools are the same idea applied to the capital's government-school system: the strongest students, concentrated, and still without exposure, mentors, or confidence.Sundara Foundation

Why a residential summer programme, and why it is not the whole answer

The Gifted Summer Program is the immersion step in a longer pipeline: identify early through a world-class above-level test (Ei's ASSET Talent Search), immerse the student for three weeks with expert mentors and gifted peers from across the country, then mentor over four to five years toward admission to a world-class institution. GenWise, Ei, Sundara Foundation and the Godrej Foundation already run each of these steps. The Godrej Tomorrow Makers STEM track (free, online, from Grade 6) is the year-round layer, and 14 CM Shri students are already in its first batch. The summer programme is where the shift in a child's sense of what is possible happens fastest; the rest of the pipeline is what makes the shift stick.

What a sponsor's ₹1,00,000 buys

One CM Shri student, Grade 8–10, selected by Ei ATS from 500–700 nominees: the assessment, three weeks of tuition, stay and food at MAHE Bengaluru, Delhi–Bengaluru return airfare, chaperone travel, safeguarding, insurance and medical cover. Paying families spend about ₹2 lakh for the same three weeks. The ₹1 lakh is a subsidised rate, not the cost of delivery, and is offered on a minimum of 50 sponsored students. Funds flow to Sundara Charitable Trust (80G, 12A), which applies 100% of income to charitable purposes.

"By that part of our plan which prescribes the selection of the youths of genius from among the classes of the poor, we hope to avail the state of those talents which nature has sown as liberally among the poor as the rich, but which perish without use, if not sought for and cultivated."

Thomas Jefferson, Notes on the State of Virginia

The programme: June 2027 edition

A three-week residential programme at MAHE Bengaluru for about 120 students in Grades 8–10: 70 sponsored students from Delhi CM Shri Schools alongside 50 paying students from private schools across India. ₹1,00,000 per sponsored student, all-inclusive. Go / no-go on 15 December 2026. This mirrors the note GenWise sent CSF on 11 August 2026 and the Letter of Intent CSF issued on 1 September 2026.

What	3-week residential Gifted Summer Program
When	13 June – 3 July 2027 check against the Delhi CM Shri 2027 academic calendar
Where	MAHE Bengaluru campus (hosted a similar programme in June 2026)
Who	~120 students, Grades 8–10: 70 sponsored students from Delhi CM Shri Schools + 50 paying students from private schools across India. The mix is deliberate (see §5.1 on why it works).
Selection	CM Shri Schools nominate 500–700 students in Grades 7–9; all take Ei's ASSET Talent Search online; GenWise finalises selection with interviews in Jan–Feb 2027 and assigns courses.
Cost per sponsored student	₹1,00,000, payable to Sundara Charitable Trust (all-inclusive: assessment, tuition, stay, food, return airfare, chaperone travel, insurance)
Sponsorship target	₹50–70 lakh for 50–70 students, raised by CSF from CSR and philanthropy
Roles	CM Shri Schools: nominations, test administration, parent commitment, 3–4 chaperones. CSF: sponsorship, Delhi coordination, Ei liaison, travel booking. GenWise: end-to-end academic and residential delivery, all collateral, sponsor meetings, safeguarding.
Go / no-go	15 December 2026, on funds received and confirmed numbers

What the three weeks look like

Courses 3–4 years above grade level, taught by people who work in the field. May 2026 courses included AI & Data Science, Neuroscience, Economics and Public Policy, Architecture, Submarine Design, Physics of Sound, Electronics (Squishy Circuits), "Two Feet of Science: Walk like a Scientist", and "The Pleasure of Finding Things Out". Earlier years: Forensic Science, Graph Theory, Soft Robotics, Astrophysics. Nothing on the list is taught at school; the courses give no advantage to "bookish" students.
No exams, no grades, no devices. Learning is hands-on: experiments, prototypes, models, simulations, group projects, a showcase for parents and visitors at the end.
Residential Coaches, 1 for every 10 students, with students 18 hours a day. About two hours daily of socio-emotional work (art, theatre, storytelling, debates, talent night), 4–5 expert talks across the programme, 1.5–2 hours of play every evening, an excursion, nightly huddles. Overall staff ratio about 1:4.
Safety first. No child is ever alone; escorted travel start to finish; insurance and medical cover; MAHE's residential campus and dormitories.

