Man digitises over 1,100 schools in Maha; NCPCR to analyze initiative

A man in Maharashtra has transformed 1,100 rural schools in Dhule district by replacing blackboards with digital projectors and introducing Internet in the institutes through public participation.

Impressed by this, the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) has decided to analyze the impact of his work and on the basis of it, the panel will make recommendations to the central and state government.

Thirty-six-year-old Harshal Vibhandik did engineering from Mumbai and MBA from the US. He returned to India after working in the USA for few years with an aim to transform schools in his native Dhule district.

"I got this idea of digitisation of schools when I was working in the USA," Vibhandik said.

He used to organise 'Prerna Sabha' (inspiration conference) in villages and collected donations from people to provide computers and projectors to schools in tribal-dominated areas.

"Slowly people grew interest in the 'Prerna Sabha' and villagers also took part in it with much enthusiasm," Vibhandik said.

More than 1,100 schools have been transformed in the Dhule district through this initiative, Vibhandik said.

NCPCR member Priyank Kanungo said, "The commission wants to analyze how through public participation schools in rural areas can be digitised at less expenses."