BENGALURU: Online classes became a new normal during the pandemic but many who had no access to the internet or couldn’t afford smartphones, had to bear the brunt. It was a similar story for Jhansi B, who was preparing for her Class X boards while struggling to access online classes. Her father is an auto driver and couldn’t afford a smartphone. In order to help students like Jhansi, Pramod Srinivas came forward and gave them tablets.
A recent survey by the department of primary and secondary education found that around 33% of the 93.01 lakh students in Karnataka do not have access to devices required to attend online classes. Looking at this huge lacuna, Pramod, founder of Rashtriya Yuva Prathishtana, an NGO, bought tablets and arranged a hall for some children in Padmanabha Nagar’s dhobi ghat, where they can comfortably attend their online classes.
“I saw the plight of children in this locality where parents are struggling to make ends meet. Hence, I decided to give tablets with internet connection to around 20 children. I took the necessary permissions from the concerned authorities for arranging this hall,” he said.
He also went one step ahead and arranged a teacher to clarify doubts after classes, on a daily basis. “The teacher gives free tuition in all subjects depending on their school curriculum,” he added. The online classes were inaugurated by Revenue Minister R Ashoka and former deputy Mayor and BBMP corporator L Srinivas on Sunday.
Murthy, who lost his job during the pandemic and has a child studying in Class 7 says, “Thanks to Pramod and Rashtriya Yuva Prathishtana, my son is now able to attend his classes regularly. We need more people like these to come forward and help the needy.”