School Eye Health Project

The ETI Foundation is dedicated to ensuring that every child has the right to see clearly and live fully. Through our School Eye Health Project, we work to detect vision problems early and provide the care needed for children to thrive—both in the classroom and beyond.

For us, restoring sight is not only about sharper vision; it is about dignity, inclusion, and giving children the confidence to dream big. Supported by strong partnerships with education authorities and community stakeholders, our approach blends preventive eye care with awareness, counselling, and a focus on mental well-being.

We are committed to creating a future where no child’s potential is dimmed by an untreated vision problem, and where access to eye health is a pathway to opportunity, empowerment, and hope.

At a Glance

• 270,000 children in India live with blindness

• $118 billion annual economic loss

• 22,175 children screened across 32 schools

• 2,393 spectacles provided free of cost

• Supported by Sun Pharma & GNCTD

• Focus: early detection, inclusion & mental health

• Goal: 50,000 more students in Delhi & nearby states this year

Protecting Young Eyes, Building Futures

Every minute, a child somewhere loses their sight. In India, over 270,000 children live with blindness—costing the nation nearly $118 billion each year. With a quarter of India’s population under 18, childhood blindness is not just a personal tragedy but a loss to the nation’s future.

A Joint Effort: Sun Pharma, Directorate of Education & ETI for Children’s Vision

Supported by Sun Pharma and in collaboration with the Directorate of Education (GNCTD), the ETI Foundation launched its School Eye Health Project in Delhi and a few village schools in Haryana with the goal of building a preventive mechanism to detect and address visual impairments among children at an early stage in schools. What began as a pilot in Delhi schools is now integrated into the Vidyanjali Programme of the Ministry of Education. The initiative has already reached 22,175 children across 32 schools, under which 2,393 corrective spectacles have been distributed to school children. The programme continues to expand and create a replicable and sustainable model for school-based eye health.

How We Work

• Comprehensive screenings by trained optometrists with two-step testing and diagnostic assessments

• Early identification of refractive errors and free eyeglasses provided where needed

• Child-friendly, non-invasive screenings, aligned with Directorate of Education guidelines

• Awareness sessions with teachers, parents, and students, supported by simple aftercare materials

  
  

Our goal: Early intervention to prevent blindness and foster a culture of eye care

Our commitment: Equitable vision care for children across both urban and rural communities

From Eye Health to Self-Esteem and Mental Health

Over two years of working with schoolchildren, ETI has seen how eye health is deeply tied to mental health and self-esteem. Research confirms that uncorrected vision problems often lead to emotional strain and social withdrawal.

ETI is therefore integrating mental health into its approach—ensuring children gain not just clear sight, but also the confidence and resilience needed to thrive.

Challenges

• Stigma and Stereotypes: Cultural attitudes and gender bias make children—especially girls—reluctant to wear spectacles

• Low Self-Esteem: Visual impairment often leads to reduced confidence, social withdrawal, and exclusion

• Limited Awareness: Parents, teachers, and communities often underestimate the importance of early vision care

• Mental Health Link: Uncorrected vision problems contribute to emotional strain, which is rarely addressed in schools

• Accessibility Gaps: Children in low-income and rural communities face barriers to regular screenings and affordable corrective glasses

Future Goals

• Expand Reach: Screen an additional 50,000 students across Delhi and nearby states this year, with a focus on underserved communities

• Integrate Mental Health: Build emotional resilience into eye care programmes to address the psychological impact of vision problems

• Strengthen Partnerships: Deepen collaboration with schools, administrators, and government bodies for scale and sustainability

• Promote Inclusion: Continue transforming perceptions of spectacles from a marker of weakness to a symbol of empowerment

• Sustainable Model: Develop a replicable framework for school-based eye health that can be adopted nationwide

Call to Action

Every pair of eyes we protect strengthens our nation’s future. Together—with parents, teachers, communities, and partners—we can end preventable childhood blindness and help children see, dream, and thrive.

Because when a child sees clearly, they don’t just read the blackboard—they begin to write the story of their future.

Our School Partners

1 | Ishani Government Sarvodaya Kanya Vidyalaya (Girls School)

 2 | Ramanujan Sarvodaya Kanya Vidyalaya (RSKV)

 3 | Government Sarvodaya Co-ed Sr Sec School, Kitchner Road, Delhi

 4 | Govt. Sarvodaya Kanya Vidyalaya, Pandara

 5 | Govt Boys Sr Sec School, Pandara Road, Delhi

 6 | Govt. Sarvodaya Vidyalaya, Jor Bagh, New Delhi

 7 | Shaheed Anusuya Prasad Govt Boys Ambetkar Nagar

 8 | Veer Chandra Singh Garhwali Sarvodaya Bal Vidyalaya, J-Block, Saket, New Delhi

 9 | Govt Boys Sr Sec School, Chirag Delhi

 10 | Govt Girls Sr Sec School, Pushp Vihar, New Delhi

 11 | Govt Boys Sr Sec School, Malviya Nagar, New Delhi

 12 | Sarvodaya Kanya Vidyalaya, Malviya Nagar, New Delhi

 13 | Sarvodaya Kanya Vidyalaya, Hauz Rani, New Delhi

 14 | Govt Boys Sr Sec School, Mehrauli No 2, New Delhi

 15 | Govt. Sarvodaya Bal Vidyalaya, Sect-IV, Dr. Ambedkar Nagar, New Delhi

 16 | Government Girls Senior Secondary School No-1, Dr. Ambedkar Nagar

 17 | Govt Girls Sr Sec School, Lado Sarai, New Delhi

 18 | Govt. Sarvodaya Vidyalaya (Yogi Arvind), Sect-IV, Dr. Ambedkar Nagar, New Delhi

 19 | Govt. Girls Sec. School, Begumpur, MMTC/STC Colony, New Delhi

 20 | Govt. Sarvodaya Kanya Vidyalaya, MMTC/STC Colony, Begumpur, New Delhi

 21 | Govt Sarvodaya Vidyalaya, Shahpur Jat, New Delhi

 22 | Govt. Sarvodaya Vidyalaya No-3, Sector-7, R.K. Puram, New Delhi

 23 | Govt. Sarvodaya Bal Vidyalaya, Qutub, Mehrauli, New Delhi

 24 | GBSSS, Sangam Vihar C Block

 25 | MBDAV

 26 | Jain Girls School, Green Park

 27 | Sarvodaya Co-ed Vidyalaya No-1, R.K. Puram, Sector-2

 28 | Sarvodaya Co-ed Vidyalaya, R.K. Puram, Sector-2

 29 | Sarvodaya Co-ed Senior Secondary School, Safdarjung Enclave

 30 | Gargi Sarvodaya Kanya Vidyalaya, Safdarjung

 31 | Bachhan Prasad SKV, Deoli, Sangam Vihar

 32 | Govt Girls Senior Secondary School No-2, A Block, Janakpuri

 33 | Govt Sarvodaya Kanya Vidyalaya, A Block, Janakpuri