Prashant Chaudhary wins Rohini Nayyar Prize for rural development contribution
The CodeYogi Foundation founder received the award in New Delhi for teaching technology skills to rural students via smartphones.
Dehradun technology educator Prashant Chaudhary won the fifth Rohini Nayyar Prize for Outstanding Contribution to Rural Development on Saturday, according to The Hindu and Deccan Herald.
Former NITI Aayog CEO and G20 Sherpa Amitabh Kant presented the award at the Indian International Centre in New Delhi. The prize includes a trophy, a citation, and a cash award of Rs 10 lakh.
Chaudhary is the founder of the CodeYogi Foundation, which provides practical AI and technology skills to unreached youth. The platform operates in Indian languages on family smartphones without requiring computers, labs, or English proficiency.
The foundation has reached more than 3.5 lakh students across nine states and 120 districts, according to The Indian Express. The Deccan Herald reported that the programme has reached 4 lakh students across 102 districts in nine states.
Chaudhary, who graduated from IIT Delhi in 2010, said that 48.6 per cent of his students are girls and 95 per cent are smartphone-only learners. He noted that one product built by students, City Bot, is used by US city governments for administration.
The Rohini Nayyar Prize was instituted by the family of the late Dr Rohini Nayyar, a scholar-administrator who contributed to the formation of MGNREGA. A jury comprising Dr Ashok Jhabvala, Professor Seeta Prabhu, and Alok Sinha selected this year's winner.