Dakshana is a Sanskrit word meaning to give or receive a gift. The Dakshana Foundation is a young philanthropic foundation focused on alleviating poverty. Education is the most powerful and enduring weapon to win the battle against poverty. Thus Dakshana is focused on providing world-class educational opportunities to economically and socially disadvantaged gifted children worldwide. Our initial focus is on providing 2 years of world-class IIT-JEE (Indian Institute of Technology - Joint Entrance Exam) coaching starting in 11th grade to gifted, but impoverished students in rural India. This is done in partnership with the Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya (JNV) school system set up by the Government of India for rural India.

This website is dedicated to The Dakshana Foundation’s Alumni Network named DAAN.

DAAN in Sanskrit means unconditional generosity through giving (without seeking anything in return). Every Dakshana scholar, who finishes the 2-year Dakshana coaching program while in school grades 11th and 12th, automatically becomes a DAAN member.

The Dakshana Alumni are currently students studying at the various IITs, NITs and other elite colleges across India. The DAAN website aims to facilitate communication and connectivity among its DAAN members, so that they can help each other and grow into a powerful network of alumni. The DAAN community is dedicated to “selfless giving” – to each other, to the young Dakshana scholars aspiring to join their ranks, to their communities back home and to The Dakshana Foundation which gave them the opportunity and the means to succeed.