Nagpur, Aug 4 (PTI) A Zilla Parishad anganwadi in Maharashtra's Nagpur district is at the centre of a unique Artificial Intelligence initiative that a senior official on Monday said was to ensure "care,
learning and dignity can reach where dreams begin".
Apart from enhancing early childhood education, the AI initiative tracks the health, height and weight status of every child, which results in their nutrition getting tracked, said Nagpur ZP chief executive officer Vinayak Mahamuni, who conceptualised the move.
"This school in Waddhamna here was inaugurated by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis last week. We have provided a virtual reality headset and a 79-inch interactive panel that comes with inbuilt AI software as well as a tablet," he said.
"The anganwadi, which has children in the 0-6 age group, has one 'tai' and one 'sevika' who were given continuous training. The AI software not only has AQAR (annual quality assurance report) syllabus integrated in it but it also has audio-video experiential learning," Mahamuni told PTI.
There are 25 students in the anganwadi currently, while plans are ensure the initiative starts in 40 more anganwadis in the district in the next two to three months under Mission Bal Bharati, he added.
"All the AI anganwadis under Mission Bal Bharati will act like a bridge for those little hearts in forgotten corners so that care, learning, and dignity can reach where dreams begin," Mahamuni opined.
Mayank Mukul, vice president of Qolaba, which has partnered with Nagpur Zilla Parishad on the initiative, told PTI the curriculum is taught via Virtual Reality (VR) to students with human interaction in a bid to make learning fun.
"The best gadgets like VR headsets of Meta and smart boards of LG have been provided. The smart boards are being used by the children to write and draw. It is making them familiar with interacting digitally. Tests have been designed that get recorded. It tells us the performance of the child and timing," he said.
AI is being used to map each child's performance, like how long they take to complete a task and whether their response is accurate, as well as for capturing spoken responses during tests, Mukul added.
They are shown colours, objects, images of animals etc, and the AI system not only evaluates right and wrong answers but also assists in generating new questions tailored to individual learning patterns, thereby enhancing student engagement and focus, he said.
This kind of transformation of anganwadis is helping authorities track the developmental progress of children more effectively and deliver services aligned with international standards, Nagpur ZP deputy CEO Kailash Ghodke said.
"Facilities that once seemed out of reach are now a reality for our youngest learners. This initiative has not only enhanced early childhood education but has also brought immense happiness and engagement among the children," he said.
Parents and communities are witnessing a visible change, and the children themselves are more active, curious, and excited to attend their anganwadi every day, Ghodke added. PTI CLS BNM