Public post

"This recipe makes the Gifted Summer Program every year magical: bright and curious young children with a thirst for learning and fun, identified through Ei's ASSET Talent Search; caring and supportive Residential Counselors and Teaching Assistants with the older-sibling quality; passionate subject experts who can challenge these bright students and satisfy their curiosity (or make it stronger!); the great facilities and food that the MAHE campus offers; and programme management teams that balance efficient operations with warmth and caring."

Vishnu Agnihotri, co-founder, GenWise. LinkedIn, May 2026

Track record

Residential gifted programmes in India since 2016; GenWise founded 2017; at MAHE under MoU since 2022. 615 students through the Gifted Summer Program at MAHE across 14 cohorts, 2022–25. At least a fifth of every residential cohort now comes from less-privileged backgrounds on full scholarships.

615

students through GSP at MAHE, 2022–25, 14 cohorts

160+

students in May 2026 from 30+ districts, plus a June edition of 40+

12 → 30+

fully-sponsored students from underserved backgrounds, 2023 → 2026

2,000+

students taught across 100+ cities; 200+ courses, 200+ schools

Residential gifted programmes in India	Since 2016 (Ei ASSET Summer Program, successor to Duke TIP India 2008–15); GenWise founded 2017; at MAHE under MoU since 2022
May 2024	130 students, 78 schools, 40+ staff; ~30 on full scholarship
May 2025	160 students from 100+ schools; 15 from JNVs
May 2026	160+ students from 30+ districts, plus a June edition of 40+ at MAHE Bengaluru
Underserved students on full scholarship	12 (2023) → 30+ (2026); the 2026 cohort drawn from JNVs, Delhi CM Shri Schools, Abhyudaya (SPJIMR) and Avasara Academy
Sponsors of these seats to date	Godrej Foundation (40 JNV students, 2023–26), MAHE (10 "MAHE Gifted Scholars" from JNVs across 2025 and 2026), individual donors via Sundara Foundation
GenWise overall	2,000+ students taught across 100+ cities (figures independently cited in CSF's The Long Bet, 2026); 200+ courses, 200+ schools
Recognition	Featured as one of nine Indian organisations in CSF's The Long Bet (2026). Programme Partner for the STEM pathway of the Godrej Foundation's Tomorrow Makers (2026). Ei's ASSET Talent Search is recognised as an entry point by Johns Hopkins CTY, Northwestern CTD, Purdue GER2I and UC Berkeley ATDP.

The CM Shri pilot, May 2026: what happened

Four Grade 10 students from Delhi CM Shri Schools attended the May 2026 programme at MAHE Manipal (10–30 May), sponsored through CSF. Shri K.S. Upadhyay, Additional Director of Education and CEO of the Delhi Board of School Education, spent two days at the programme and handed out certificates at the closing showcase on 30 May alongside school principals. Eesha Kapoor of CSF attended the graduation. Since August 2026, 14 CM Shri students are also in the first batch of the Godrej Tomorrow Makers STEM track, run as an in-school hybrid batch at Mr Upadhyay's suggestion.

Student	School	Course
Divyansh Mishra	DBRA CM Shri School	Data Science and AI
Aditya Kumar	CM Shri School, Dwarka	Data Science and AI
Lavanya	DBRA CM Shri School (CM SHRI Sector-5, Dwarka)	Neuroscience
Alisha Solanki	DBRA CM Shri School	Neuroscience

Consent for the students' names and images is in place. Progress notes on the CM Shri students in Tomorrow Makers are available from GenWise on request.

Photographs

pending A curated strip of ~30 photographs of the four students in class, at the showcase and with Mr Upadhyay is being added here. The full archive (491 images plus group shots) is in the Drive folder and, while the link lasts, at fromsmash.com/CSF-cm-shri-media-pack.

How the camp saw them staff voice

Drawn from the camp record: Residential Coaches' daily notes, instructors' observations and the students' own mood check-ins. These are staff voices, not student testimonials, and should be labelled that way when used. The full one-page profiles are in the Drive folder.

Lavanya

Neuroscience

Arrived withdrawn, left a confident, joyful contributor. "Lavanya stood up and shared her opinions, for which her classmates applauded." "Seeing the smile on her face now compared to the first few days has been truly special." Has a natural gift for explaining concepts and connecting them to real life.

What continued support would unlock: encouragement to take the lead in collaborative work.

Alisha Solanki

Neuroscience

Homesick and close to one friend in week one; by week two "confident, enthusiastic and warmly supportive of those around her." Introduced the term "glomerulus" in a class game and sparked a deeper discussion; asked continuous questions at the anatomy and pathology museum; became a source of emotional support for friends. "Moving from feeling emotionally vulnerable and homesick in the first week to becoming someone so open, engaged and resilient takes an incredible amount of courage."

