Nishant Saxena

The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur has unveiled its ‘Online Rural Education Initiative (OREI)’ with the aim of providing quality education to children in rural areas of Uttar Pradesh. The initiative will be facilitated through the Ranjit Singh Rozi Shiksha Kendra (RSK), and it is integrated with the Unnat Bharat Abhiyan program of the Government of India.

In the presence of UP Chief Secretary DS Mishra, the prestigious institution launched the pilot program in two schools: Ram Janki Inter College in Bithoor, Kanpur, and Bhartiya Gramin Vidyalaya in the state capital, Lucknow.

According to Rita Singh, OREI Project Executive Officer, the mission of the Ranjit Singh Rozi Shiksha Kendra is to ensure access to high-quality education for every child, regardless of their geographical location. The Education Department of the UP Government has adopted the project and will be implementing it in government secondary schools.

The UP Chief Secretary announced that the program’s coverage will soon expand to 100 rural schools and subsequently be implemented across all schools in the state.

OREI operates through a smart classroom at IIT Kanpur, enabling real-time two-way communication between students in rural classrooms and teachers at the institute. Utilizing advanced technology, interactive classes are conducted to ensure engaging learning experiences.

Currently, OREI focuses on providing education to students in classes IX and X, with plans to include students from classes XI and XII in the coming year. Prof. Abhay Karandikar, Director of IIT Kanpur, highlighted that Ranjit Singh Rozi Shiksha Kendra is an in-house project aimed at empowering rural youth and enhancing their employability.

Prof. Sandeep Sangal, Principal Investigator (PI) of RSK, emphasized that the project is carried out voluntarily by a dedicated group of Ph.D. scholars who teach under expert guidance. The project’s design is child-centric, aligning with the NCERT syllabus and utilizing colloquial Hindi to ensure comprehension among rural children. The team is also working on establishing an academic helpline to provide assistance to students.

With the support of Prof. HC Verma and his team, the initiative promotes hands-on learning methods and aims to make education interactive and enjoyable for students.

OREI is set to make a significant impact on narrowing the educational divide and providing quality education to rural children in Uttar Pradesh.

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