Kanpur: In a ground-breaking initiative to bridge the educational gap for rural students, the Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur (IIT Kanpur), in collaboration with the Government of Uttar Pradesh, has launched a high-quality Mathematics-Science lecture series on YouTube. The programme was inaugurated by Prof. Manindra Agrawal, Director of IIT Kanpur. He stated that, “this free of cost knowledge resource is designed to support Class X students by providing conceptually clear and engaging lessons in simple spoken Hindi. With time the lectures of Classes IX, XI and XII will also get added, which will prove very useful to students. IIT Kanpur is driven by the objective of making education accessible to all those who cannot afford it.”
Leading the project, Prof. Sandeep Sangal emphasized, “These lectures, taught by postgraduate students of IIT Kanpur, focus on building strong fundamentals. The lectures are delivered in simple spoken Hindi and cover the full NCERT syllabus. The use of demonstrations in Science makes learning more engaging and effective.”
This initiative builds upon IIT Kanpur’s Online Rural Education Initiative (OREI), launched three years ago by Ranjit Singh Rozi Shiksha Kendra (RSK). Currently, the program runs in over a dozen government schools in Uttar Pradesh and is expanding to other states.
Speaking on this initiative, Rita Singh, PEO of RSK, said, “The impact of OREI has been remarkable. We have observed a significant improvement in students’ board exam performances, increased interest in studies, and heightened career ambitions. More students are now engaging in self-study, reducing dependency on private tuition, which is a significant time and cost-saving factor.”
Prof. Sudhanshu S. Singh, a key contributor to RSK since its inception, highlighted the initiative’s technological advancements, stating, “The OREI setup provides a realistic and interactive experience for both IITK teachers and rural students. It’s an affordable and flexible option for all and is dramatically changing the way children learn. The YouTube content is also helping school teachers upgrade their knowledge and enhance classroom learning. Some educators are using these lectures to make their classes more engaging and effective.”
Vishnu Kant Pandey, Additional State Project Director, Samagra Shiksha Madhyamik, Govt of Uttar Pradesh was the Special Guest of the ceremony. He lauded the efforts of IIT Kanpur team and told that from the new academic year starting April 2025 750 more schools will be joining the online classes. This effort of IIT Kanpur is a big help in giving highest quality education to the children of Uttar Pradesh, that the government is committed to.
To further strengthen the learning ecosystem, the RSK Centre at IIT Kanpur is offering additional support to government and government-aided schools. This includes tutorial classes by IIT Kanpur volunteers to complement YouTube lessons, online live interactive classes held six days a week covering Math and Science for Classes IX to XII, the establishment of Astronomy & Science Clubs in rural schools supported with educational kits, teacher training programs to enhance instructional effectiveness, and educational tours to IIT Kanpur featuring popular science lectures and laboratory visits.
With this initiative, IIT Kanpur and the Government of Uttar Pradesh are paving the way for accessible, high-quality education, ensuring that rural students have the resources they need to excel in their academic journey and beyond.
