First In Class edutech platform has signed an MoU with Rotary India Literacy Mission (RILM) to create the largest free-of-cost edutech initiative in India and the world. One Lakh (1,00,000) tablet PCs will be distributed free-of-cost. All the tablets will be loaded with fully functional e-learning platforms also free-of-cost provided by First In Class.
This is being done to mark the occasion of the 75th year of India’s Independence – Azadi Ka Amrut Mahotsav. The MoU was signed at the Rotary International Presidential Conference India 2022 being held in Hyderabad this morning.
The motivating force behind First In Class is ‘all for learning, learning for all’. India’s first and only edu-tech platform in which the cause of social justice is the core value. This is the kind of positive, trailblazing disruption and pioneering effort that can truly revolutionise how edutech is delivered, perceived and implemented in India.
First In Class will provide K to 12 high quality curated content in line with CBSE-NCERT curricula. In a notable first, the coursework will be available in Hindi, English, Tamil, Kannada, Bengali, Punjabi & 6 other regional languages to facilitate inclusion, access & mother tongue learning. More than 10,000 hours of audio-visual & graphical interface content will be part of the course libraries. This will be linked with interactive testing & assessment nodules. The coursework will be facilitated with live-teaching. A special continuous review deck for parents to track the progress of their wards will be available in a user-interface friendly format.
Cultural learning, language learning, linguistic training and spiritual learning modules will also be available through the First In Class platform. For higher education, entrance test modules and specialisation in UPSC, Law & engineering are also on offer.
The MoU was signed today between RILM Chairman Kamal Sanghvi and iTV Network Founder Kartikeya Sharma.
“The coursework is structured and curated by some of the best educationists in the country in line with the CBSE NCERT curriculum. Crucially, it is being offered in Hindi, English and many regional languages to ensure inclusivity and mother tongue learning. All of this is the fruit of years of research and hard-graft to create content using the latest pedagogical techniques to ensure students benefit from holistic learning”, said Kartikeya Sharma, Founder, iTV Network.
“The government is keen to promote digital learning. In this context, RILM already has an MoU with NCERT to provide E-learning content. In this new year, in line with public priority in vocational training, First In Class in collaboration with RILM will create content for vocational education for higher classes”, said Kamal Sanghvi, Chairman RILM earlier.
“This is our way of saluting our martyrs in the 75th year of independence. While there is no way we can fulfill our debt to those who sacrificed their lives, it is our tribute. We have been working on E-learning in India for 10 years, reaching out to thousands of schools providing world-class audio-visual content”, said Rotary International President Mr. Shekhar Mehta at the proclamation of the mission earlier this year.
Member of Parliament and Rotarian Mr. Vivek Tankha said in the run-up to the event “What is being done today, the world will remember. This MoU is an organised effort to tell the Rotary and corporate world that we are ready to educate one lakh deserving children”.
First in Class has been founded by Dr Aishwarya Pandit. She graduated with a first class BA (Hons) History from Miranda House, University of Delhi, in 2008. Later, she pursued a Master’s degree in the History of International Relations at the London School of Economics and Political Science, London between 2008 and 2009. An assistant professor teaching legal history at Jindal Global Law School, O.P. Jindal Global University, Dr Pandit is the tour de force of academic initiatives at First In Class.
She has taught two courses as a Visiting Faculty at the Indian Institute of Management, Indore in 2016-2017. She is also a guest columnist for The Sunday Guardian Newspaper. Recently her book Claiming Citizenship and Nation: Muslims Politics in North India 1947-1986 published by Routledge and she is currently working on book titled Emergency: The Making of an Opposition, Harper Collins (forthcoming 2022).
“First In Class is born out of the vision that every child is unique and deserves equal opportunity to learn and think. Our curriculum is a result of extensive research on new digital learning techniques. Our highly experienced teachers have carefully curated the curriculum to prioritise the student perspective.”, said Mrs. Aishwarya Sharma, Founder, First In Class.
First In Class is fast emerging as one of India’s most in-depth, diverse and content rich Edutech platforms that is working on providing affordable Edutech solutions in local languages to India’s masses. It has been built on years of research and application of the latest technology and teaching techniques by some of the best educators in India and abroad.
RILM is one of the largest education initiatives in the world focusing on Total Literacy and Quality Education run by Rotary. Under the TEACH initiative, it focuses on Teacher Support, E-Learning, Adult Literacy, Child Development and Happy School. It trains and recognises teachers, helps upgrade government/government aided schools and establishes e-learning centres across the country.
