From books to exam scribes, Gujarat teen builds support for visually impaired students

Zeus Lalani launched Project Eklavya and Project Saksham to support visually impaired students. His initiatives combine accessible learning resources with a volunteer scribe network for examinations.

In Short

• Project Eklavya provides tactile materials, books, libraries and parent workshops
• Its outreach has benefited over 500 people across three Gujarat districts
• More than 50 volunteer scribes currently serve over 100 registered users

Zeus Lalani is a Class 12 student at Navrachana International School in Vadodara, Gujarat. He noticed that students with visual impairments often face problems in education. Even when study materials are available, they may still need help during exams because finding a scribe can be difficult.

Zeus decided to do something about this problem. He started two projects called Project Eklavya and Project Saksham.

Project Eklavya helps students by providing tactile learning materials, books, small libraries and workshops for parents. The project has reached more than 500 people in three districts of Gujarat.

Zeus then noticed another problem. Students may have learning materials, but they can still struggle to find someone who can write their answers during an exam. To help with this, he started Project Saksham.

Saksham connects visually impaired students with volunteer scribes. So far, the project has more than 50 scribes and over 100 users. It has also been tested with some national NGOs.

Zeus also suggested a system to train and certify scribes. He believes that volunteers should be prepared before helping students in exams.

His work has shown him that education is not only about buildings, ramps or books. Students also need people and systems that understand their needs.

There are still many problems with inclusive education in India. Government data shows that many schools do not have enough special educators or facilities for students with disabilities. This shows that having policies is not enough. They must also be put into practice.

Zeus has also researched these problems. In August 2026, he published a study about inclusive education in Gujarat. His earlier research on the problems faced by visually impaired students received a CREST Gold Award.

He has also taken part in Yale Young Global Scholars 2026 and presented his work at places such as UC Berkeley, the UN ECOSOC Chamber and NVIDIA headquarters.

Zeus wants to study economics and public policy in the future. He hopes to build partnerships that can help his projects continue.

His goal is simple. He wants students with visual impairments to get learning materials and exam support without having to struggle to find help each time.

Through his work, Zeus is showing that even a student can notice a problem, take action and help others.

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