Divyansh Mishra

Data Science and AI

Produced the best regression forecast in his class on the house-price dataset; the strongest prompt engineer in the group; his final project drew particular attention at the closing presentations. Picked up the guitar from friends in free time. "His curiosity just keeps growing. He genuinely loves to learn." His own line, in class: "ChatGPT ko capital letters mei message likhne se vo better response deta hai."

What would unlock more: formal foundations in calculus and linear algebra, and encouragement to trust his instincts.

Aditya Kumar

Data Science and AI

Has built his own operating system, a game and a keyboard-logging app, and asked instructors how to verify or patent his OS. Connected backpropagation theory to code he had already written; first to crack the Two Feet of Science building challenge; led the dance activity from the front row and taught the steps to other boys; chief in the Kitchen Showdown. "The most passionate among the group… very driven and smart."

What would unlock more: sustained mentorship from someone who can answer the questions he is already asking.

In their words public posts

K.S. Upadhyay

Additional Director of Education / CEO, Delhi Board of School Education (Govt of NCT Delhi)

I had the privilege of spending two inspiring days at the GenWise Gifted Summer Program 2026 at Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE), Manipal, alongside students from CM Shri Schools, Government of NCT of Delhi.

What impressed me most was watching gifted learners confidently engage with concepts far beyond their current curriculum. From AI & Data Science, Neuroscience, Economics, and Architecture to Submarine Design, Physics of Sound, and Electronics, students explored complex ideas with remarkable depth and curiosity.

As someone who studied concepts like Millikan's Oil Drop Experiment during my postgraduate years, it was fascinating to see middle and secondary school students not only understand advanced concepts but also explain and apply them through experiments, prototypes, models, simulations, and collaborative projects.

The showcase demonstrated the power of gifted education. When young minds are challenged appropriately and encouraged to learn through inquiry, they often surpass conventional expectations. Equally impressive were the communication, teamwork, leadership, and problem-solving skills displayed throughout the program.

I was also delighted to interact with the leadership of MAHE to explore opportunities for scholarships, enrichment programs, and future collaborations that can benefit students of CM Shri Schools and strengthen learning partnerships between educational institutions.

My sincere appreciation to Vishnu Agnihotri, GenWise, Central Square Foundation, Saurabh Chopra and Manipal Academy of Higher Education for creating an ecosystem where curiosity, talent, and creativity can flourish.

The experience reaffirmed a simple truth: when children are given the freedom to explore, discover, and create, their potential is often far greater than we imagine.

LinkedIn, June 2026Original post ↗

Lavanya

Grade 10, CM SHRI School Sector-5 Dwarka. Neuroscience course, May 2026

Some experiences have a lasting impact on us, and for me, GenWise Summer Camp 2026 was one of those.

Over three transformative weeks, I was part of the Neuroscience Program. This experience not only expanded my academic knowledge but also contributed greatly to my personal growth. The camp offered a good mix of rigorous learning, practical exploration, and meaningful interactions, making it one of the most memorable times of my life.

Through hands-on experiments, engaging discussions, and museum visits, I explored the fascinating world of neuroscience beyond what we typically learn in classrooms. These experiences encouraged me to think critically, ask questions, and develop a deeper appreciation for the complexity of the human mind. Most importantly, the program strengthened my interest in both neuroscience and psychology, inspiring me to explore these fields further.

Throughout the camp, I learned important life skills such as teamwork, collaboration, communication, independence, and the need to step outside my comfort zone. These lessons will stay with me long after the camp has ended.

I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to KS Upadhyay Sir for his unwavering encouragement and efforts to make us privileged by this opportunity, CM SHRI Sector-5, Dwarka, and Monika Batra, Principal, for her guidance, encouragement, and unwavering support throughout this journey. Her leadership and dedication helped create an environment where students could learn, grow, and thrive.

GenWise Summer Camp 2026 was more than just a summer program; it was a journey of learning, self-discovery, friendship, and growth. I look forward to joining similar opportunities in the future and continuing the journey of learning that this experience has inspired.

LinkedIn, June 2026. Her headline now reads "High School Student | Research Enthusiast | Exploring Psychology & Neuroscience | Reader & Debater | Lifelong Learner"Original post ↗

Evidence from earlier cohorts of students from underserved backgrounds

Three years of sponsored students from JNVs and similar schools, with before-and-after data from Avanti Fellows' 2023 study, student testimonials from 2024–25, and alumni looking back years later. The recurring finding: confidence to speak, ask and try arrives within three weeks, and stays.

