IIT Kanpur showcases rural development model; UP chief secretary interacts with students

NEW DELHI: Doctoral students of Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur (IIT Kanpur) showcased rural development model through Online Rural Education Initiative (OREI) platform. The students use the OREI platform to virtually connect with rural students to teach them concepts.

The chief guest of the ceremony hosted by Ranjit Singh Rozi Shiksha Kendra of IIT-K was Durga Shankar Mishra, chief secretary of the Uttar Pradesh government. Vice-chairman of council of Leather Raju Jalan was the special guest of the event. OREI is a unique model of imparting education supported by the Uttar Pradesh government.

Interacting with the students, the chief guest asked the students about how the IIT Kanpur classes were benefiting them, to which a student said: "OREI classes make difficult concepts simple. The math classes are especially interesting, and we love them."

Another student said: "Physics is taught through simple experiments, making it much easier to understand."

Professor Sandeep Sangal, the head of Rozi Shiksha Kendra (RSK), guided the chief guest through the classroom's backend, showcasing hundreds of simple experiments developed by volunteers for use in smart classes.

He explained, "When children are introduced to concepts through these models, it captivates their attention quickly, leading to better retention of concepts.”

Commending IIT-K students’ efforts, Durga Shankar Mishra said: "You are going above and beyond your call of duty, and your efforts are truly commendable." He also encouraged them to expand its reach by connecting with more universities and aiming to reach 500 students by the following year.

He highlighted the positive impact of IIT students for making lectures exceptionally clear and understandable.

Praising the initiative to provide training in leather and garment industries as a ‘wise choice, the chief guest encouraged the “trainees to enter the industry, become job creators instead of job seekers, excel in their work, and consider setting up their own businesses, leveraging schemes like ODOP and Vishwakarma Yojna”.