NEW DELHI: In an offbeat initiative, the Education Ministry’s National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has made extensive use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to launch a digital companion for parents and teachers.
The objective behind the app is to enable adults to explain any subject easily and comprehensively to children below the age of eight.
The `e-Jaadui Patra’ app has been equipped with three AI bots that provide instant answers to any query posed to it in the language of one’s choice. The bots are billed as `Teacher Tara’, `Parent Tara’ and `Katha Saki’.
A senior NCERT official told TNIE, “We had developed a physical Jaadui Jatra box measuring 2 feet by 2 feet during 2022-2023. Schools or any of the stakeholders interested had to buy it for Rs 11,000. It was very useful for children as it contains 56 items, including Moppets, charts, maps, flash cards, and games to make learning a lively experience for children.”
A decision was taken later to make it available in a digital form to ensure ease of access for all.
“Since AI is being used, the volumes it can generate on any topic are enormous. The Katha Saki app, for instance, can generate lakhs of stories per day, if one wants. To cite just one instance, parents can ask it to generate a new bedtime story every night for their children. Remembering and narrating 365 new stories a year would be very tough for any parent. But this makes the job done in a few seconds via phone.”
The `Teacher Tara’ bot guides teachers to explain any topic in a simplified and interesting way for children.
“There are classes that have students with disabilities. If the teacher asks the bot how to teach something to a child with, say, a visual impairment, it will guide the tutor step by step. The source for the knowledge shared is completely reliable and is based on NCERT books,” the official said.
"The 'Parents Tara' bot guides parents on training and teaching their children on any topic they choose to ask. The app has become enormously popular already, with over 5 lakh users," he said.
“Additionally, many Anganwadi workers across schools too have found the app to be enormously useful when interacting with students,” he added.
Asked why it was catering to parents and teachers, the official added that the digital guidelines under NEP 2020 are keen that very young children are allowed only half an hour of digital access.
“The app ensures that parents or teachers can access them and pass on the knowledge to the little ones,” he said.
The app can be downloaded free of cost from the Google Play Store on any Android phone.