5.1 The 2023 pilot: ten JNV girls from Karnataka

Godrej Foundation × Avanti Fellows × GenWise. Ten gifted girls from JNVs across Karnataka joined the May 2023 programme at MAHE Manipal, in a camp of close to 100 students from across the country. 180 school toppers from 10 JNVs wrote the test; 14 were selected. Avanti Fellows' girls-leadership tracking team ran baseline and endline questionnaires and interviews. GenWise wrote up the experience publicly.

From Avanti Fellows' impact report third party baseline vs endline, n=10

4 → 0

of 10 girls said they were nervous, start vs end

6 → 9

of 10 strongly agree "I will make it to a good college"

3 → 6

of 10 strongly agree "I will get a job of my choice"

90% → 100%

intend to pursue STEM

100%

would participate again

8 of 10 said they were "really proud" of completing the programme. 9 of 10 rated themselves above 8/10 on taking initiative and on flexibility and open-mindedness; 9 of 10 said they had gone outside their comfort zone.
Working in groups: 3 of 10 were nervous about it at baseline. At endline all rated themselves 7 or above, 8 of them at 9 or 10.

"Almost all of them shared that they didn't ask questions to the facilitators and teachers in their schools. Their participation in the classes in JNVs was never even remotely close to how much they participated in the program here. They shared that they could ask questions freely and were respected by the facilitators."

Avanti Fellows, impact report on the 2023 JNV girls' cohort

student voice

"I can do anything if I am really willing to do it."

Advice to the next batch: "Don't miss the opportunity at all if you get through." "I will force my juniors to come here because it is once in a lifetime kind of an opportunity."

JNV girls, 2023 cohort, as recorded by Avanti Fellows

What the girls said made the difference: facilitators who knew their subject and created "a really positive and fear-free environment"; co-curricular activities; "having RCs to talk to by the end of each day made the biggest difference"; "the environment of the program was totally democratic and fear-free. They felt respected, non policed, not judged."Avanti Fellows impact report, 2023

From GenWise's write-up, June 2023 public post

"While the girls were bright and were expected to do well, it was not obvious at the start of the program that all would go well. Whether they would express themselves freely and engage fully in the program, and integrate socially was a matter of concern. Many of them were not as comfortable with 'urban elite' English spoken by the other students. At the start of the program, discussions about food and hair, or the selection of t-shirts, had made the girls aware that they came from a different background. The hope was that their academic talent and passion for learning put them on an equal footing with the other students, at least in the classroom… and confidence in other areas could be built on this stepping stone."

GenWise, "Nurturing Gifted Students from all Backgrounds", June 2023

Confidence survey, before and after: girls rating themselves 5/5 on "prepare and deliver an oral presentation" went from 3 of 10 to 8 of 10; on "answer questions in front of an audience", 10 of 10 rated 4 or 5 afterwards against 7 of 10 before.GenWise, June 2023

student voice

"For one's performance to be at its highest potential one's brain should be free. It should not be constrained in some single boundary, or else the thinking capacity may also deteriorate. So in school what happens is, we are constrained and I think that's the reason why few of us do face difficulty in solving new questions, out-of-the-box questions. So that should not happen. Our brain should be free, like Einstein used to say…"

A JNV student at the end of the 2023 programme

Four girls recorded short video reflections: Nireeksha on finding the courage to express her views; Lasya on trying new things because she felt supported; Jyothsna on moving from "only the syllabus" to curiosity about the world; Rajeshwari on playing football for the first time and learning to work with others rather than compare. All embedded in the June 2023 write-up.

5.2 2024–2025: student voices student voice

"Before coming to GenWise I was an introvert and after coming here I have the courage to talk to people. I now have the courage to come out and talk to people more, be more interactive and help them if they need anything and also I would ask them if I needed any help. It's a very friendly environment to learn at GenWise."

Liesha Nilkanth Pawade, 14, JNV Chandrapur, Maharashtra, 2025, "Policy Paths: Unraveling Economics, Stats, and Policy". Video at sundaratrust.org

"I was a bit nervous before coming because I will meet a lot of people across India. I was not sure if I could adjust but I was able to adjust and was able to communicate with people and that boosted my confidence. I used to be afraid to ask questions but now I ask doubts and I have learned that no questions are right or wrong."

