GUVI – an Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras and Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Ahmedabad-incubated startup – has collaborated with the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) to offer AI and Python programming language courses to more than one million underprivileged students free of cost.
The free Python and advanced Artificial Intelligence courses will be available in English as well as vernacular languages such as Hindi, Tamil and Telugu among others. Registration for the courses can be done through the official GUVI website.
The scheme was lauded by Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan on December 3 at the launch event of NEAT 3.0, an initiative to provide edtech solutions in a single platform.
“In the 21st Century, I am glad to see that startups founded by Indian youth are leading globally. I appreciate GUVI for joining with AICTE to lead this initiative for empowering the socially and economically disadvantaged youth through its online and vernacular approach in tech-learning. India needs enormous employable youth propelled through such initiatives of AICTE,” said Pradhan.
Students will also have an option to avail of an IIT Madras certificate on the GUVI Python programming course by taking an assessment and paying a nominal fee to the institute.
AICTE will also be distributing free edtech coupons to students whose annual family income is less than Rs 8 lakh. These free coupons will be distributed through the NEAT portal as well as through the GUVI website.
Speaking about this initiative to empower Indian youth, GUVI founder and chief executive officer M Arun Prakash said, “Our aim to bestow the best employable skills on our nation’s youth coincides with the aims of NEAT. Python Programming and AI skills offered through this collaboration will be of strong support for the deserving students, helping them to grow in their career.”
Buddha Chandrasekhar, chief coordinating officer for NEAT-AICTE, recognized GUVI for its quality parameters that go in line with the aims of NEAT 3.0, enabling outcome-based education.
GUVI co-founder S P Balamurugan added, “Our collaboration with AICTE widens the availability of edtech resources for students towards better upskilling online. The Python and AI skills included in this initiative focus on the Face Recognition technology that any beginner can master with a strong will.”