71 smart cities developed 9,433 smart classrooms in 2,398 govt schools, reveals IIM Bangalore report

NEW DELHI: The Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Bangalore concluded a study under Smart Cities and Academia towards Action and Research (SAAR) - Sameeksha Series of Smart Cities Mission (SCM), and has stated improvements in the quality of education through smart classrooms in India.

The report ‘Has there been improvement in Indian Smart Cities towards Quality of Education through Smart Classrooms for Children especially Poor Children, like decline in dropout rate, etc. if any’ was undertaken by IIM Bangalore under the SAAR - SCM launched in November 2024, wherein 50 national-level assessment studies were conducted on Indian smart cities on various themes by 29 institutions in India.

According to the IIM Bangalore report, 71 cities have developed 9,433 smart classrooms in 2,398 government schools. The introduction of smart classrooms by SCM has led to a 22% increase in overall enrollment as per the data report by 19 cities between 2015-16 to 2023-24.

Additionally, a detailed city-level analysis was undertaken in Ajmer (Rajasthan), New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC), and Tumakuru (Karnataka).

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IIM Bangalore Report: Other outcomes

According to the IIM Bangalore report, 41 cities have developed digital libraries with a seating capacity of 7,809. It also highlights the significant impact of libraries in cities such as Raipur and Tumakuru. The libraries offer essential educational resources and supported preparations for various competitive exams for students.

‘Training for teachers’ facilitated access to smart education

According to the report, training for teachers also improved their comfort along with the preference for using smart classroom facilities. Moreover, senior secondary teachers showed the highest comfort levels, as compared to others.

Teachers also agreed with the idea that the smart classroom initiative has improved the learning experiences and student attendance rate across the selected smart cities of the country.