Nitin Wadhwani establishes CACR to improve public schooling in Maharashtra

Nitin Wadhwani founded the Citizens Association for Child Rights (CACR) to improve education, health, and hygiene for children in Maharashtra.

After working in the electronics industry for 35 years, Wadhwani began his social work by observing families on Mumbai pavements. He noticed that many children remained on the streets to help their parents earn a living. Wadhwani persuaded these parents to enroll their children in nearby Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) schools to ensure a better future for the next generation.

Wadhwani identified several issues in government schools, including poor infrastructure and underutilized computer labs. To address this, CACR collaborated with IIT Bombay to train 70 to 80 citizens in computer literacy. The organization then expanded this effort by training approximately 900 BMC teachers in basic computer operations and software. Wadhwani emphasized that the goal is to strengthen existing public institutions rather than creating parallel systems. The organization also partnered with UNICEF to improve sanitation and hygiene.

CACR launched a handwashing-with-soap program in 2016 and developed a Menstrual Hygiene Management Programme. This initiative provides information on reproductive health and sanitary products to girls while also including gender-sensitisation sessions for boys. CACR has expanded its reach to include anaemia screening and flood relief for tribal communities across Maharashtra.