Telangana Makes AI Accessible to Students in Remote Villages
In a recent post on X, Telangana’s IT, electronics and communications, industries and commerce, and legislative affairs minister, Sridhar Babu Duddilla, shared an inspiring example of a government school student from Adavi Srirampur using AI-powered research assistant, Perplexity AI, in her classroom. He further shared that he met with Aravind Srinivas, the founder and CEO of Perplexity, in August last year to discuss the progress the state has made in the AI space. In the same post, he extended an invitation to Srinivas to visit the state and witness firsthand how Telangana is empowering its citizens with cutting-edge technologies, particularly in rural areas. Duddilla mentioned that the government school girl using Perplexity in her classroom “serves as a testament to this vision in action”. As India races towards developing its artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities, one crucial aspect is the democratisation of AI, ensuring equitable access to these technologies for all, irrespective of geographic location or economic status. As per reports, states like Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra have already embraced AI to drive responsible and inclusive growth of India’s AI ecosystem. For example, Karnataka is prioritising the integration of AI in education. Launched by the state’s primary and secondary education minister, Madhu Bangarappa, Shiksha co-pilot is a generative AI-powered digital assistant designed to transform the way teachers plan and deliver their lessons. Srinivas also shared his admiration for the way AI is being embraced in schools across India. “It’s inspiring to see schools in India using Perplexity as a tutor for their students.” He went on to highlight the mission of Perplexity—to make the world’s knowledge accessible to everyone. The impact is evident in Telangana, where students are using Perplexity to engage with the material interactively. He added that in Telangana, students are actively using the voice mode to ask questions and engage in interactive learning, demonstrating how Perplexity is helping enhance education in the region. To further demonstrate Perplexity’s power in the classroom, Srinivas reposted a YouTube video showing students from Adavi Srirampur using Perplexity. The students were using the platform to ask questions, clear doubts, and explore topics beyond their textbooks through voice-enabled queries. Perplexity AI’s Main Goal Srinivas shared that the platform aims to make the world’s knowledge easily accessible to everyone, especially those in underserved regions. In line with this mission, Perplexity has already gathered over a million users in India. As per reports, Srinivas is also making strides to address India’s unique linguistic challenges. In a bid to serve the diverse language needs of the country, Perplexity AI has partnered with Sarvam AI, a company specialising in large language models for Indian languages. This collaboration aims to develop AI systems that are functional and tailored to India’s specific needs. Furthermore, in an effort to make AI more accessible to the masses, Srinivas plans to reduce the subscription costs of Perplexity for Indian users. This move will help extend AI capabilities to more people, irrespective of their socio-economic status. What is T-Fiber? One of the main driving forces behind Telangana’s AI democratisation efforts is the T-Fiber project, which aims to create a state-wide broadband infrastructure. Dudilla further explained that the initiative is designed to provide high-speed internet access to all corners of Telangana, from cities to rural villages. The Telangana government is connecting all one crore households across the state through T-Fiber, a broadband infrastructure initiative. This ensures that even students in remote villages like Adavi Srirampur, which is located more than 200 kilometres from Hyderabad, can access Silicon Valley-grade technologies like Perplexity. This initiative, part of the T-Fiber rollout, reportedly includes a proof of concept in several villages, including Hajipalle in Ranga Reddy, Maddur in Narayanpet, and Sangupet in Sangareddy districts. “Telangana is committed to bridging the rural-urban divide through digital inclusion and innovation,” Duddilla noted. To bring this vision to life, the state government set up the Telangana Fiber Grid Corporation, a dedicated entity to deploy optical fiber and network infrastructure across the state. The T-Fiber project plans to cover 10 zones, including 33 districts, 589 mandals, and 12,769 gram panchayats. Moreover, 141 urban local bodies and government institutions such as schools and healthcare facilities are prioritised for connectivity. T-Fiber is deploying optical fiber cables along these routes, ensuring that the network reaches even the most remote locations. The T-Fiber network will deliver speeds ranging from 4 Mbps to 100 Mbps to households and 20-100 Mbps to institutions and enterprises on-demand. This enhanced connectivity is expected to provide farmers access to vital information and services, while government institutions like schools, hospitals, and police stations can benefit from improved communication and data-sharing capabilities. Telangana’s push to democratise AI through projects like T-Fiber and further collaborations with Perplexity AI in future ensures that even the most remote regions have access to high-quality internet and AI-powered tools.
Students in the state are actively using the voice mode to ask questions and engage in interactive learning.
Students in the state are actively using the voice mode to ask questions and engage in interactive learning.
["telangana government"]
["Go", "artificial intelligence", "AI", "Git", "telangana government", "Ray", "Aim", "ViT", "generative AI", "GAN", "R"]
["AI", "artificial intelligence", "generative AI", "Aim", "Ray", "R", "Go", "Git", "GAN", "ViT"]
Shalini is a senior tech journalist, exploring the latest advancements in AI. When she's not reporting on the latest innovations, you can find her immersed in her next literary adventure.