Illiteracy causes child labour, poverty, exploitation, child marriage, population explosion and other socio-economic problems. Pratham is a community based grass root organisation that promotes education of under privileged children in India. Initiated by UNICEF in 1994 with 2000 children in Mumbai, Pratham now serves over 20 states across the country, reaching out to over a million children.

Pratham Mysore started functioning in the city of Mysore, Karnataka, since May 2002. Pratham's mission is "Every Child in School and Learning Well". Pratham Mysore has been working with the state school system and the community, through various interventions that begin at the Pre-school level and include remedial education for children in the school system.