Dr. D Karthikeyan, Commissioner, Greater Chennai Corporation and Mr. Sangjai Lee, Senior Vice President, Chief Relations Office, Samsung India signed the MoU

Samsung India today signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Greater Chennai Corporation to set up Samsung Smart Class at 28 municipal schools in Chennai.

Samsung Smart Class, the Company’s flagship citizen program in India, promotes digital education among less privileged students and also aims to bridge the digital gap between rural and urban India. This initiative provides equal opportunities for quality education to children from all backgrounds.

Samsung Smart Class citizenship initiative was started by Samsung in 2013 with Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti. Since then, Samsung Smart Class has been set up in 476 Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya schools across the country. So far, over 2.5 lakh students have benefitted from it. In addition, over 8,000 teachers have been trained on how to use interactive technology to teach.

Feedback from teachers and principals indicates that Samsung Smart Class has helped increase student attention in classrooms. It has also improved student familiarity and comfort with technology. Students are able to learn complicated concepts more easily and the digitally interactive environment encourages shy or hesitant students to participate better in classroom discussions.

Samsung Smart Class is now being extended to other school systems as well, including schools run by Greater Chennai Corporation. This is Samsung Smart Class’ first foray into Tamil Nadu and for the first time, Samsung Smart Class will be set up at the primary school level.

The memorandum of understanding was signed between Dr. D Karthikeyan, Commissioner, Greater Chennai Corporation and Mr. Sangjai Lee, Senior Vice President, Chief Relations Office, Samsung India.

The MoU signing ceremony took place in the presence of Mr. MC Sampath, Hon’ble Minister for Industries, Government of Tamil Nadu, Mr. SP Velumani, Minister for Municipal Administration, Rural Development and Implementation of Special Program, Mr. Sengottaiyan KA, Minister for School Education and Sports and Youth Welfare, Mr. Atulya Mishra, Principal Secretary, Industries Department, Mr. Harmander Singh, Principal Secretary, Municipal Administration and Water Supply Department and Mr. T Udhayachandran, Secretary, School Education Department.

“Education is a key priority for us. We are happy that Samsung India has made a contribution on that front and has come forward with its Samsung Smart Class initiative. On its part, the government is working towards creating better facilities for quality education for the public and to fulfil this vision and this collaboration with Samsung will enable us to provide quality education to underprivileged students across the city,” said Dr. D Karthikeyan, Commissioner, Greater Chennai Corporation.

Every Samsung Smart Class is equipped with an interactive Samsung Smartboard, Samsung tablets, a printer, Wi-Fi connectivity and power backup.

“Samsung Smart Class initiative has helped over 2.5 lakh children across the nation become digitally literate. The program inspires young India to use technology to educate, train and up-skill as it rides government initiatives like Digital India, Make in India and Skill India, among others. This initiative is closely tied with India’s development agenda, and is implemented in close partnership with government departments at the centre and states to ensure wider reach and impact among less-privileged children. We are happy to bring Samsung Smart Class to Tamil Nadu and look forward to a deeper engagement with the state schooling system,” said Mr. Deepak Bhardwaj, Vice President, Samsung India.

Samsung Smart Class supplements regular lessons in mathematics, science and social science to explain concepts in an engaging and interactive manner that are more appealing to students. Teachers are trained on using the equipment effectively to make lessons come alive.

The results have started to show at Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya schools with several students now qualifying for IITs and NITs across the country. Samsung recently highlighted one such success story of Sadanand Ugale, a young boy from Maharashtra, who secured a study trip to Australia from Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya in Aurangabad. This was captured beautifully in a digital and television campaign #SapneHueBade

Minister for IT, BT and Tourism Shri Priyank Kharge and Dr. Aloknath De, Corporate VP and CTO of Samsung India at the MoU signing ceremony

Samsung R&D Institute, India – Bangalore will donate up to 400 Samsung Tablets to the Karnataka government as part of its citizenship programme in 2016-17. The decision was formalized with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Samsung RDI Bangalore and the Government of Karnataka on November 29.

The Samsung Tablets will be deployed and utilized for the “Chetana” programme of Department of IT, BT and S&T (Information Technology, Biotechnology and Science & Technology), Government of Karnataka. “Chetana” is a state-run initiative to promote girl child education in Karnataka.

The MoU was signed in the presence of Minister for IT, BT and Tourism Shri Priyank Kharge and Dr. Aloknath De, Corporate VP and CTO of Samsung India.

“It gives us immense pride to collaborate with the government of Karnataka on project Chetana which aims to empower girl child with technology exposure and mentoring. The project has enabled more than 400 girls in the first phase of the programme encouraging innovation and academic excellence. In an effort to promote sustainable social development and better quality of life, Samsung has not only provided products that meet the needs of customers, but also reached out to underserved individuals around the country, carrying out various social responsibility activities for local communities,” said Dr. De.

The government will use the Samsung tablets for promoting computer and digital education among underprivileged students in government schools and children residing in rural areas of the state.

Samsung’s campaign film depicts the real life story of young Sadanand Ugale

Samsung India on Monday launched its new Citizenship Campaign.

Aptly titled ‘Dreams Become Bigger when People and Technology Come Together’, the campaign builds on Samsung’s commitment to harness its legacy of innovation to transform communities and create a better life for people.

The campaign film depicts the real life story of young Sadanand Ugale, who secured a study trip to Australia from Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya in Aurangabad, Maharashtra. Sadanand Ugale is one of the over 2 lakh school students to have benefitted from Samsung Smart Class, the company’s flagship citizenship program that currently covers 373 Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya schools in India.

“Sadanand’s story is one of many such inspiring success stories at Samsung Smart Class. It truly shows ‘dreams become bigger when people and technology come together’. Samsung Smart Class initiative is closely tied with India’s development agenda, and implemented in close partnership with government departments to ensure wider reach and impact among the less-privileged,” said Mr. Deepak Bhardwaj, Head of CSR at Samsung India.

Samsung Smart Class has increased student attention in classrooms, reduced rates of student absenteeism and increased student familiarity and comfort with technology such as smart boards, tablets, laptops and printers, according to feedback from teachers and school principals of JNVs.

Samsung Smart Class also helps students learn complicated concepts more easily, besides encouraging shy and hesitant students to participate better in classroom discussions.

Samsung’s association with Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya schools, run by the Ministry of Human Resource Development, Govt of India, is now in its fourth year.

The partnership aims to bridge the digital gap between rural and urban India and provide equal opportunities for quality education to children from all backgrounds.

Over 7,400 teachers have also been trained on how to use interactive technology to teach.

Samsung’s Citizenship Campaign complements Government of India initiatives such as Digital India, Make in India and Skill India. Samsung, which has completed twenty years of manufacturing in India, is committed to Make for India, and remains committed to transforming lives of people.

As part of this commitment, the Samsung Smart Class initiative will be expanded in the near future to more JNV schools.