Preksha Santosh Jungari, 14, JNV Chandrapur, 2025, "Two Feet of Science: Walk like a Scientist". Video at sundaratrust.org

"One thing that I really love about GenWise is that other teachers would complete the syllabus for exams' sake and we don't do that here, we do that for learning purposes."

Unnathi CP, 16, JNV Uttara Kannada, attended 2024 and returned in 2025, Economics

"I did not know much about Forensic Science till I came here, I got to know it is all about finding the perfect clues. It's like a jigsaw puzzle, find, put together and solve. I learned many skills that will be surely useful in my future life, I will never forget my 3 weeks in this gifted program, it's a stress free environment, Gifted World is my utopic world."

Satakshi Gangwar, 15, VidyaGyan Bulandshahar (UP), 2024, Forensic Science. Video at sundaratrust.org

"Children tell us that they feel treated with dignity and acceptance that many of them may not experience consistently."

GenWise, note on the May 2024 programme (130 students, ~30 on full scholarship from Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti, Hippocampus and VidyaGyan schools)

"When the program starts there is some apprehension; by the start of week two, the fear and apprehensions have evaporated, they all feel equal, learn together, collaborate, achieve great things, create great memories, prove things to themselves, see how good they are, and develop the confidence they are no less."

GenWise, September 2024

5.3 2026: ten JNV girls, selected with Avanti Fellows

Tanisha Babhulkar, Sanskruti Zodape, Tanaya Bhise, Prajakta Jamgade, Parineeti Tote, Rajalakshmi Dhanawade, Samiksha Deshmukh, Spandan Meshram, Harshika Band (Maharashtra JNVs) and Mokshita HK attended in May 2026. GenWise produced a short slide "journey" for each girl addressed to her parents, with observations from her Residential Coach, Teaching Assistant and instructors.

pending The hosted links are being restored; PDFs to follow here.

5.4 The long run: what alumni say years later

Shamil Rahman, JNV alumnus (lateral entry at Grade 9 from a regular government school in Kerala; started in the bottom third of his class, finished the year in the top 10%), went on to a B.Des at IIT Guwahati and now works as a product designer. His story is written up in GenWise's "Realizing Potential: the case of a Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya student" (Dec 2022). The thesis: talent plus exposure, opportunity, education and experience.

From a 2024 panel of GenWise and ASSET Summer Program alumni. These are fee-paying alumni; the point is what a residential programme does to a child. Full panel video, 85 min.

"It was my first time staying away from home for such a long time and it really changed my personality within 21 days… It definitely boosted my confidence, made me confident to speak with my peers and explain my ideas and be more vocal about what I think, and these things are still helping me to this day when I am in college." On why: "It was a very collaborative environment… not a competitive environment… they created a safe space for me."

Rutuja Gupta, University of Wisconsin-Madison, genetics and data science

"I remember going back to school the next year and thinking, I don't need to keep filtering myself, because it wasn't bad at the summer camp so it won't be bad at school. And that turned out to be true."

Charu Hari, Azim Premji University

"The challenge you face is in the weaker parts of it, in the personal emotional management of it or the time management of it… that process of maturing is very valuable in a residential programme where you have to manage yourself."

Asher Kaul, law, King's College London. check Vishnu recalls that Asher, the only CBSE student in a largely IB cohort, started with a lower second and ended by topping his batch at King's. Confirm with Asher before using.

Third-party validation

CSF's own The Long Bet, the Godrej Foundation, MAHE and the Delhi Board of School Education have each put GenWise's programme on record.

Central Square Foundation, The Long Bet (2026): GenWise's summer programmes are featured as one of nine Indian initiatives "turning potential into excellence", alongside Jnana Prabodhini, Ashoka's Lodha Genius Programme, Avanti Fellows, Avasara Academy and others.
Gurcharan Das, introduction to The Long Bet (CSF, April 2026), on the democratic case for gifted education: "The strongest argument for gifted education is not elitist but civic." Selection must respect equality of opportunity, "say via scholarships for the gifted poor"; gifted education that becomes a gilded cage for the elite "fails Rawls' fairness test."
Godrej Foundation, Tomorrow Makers launch (May 2026): GenWise named a Programme Partner for the STEM pathway. "Every child can be amongst the best at something — especially if it's something they have chosen to pursue!" (Omar Momin, Godrej Foundation, LinkedIn)
Manipal Academy of Higher Education (LinkedIn, 2025): "MAHE, Manipal is proud to host the Gifted Summer Program 2025 in partnership with GenWise and Educational Initiatives, bringing together 160 gifted students from over 100 schools across India… MAHE has sponsored five outstanding students from Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya as MAHE Gifted Scholars, selected through a rigorous assessment and interview process from nearly 200 high-performing students across Karnataka and Maharashtra."
K.S. Upadhyay, Delhi Board of School Education: see §4.

