Published Paper Details:

After-school support programs (ASSPs)--including remedial tutoring, supervised study, mentoring, sports and arts clubs, and structured life-skills initiatives--are increasingly positioned as equity-oriented strategies to improve adolescent learning and holistic development. In India, where learning gaps and transition risks intensify during secondary schooling, ASSPs may offer additional instructional time, targeted remediation, psychosocial support, and safe spaces that strengthen academic outcomes and social development. This article synthesizes evidence from (i) global meta-analyses of after-school and social-emotional learning (SEL) programs and (ii) India-relevant secondary sources, and proposes a practical evaluation framework suited to Indian secondary schools. Evidence indicates that well-designed programs can improve grades and achievement while also strengthening social behaviours, school bonding, and related competencies when implementation quality is high and activities are sequenced, active, focused, and explicit (SAFE) [1][2]. India-based evidence from large-scale remedial and after-school life-skills initiatives suggests potential gains in learning and socio-emotional competencies, but highlights the need for stronger secondary-stage evaluations using transparent designs and comparable outcome measures [3][4]. The article provides tabular secondary evidence, outcome indicators aligned to Indian policy priorities, and guidance for school-level program evaluation in line with NEP 2020's emphasis on holistic development [5].