BHUBANESWAR: ‘NAND GHARS’ or modernised Aganwadis in Kalahandi and Rayagada districts are bridging the digital divide in education system with the help of an Interactive Voice Response System (IVRS).
Children from underprivileged families are learning early education curriculum using the simple system, without having to depend on smartphones.
As many as 50 ‘Nand Ghars’, which are being run by Vedanta under its corporate social responsibility project (CSR), are catering to the educational needs of around 1,200 children in the age group of three to six years in several villages under Lanjigarh (Kalahandi) and Muniguda (Rayagada) blocks.
The system acts exactly like the toll-free helpline numbers of banks or other offices. “We have circulated a helpline number among the parents, who give a missed call to the number.
"Then, they receive a computerised call back. Upon choosing desired options by pressing the phone keys, the parents and children listen to pre-recorded lessons based on Arunima curriculum,” explained Niladri Parhi, head of CSR wing in Lanjigarh.