Azim Premji University has a clear social purpose – to make significant contributions towards a just, equitable, humane and sustainable society. The University aspires to do this through the development of talent and the creation of knowledge which can facilitate systemic change in education and allied development areas. This is an explicit commitment to the idea that knowledge and learning have human and social consequences and that their pursuit cannot be separated from these consequences. The roots of Azim Premji University lie in the learning and experience of a decade of work in elementary education by Azim Premji Foundation. The University is one of the key responses to the constraints and challenges confronting the education and development sectors in India. It is also the direct result of a purposeful philanthropic initiative and which by definition is not-for-profit in its orientation.