Quote bank

Short lines for a deck, a pitch email or a slide header. Each copies with its attribution.

"Talent is equally distributed. Opportunity is not."

Sundara Foundation

"Talent was never the problem. Access is."

Vandana Goyal and Akshay Saxena, Avanti Fellows, 2026

"India has never lacked talent. What we have lacked is equal access to opportunity."

Godrej Foundation, Tomorrow Makers

"We love the story of the talented kid from nowhere who makes it big. We call it a miracle. In calling it that, we admit that the system is broken. For every miracle we celebrate, hundreds with the same spark only saw a closed door."

Siddharth Bharath, GenWise, July 2026

"Giftedness is arguably the most precious natural resource a civilization can have."

Sternberg and Davidson. GenWise's gloss: "Unlike gold, it is on the move; it appears for a brief period and disappears forever."

"…these gifted students, the 'mathletes' of the world, can shape the future. When you look at the issues facing society now — whether it's health care, climate change, terrorism, energy — these are the kids who have the most potential to solve these problems."

David Lubinski, Study of Mathematically Precocious Youth, Vanderbilt

"People love to say, 'Give a man a fish, and he'll eat for a day. Teach a man to fish, he'll eat for a lifetime.' What they don't say is, 'And it would be nice if you gave him a fishing rod.' … Talent alone would have gotten me nowhere without Daniel giving me a CD writer. People say, 'Oh, that's a handout.' No, my friend, I still have to work to profit by it. But I don't stand a chance without it."

Trevor Noah, Born a Crime

"Giftedness is developmental: in the beginning stages, potential is the key variable; in later stages, achievement is the measure of giftedness; and in fully developed talents, eminence is the basis on which this label is granted."

Subotnik, Olszewski-Kubilius and Worrell, Rethinking Giftedness and Gifted Education

student voice

"The mentality goes from 'I have to follow great people' to 'I have to question great people — try, find alternatives, find a more efficient way.'"

A Grade 7 student in the Tomorrow Makers STEM track, 2026

Partners and governance

For a sponsor's due diligence: who receives the money, who delivers, who identifies, who hosts.

Sundara Charitable Trust (public-facing: Sundara Foundation). Founded 8 April 1985, Mumbai, by Dr S.H. Patil (Professor Emeritus of Physics, IIT Bombay), the late Dr Venkutai Patil and the late V.H. Patil. Public Trust Reg. No. E-10456; PAN AAATS0371E; 80G (valid AY 2026-27); 12A. Since 2022 focused on identifying and nurturing gifted children from economically disadvantaged backgrounds. Receiving entity for Godrej Foundation's GSP scholarships and for Godrej Tomorrow Makers. 100% of income to charitable purposes.
GenWise Talent Development, Bengaluru. Founded 2017 by Shrikant Patil, Vishnu Agnihotri and Rajesh Panchanathan; Shrikant and Vishnu had run Ei's ASSET Summer Program from 2016 after Duke TIP left India. Delivers the programme end to end.
Educational Initiatives (Ei). ASSET Talent Search, an above-level test used to identify gifted students in India since 2009, recognised by Johns Hopkins CTY, Northwestern CTD, Purdue GER2I and UC Berkeley ATDP.
Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE). Campus partner since 2022 (MoU, now on its fifth addendum); sponsor of five JNV scholars in 2025.
Central Square Foundation. Partner for the CM Shri edition: sponsorship, Delhi coordination, Ei liaison. Letter of Intent issued 1 September 2026.
Delhi CM Shri Schools / Directorate of Education, GNCT Delhi. Nominations, test administration, parent engagement, chaperones.

Before this goes to a sponsor: open items

Written work by the four CM Shri students from camp. GenWise ops is looking; added here if found.
The ten 2026 JNV girls' journey slides. Hosted on a GenWise app that is currently down; GenWise to re-host or export to PDF.
Vandana Goyal's LinkedIn posts on the JNV girls (2025 and 2026). GenWise is asking Vishnu Agnihotri for the links.
Curated photo strip of the CM Shri students from the 491-image archive.
Dates. 13 June – 3 July 2027 still to be confirmed against the Delhi academic calendar.
A public page for CM Shri and other sponsored students goes on sundaratrust.org once CSF and GenWise agree the content; genwise.in has no summer-programme page at present.