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Mumbai: BMC & Sampark Foundation Transform 273 Municipal School Classrooms Into Smart Learning Spaces

24htopnews | August 13, 2025 6:09 PM CST

Sampark Foundation, in partnership with BMC, rolled out its flagship ‘Smart School-Smart Block’ programme across 217 municipal schools in Mumbai. The programme, which was inaugurated by civic chief Bhushan Gagrani on Tuesday, focuses on advancing efforts to enhance learning outcomes in government schools through innovative, technology-driven solutions.

Mumbai: The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and Sampark Foundation turned 273 classrooms of municipal schools into smart learning spaces through the ‘Smart School Smart Block’ programme. The initiative is a result of the partnership between the state government and the non-governmental organisation, which has transformed over 14,000 classrooms across 13 districts into smart classrooms.

About The 'Smart School-Smart Block' Programme

The programme is said to directly benefit 3,078 students by turning 273 classrooms into dynamic smart learning spaces and equipping 434 teachers with training in Sampark’s innovative teaching learning material and pedagogy. In addition, the NGO has also announced plans to provide 159 smart TV panels to schools in wards including Chembur, Bhandup, Dadar, Parel, Byculla, Ghatkopar, Borivali, Kurla, and Goregaon.

Sampark Foundation had signed a five-year memorandum of understanding (MoU), for the period from 2023 to 2028, with the Maharashtra government. Under the agreement, 13,128 schools across 13 districts have seen the conversion of 14,344 classrooms into smart classrooms, training of 9,972 teachers, and distribution of 6,167 LED TVs. It has pledged Rs100 crores to strengthen foundational learning across the state with the aim of making education simpler, more engaging and more effective.

The tech-enabled Sampark Smart Shala initiative features Sampark foundation literacy and numeracy (FLN) TV, a frugal plug-and-play innovation for Classes 1 to 5, that transforms any regular television into an interactive smart classroom. Each device, consisting of an Android set-top box and remote, comes pre-loaded with over 1,000 hours of offline content mapped to state textbooks and curriculum, including lesson plans, learning concept videos, subject- and class-wise worksheets, gamified assessment questions, stories, songs, and puzzles, brain exercise videos, science experiments, and competitive exam tricks videos.

BMC Commissioner Bhushan Gagrani's Statement

BMC commissioner Gagrani said, “Through this programme, we will be delivering FLN tools to many schools. As these tools are user-friendly, teachers will be able to use them easily. Students will benefit from them directly. This initiative will also help make students digitally literate. The Corporation is fully capable of taking this initiative forward.” With the support of BMC, the programme will be reviewed monthly at district and block levels, complemented by refresher training sessions and surveys.

Statement Of The Chairman Of Sampark Foundation

Vineet Nayar, chairman of Sampark Foundation, said, “This commitment to Maharashtra holds a special place in my heart. My journey in education began here, in the vibrant city of Nagpur in a government school. It was here that I first understood the transformative power of education. This pledge is a way of giving back to the Maharashtra that has given me so much that I am grateful for.”

Nationally, the Sampark Smart Shala programme is said to have impacted over 1.8 crore children across more than 1.4 lakh government schools, trained over 8.5 lakh teachers, and established over 40,000 smart classrooms. This nationwide effort has driven notable gains in FLN outcomes, with learning levels improving from 23% to 43% between 2024 and 2025 and stands as a decisive step towards ensuring every child has the tools, training, and opportunity to learn, grow, and thrive in the classrooms of tomorrow.