Slum children to get free lessons in robotics

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, February 23

A Chandigarh-based start-up, Robotics Education World, supported by Chitkara University as education sponsor, will be giving free six-month training in robotics to children living in slums of the city.

The initiative was launched by Panchkula MLA Gian Chand Gupta in the presence of Dr Madhu Chitkara, Vice-Chancellor, Chitkara University, and Niyati Chitkara, principal, Chitkara International School, Chandigarh, today .

Their training will be supported by Chitkara International School, which will provide the required infrastructure to the children, who after training, will be eligible to take part in a world record-breaking event in New Delhi. As many as over 20,000 children will share the stage for the first-of-its-kind event in the country.

The event Build Your Bot (BYB) is scheduled to take place in July this year and RoboChamps, a training academy managed by Robotics Education World has been engaged for providing technology-based education to young minds through schools in India.

Gupta lauded the initiative and said it was a well-intended project, wherein slum children would get a chance to improve their skills free of cost.

Akshay Ahuja, director, Robotics Education World, said, “We don’t want this knowledge to remain with schools only. We encouraged Aakash, a child from Sector 79 slums, during a pilot project and today he is capable of earning a living for himself. Through this campaign, we will promote the Skill India, initiated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The training will be completely free and the equipment will be provided by us.”

He said, “As many as 2,000 slum children from across India will be enrolled for it. Around 500 children from Panchkula will be taken. Chitkara International School is providing us the required infrastructure.”

Dr Madhu Chitkara said she was glad to be a part of the initiative. The event will be held at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi, and talks are on with the Prime Minister Office (PMO) for having Narendra Modi as the chief guest on the occasion.

Over 500 children from other countries are also expected to be a part of the event. The academy has invited schools from Pakistan, China, Nepal, Bhutan, USA, and many more countries.