Sohum Trust

Sohum Trust is a Karnataka-registered charitable trust focused on building and sustaining long-term educational institutions for students from Tier-2, Tier-3 and underserved communities in India. It describes its purpose as bridging the gap left by short-term interventions, which it says leave learners without continuity, mentorship or institutional support. Its stated approach is institution-first: strengthening schools and learning centres so they become resilient, self-sustaining institutions rather than isolated programmes. The trust frames its work around four principles of continuity, depth, cultural relevance and generational impact, and describes its education as rooted in Indian values, heritage and knowledge traditions. Donations to the trust are eligible for 80G tax exemption under the Indian Income Tax Act.

Major Areas of Work

• Foundational and scholastic education: Schools and colleges delivering academic foundations across sciences, arts, commerce and humanities.

• Professional and vocational pathways: Institutions for engineering, medical, para-medical, vocational training and skill development.

• Cultural, sports and research institutions: Learning spaces rooted in Indian knowledge systems, arts, sports, yoga and research.

• Innovation and lifelong learning: Advanced academies, distance learning, hybrid education and emerging skill ecosystems.

• Educator development: Long-term training, resources and institutional support for teachers and mentors.

Major Initiatives and Programmes

• Free IT education programme: Training in C, Java, Python, Cloud, AI and Cyber Security, delivered with a multilingual learning approach, AI-proctored assessments and IBM certifications aimed at making learners job-ready.

• Academic Excellence Support: Structured learning support, exam preparation and mentorship to help students achieve academic goals.

• Career Guidance and Skills: Vocational training, career counselling and industry-aligned skill development for sustainable livelihoods, delivered through one-on-one mentorship.

• Digital Literacy and Technology: Essential computer skills, coding fundamentals and digital tools for students to compete in the modern economy.

• Cultural and Community Initiatives: Preserving knowledge systems and community-led learning, with critical thinking and values-based education rooted in cultural awareness.

The trust describes a four-step institution-building method it applies across its work: research and identify (community research into regional educational gaps), build and establish (classrooms, libraries, digital tools and learning spaces), enable and support (training and mentorship for educators) and sustain and grow (making institutions self-sustaining across generations). It states an aim of empowering over 5,000 students across Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities, starting with centres in rural Karnataka and planning presence in Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra.

Leadership

• Anup Kiran, President
• D.M. Jaya Kumar, Vice President
• Kumaraswamy H.V., Secretary
• Raghuram H.S., Treasurer

Working at Sohum Trust means joining an early-stage, institution-building effort rather than a mature programme delivery organisation. The work spans setting up learning centres, running free technology training, mentoring students and training teachers in rural and semi-urban Karnataka, with expansion to other southern and western states planned. It suits people who want ground-level exposure to building educational infrastructure from the start, who are comfortable with a culturally rooted framing of education, and who want to see how a trust grows from its first centres into a multi-state network.