Highlights:
(a) 120 out of 168 students of this program achieved 100/100 in Maths in the SSC board exam.
(b) 125 volunteers from 12 engineering colleges have rendered 5000 student hours coaching for 350 students using this platform.
(c) Based on the success of the pilot study in sangareddy conducted in coordination Dept. of school education, SCERT, Govt. of Telangana has tested the model in 3 new districts during 2021-22; and now proposing to extend it to 6 more districts in Telangana.
(d) School students and volunteers and participating institutions were felicitated for their contributions during the 2nd Anniversary function held on Sept 22, 2022, Hyderabad
Hyderabad, Sep 23, 2022: Aksharamaala, an online free learning initiative of Aksharadaan, was launched in 2020 during the pandemic by the Additional Collector of Sangareddy for implementation on a pilot basis. Since then, IIT Hyderabad has extended unwavering academic and strategic support. From 1500 students from 35 schools in sangareddy when it started, the program reached out to 6000 students of 120 Government Schools in four districts today. Aksharamaala provides them with academic support in the form of online teaching videos, academic coaching, career counselling, and mentoring.
One of the programs of Aksharamaala is Connect with Gems provides online coaching in mathematics and physics to the students by bright engineering college students as an NSS Activity. 125 volunteers from 12 engineering colleges have rendered 5000 student hours coaching for 350 students using this platform. 30 national-level eminent persons have given 16 career counselling and motivational lectures. Besides making impactful academic services during the pandemic (lockdowns and beyond), the initiative has instilled a mindset in the students to aim high, think big, and plan along the way. The 2nd-anniversary function of the Aksharamaala program is held to compliment merit students with cash awards and appreciation certificates to volunteers and participating institutions.
Prof B S Murty, in his welcome remarks, complimented Dr MSR Murthy for this wonderful initiative and said, “IITH is delighted to support the Aksharamaal initiative since its inception, and I am thankful to our students who have come forward for this noble cause. Integral growth is what we all should aspire for. Every one of us who is a little more endowed should see that everyone around us grows along with us. IITH has set up LCD Projectors and Screens in five adopted Govt schools in nearby villages. Our faculty, staff & students teach Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry & Biology to the school children to strengthen their basics and inspire them to become not only students of IITs but professors at IITs in the long run.
On occasion, Prof Katta Narasimha Reddy, Vice Chancellor, JNTU, the distinguished guest of the function, has stressed the role of higher educational institutions in improving the education standards of their surrounding villages. He also announced extending 20,000 Notebooks from JNTU Free-Note-Distribution Scheme to Prof Murty, Director IITH and Dr MSR Murthy, Chairman Aksharamaala, to Distribute to needy students.
Dr MSR Murthy, Aksharamaala in his report, mentioned that based on the success of the pilot study in Sangareddy, SCERT, Govt. of Telangana has tested the model in 3 new districts (Mancherial, Nagarkurnool, and Siddepet Districts) during 2021-22; and now proposing to extend to 6 more districts in Telangana, in coordination with SCERT, Govt. of Telangana, IIT Hyderabad and various other engineering colleges.
Sri Vijaya Kumar, District Science Officer, Sangareddy, lauded the efforts of Akasaramaala and assured all support from the department. A cash award of Rs 5000 was also given to 5 students with no parents/ single parents for securing 100% marks in Maths in the SSC board exam. 60 volunteers and 12 participating institutions were felicitated.