About Us

The Darjeeling Welfare Society (DWS) was founded by Harsh Vardhan Shringla (HVS), former Foreign Secretary of India, Ambassador to USA, Bangladesh and Thailand and Chief Coordinator of India’s G20 Presidency. DWS was formally registered as a Society in 2023 but was conceptualised in 2014 when HVS began to assist underprivileged communities in rural Darjeeling in a modest manner.

DWS activities were stepped up during the COVID pandemic when HVS observed that communities in the Darjeeling area were severely affected by livelihood loss and the lack of equipment and medical facilities to deal with the pandemic. In his private capacity, HVS arranged for relief in the form of COVID-related equipment and support systems. He also informally extended assistance in facilitating the return of Indian nationals from Darjeeling and Sikkim stranded in the Gulf and the other locations abroad.

The aim of the DWS is to work with underprivileged communities, not only in the hills of Darjeeling, but in the entire North Bengal and North East India region. The priority areas of work for the DWS are youth, women, farmers and the elderly. The DWS also works on related issues such as environment and climate change mitigation. In this endeavour, the DWS works closely with youth organisations and Women’s Self-Help Groups (SHGs) like the Atal Incubation Centre, Quick Response Team, Darjeeling Football Society, Teesta Rangit Rescue Centre, the All-India Women’s Conference, etc.

The DWS runs a number of programmes across its priority sectors. These range from providing digital aids and computers to rural underprivileged schools, working on waste disposal and management in the Darjeeling hills, providing income and livelihood opportunities for the youth and tea garden workers, distribution of wheel chairs, hearing aids and diagnostic kits as well as blankets and warm clothing during the harsh winter months for the elderly, distribution of sewing machines to SHGs and training of women in its use, flood and cyclone relief, etc.

A recent initiative undertaken by the DWS was to extend UPSC coaching and mentoring for aspirants from the hills, offering them coaching class subscriptions and study materials at no cost, helping them pursue their dreams of joining the premier civil services of the country.

The DWS has been supported in its mission to assist underprivileged communities by the generosity of organisations such as the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the US-India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF), the National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA), LA Technologies, the AIM Foundation, the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA), among others.

DWS has an active branch in Kalimpong and has plans to establish branches in Rimbik, Sukhia-Pokhari and Siliguri in the near future.

The profound impact that HVS has made on the lives of individuals and communities in Darjeeling District and throughout the region is evident in the work of the DWS. The Society captures the essence of HVS’s dedication, compassion and unwavering commitment to uplifting the Darjeeling region and its people. From establishing a monastery to bringing back stranded individuals during COVID-19 and other crisis situations abroad, empowering the youth and women and fostering community development, DWS encapsulates the spirit of dedication, hard work and commitment. For the people of Darjeeling HVS is a true champion and a source of inspiration for all.

During his long and distinguished career, he has worked on all major diplomatic issues. His focus, however, has been on India’s neigbours as head of division in the Ministry of External Affairs, as High Commissioner to Bangladesh and later as Foreign Secretary. Additionally, he is an experienced multilateral diplomat, having worked in the UN Security Council and the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia.

As Foreign Secretary, he has managed key economic diplomacy initiatives; worked on overseas Indian issues; and coordinated major evacuation and HADR operations such as Operations Vande Bhara (COVID)t, Sagar (COVID), Ganga (Ukraine), Devi Shakti (Afghanistan) and Insaniyat (Bangladesh).

With his keen persuasion to connect with the people, he has endeared himself to the people of Bangladesh, earning the distinction of being the first Indian diplomat to have a road named after him in a foreign country.

As a career diplomat, he has dealt with some of the most pressing foreign policy issues, namely fallout of the Covid pandemic, India-China border issues at Ladakh, U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan and military takeover in Myanmar. Balancing his demanding role as a senior diplomat, he dedicated time to address local issues, positively impacting the well-being of people at home. His contributions to the people of Darjeeling and Siliguri during the pandemic is held in high regard by the people in the region.

As Chief Coordinator of the G20 during India’s Presidency, he oversaw India’s most significant international event involving the organisation of 220 meetings in 60 different cities, and culminating in the G20 Leaders’ Summit in Delhi in September, 2023. Under his management, the G20 was converted from an elite diplomatic event into a mass movement through the ‘Janbhagidari’ programme. The G20 became a pan-national celebration leading to nationwide economic benefits. In tandem with Shringla’s vision, important G20 meetings were held in Darjeeling, Kurseong, Siliguri and Sikkim which gave an opportunity to people in this region, especially students, to participate and witness a high-level diplomatic event.

Beyond the realm of professional accomplishments, Shringla has taken proactive steps in his private capacity to provide relief, including COVID-related equipment and support systems. His informal support facilitated the repatriation of stranded Indian nationals from Darjeeling and Sikkim from the Gulf and other locations abroad.

Harsh Vardhan Shringla’s dedication to community welfare is evident through programmes undertaken by the Darjeeling Welfare Society (DWS), a charity organisation founded by him with the aim of helping and supporting the people of Darjeeling, Siliguri and the north Bengal region. Although officially registered just last year, the society’s impactful initiatives have been in progress since 2014. Under Shringla’s leadership, the DWS is engaging in a diverse range of activities including reaching out to villages in areas such as Phoobsering, Ghoom, Sukhia Pokhari, Phansidewa and the flood affected areas of the Teesta. In remembrance his late father, Shri TT La, Shringla also visited the Bhanubhakta Primary School in the heart of Darjeeling town where his father had his elementary education. Aside from caring for the underprivileged, Harsh Vardhan Shringla has focused on pressing issues in the region such as unemployment and lack of support to the tea gardens as well as local NGO groups. To address these pressing issues in his home area, Shringla has made use of the connections and circle that he was able to build in forty years. For the first time ever, on Shringla’s invitation, CEOs of important foundations such as the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) and the United States India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF) visited Darjeeling and Siliguri to explore future projects and programmes. Similarly, Shringla personally met the CEO of the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) India to seek support for the conservation of the endangered Golden Salamander in the Darjeeling area.

From helping establish a monastery and orchestrating the return of stranded individuals during the COVID crises to empowering the youth, arranging insurance coverage to drivers and fostering overall community development, he encapsulates the spirit of dedication, hard work, and love for the people. Harsh Vardhan Shringla is undeniably a true champion and a source of inspiration for the people of Darjeeling and Siliguri, embodying the values of service and compassion.