Thiruvananthapuram, April 17(BPNS)
Keeriyat Premanand and Subash Narayanan are two Engineering graduates from one of the most prestigious institutions of the country, National Institute of Technology( NIT), Calicut which has a high global ranking among the Engineering colleges. Premanand is a Mechanical Engineer while Subhash Narayanan is a Production Engineer and they jointly founded Theertha Info Solutions Pvt Ltd, an E-Learning, not for profit company mainly focused on increasing the numerical and computing ability of children across the globe. The Engineering duo who had a vast global experience speaks to BPNS in a freewheeling interview.
1:Engineering graduates from the prestigious NIT ,Calicut why are you into promoting Vedic Maths?
Our team members from NITC, joined together for creating a disruptive venture in Elearning, giving learning a 360 degree gaming experience for kids, by bringing out the best result through joy of learning. Our passion for Vedic Maths started during engineering days.
Math is everywhere around us, whether we realize it or not. Every time we Google something, or order something online, or automatically get recommendations for products that we are looking for, there is Math at play behind the scenes. Google uses algebra to rank websites based on relevance, and all ecommerce and OTT platforms employ probability and statistics. Even understanding the spread of Covid-19 is a Math problem. Math is an important life skill. Math is more than arithmetic, it is computational thinking, it is data science.
In a world that’s increasingly powered by data and artificial intelligence (Ai), Math skills are more important than ever. If Math and English were the key skills of the 20th century, it can safely be said that Math and Coding and Data Sciences are the most relevant skills of the 21st century.
There is an unmet need or skill deficiency in elementary education namely lack of numeracy. ASER 2018 – Ability of students in 3rd & 5th standard, doing Subtraction and Division problems is declining from 2010 onwards, 71.9% of 3rd Standard kids cannot do a two-digit Subtraction problem & 72.2 % of 5th Standard kids cannot do a three digit by one-digit division problem. Even when they reach 8th Standard, 56% kids cannot solve a three digit by one-digit division problem. Basic Arithmetic level has virtually declined in almost every state. Theertha developed E-Numeracy for kids using the concept of Vedic Mathematics for Children who are in the elementary section.
You have claimed that Vedic mathematics will help increase the numerical ability of children, please explain?
Vedic Maths enhances your understanding of mathematics, gives you 10-15 times faster results as compared to the western way of calculation & creates interest towards mathematics. It enhances logical thinking process, increases concentration, improves confidence, increasing speed and accuracy saves time during examination, fully eliminates finger counting & Maths-phobia. Vedic mathematics is an ancient methodology developed by Indians, which is capable of faster intellectual computation. Multiplication is one of the most important operations in digital neural network-based systems.
3: What are your plans for promoting Vedic mathematics among students.
We built a self-taught platform, which is capable of teaching and embedding Vedic Maths in one’s brain. E-Numeracy self-taught courseware, which can be used for training kids and teachers across the globe efficiently and effectively by using cloud learning platforms, so scaling is its unique advantage. Each and every step is animated for help, the play button plays the entire steps.
Vedic Maths logic will be an enjoyable feast for our children and adults. The whole programme has been conceived in an alluringly sweet, simple and aesthetically satisfying style that fits well with the tastes of children. ENumeracy unique way of Brain-gaming enhances the development of the Right hemisphere of the brain and thus radically improves the faculties of concentration, memory and analytical power. Lastly and most importantly – have fun! Embedding Numeracy Unlocks, Inspire & Enrich one’s true Potential.
4: Are you catering to an Indian audience or any international plans?
Vedic Maths Nurturing mental calculations through innovative teaching methods globally! Go Global – Vedic maths as a fast and efficient approach to mathematics, worldwide. Vedic maths is being taught in schools in several countries – “A different way of doing math”. What if there was a way for students to correctly solve math questions without frustration and anxiety? What if there was a less complex way? Vedic Math is the answer! The Vedic math approach proposes to reduce or eliminate these problems with creative solutions.
5: During the Covid 19, pandemic children attended classes in online mode. Will you be promoting the same concept?
With the ongoing pandemic, parents are increasingly concerned about their children not being able to get quality education. Although online learning has become the new normal for many schools, being in an online class doesn’t mean that the child is actively learning. In most cases, the teacher is broadcasting a fixed curriculum for all students, and students are merely seeing it; they do not have the opportunity to grasp the concept or ask doubts.
We have developed highly interactive self-taught content for Early childhood learning. Learning is cent per cent digital, Pen or paper is not required. We have utilized the magic and power of multimedia for the transfer of knowledge from electronic devices to the user. It is fully based on conceptual level learning tricks.
. The said package contains three modules of Nine units – Magic Multiplication Series, Magic Addition & Subtraction Series & Magic division series. Total training period for effective and efficient delivery will be 18 months, since the said software is built on a self taught platform compared to 30 months abacus training and costs 50% less. Our ICT tool is used for imparting, weekly 45 minutes sand-witch class room training programme, with the support of Multimedia STEM Kit. E-Numeracy package is used to train students from Second standard to Ninth Standard in their respective class rooms for a total hundred periods in an academic year, under special skill acquisition for the National Foundation Literacy and Numeracy Mission 2020 – Atma Nirbhar Bharat Abhiyan.
6: Is there a major difference between traditional Mathematics and Vedic mathematics. Please explain?
The Veda means knowledge – Vedic Math’s highlights the mental processes and principles that take place in the mind of anyone engaged in mathematical activity. These processes are not random and haphazard but are reasonable, ordered and yet highly flexible. Vedic Mathematics is an ancient system of calculation which was “rediscovered” from the Vedas between 1911 and 1918 by Sri Bharati Krishna Tirthaji Maharaj (1884– 1960). According to Tirthaji, all of Vedic mathematics is based on 16 Sutras (aphorisms) and 13 sub sutra (Corollaries). Vedic Mathematics converts a tedious subject into a playful and blissful one which students learn with smiles. It offers a new and entirely different approach to the study based on pattern recognition. In this system, for any problem, there is always one general technique applicable to all cases and also a number of special pattern problems, and thereby a holistic development of the human brain automatically takes place. Math needs to be taught in the right manner. Math should be learned like one learns a language – by visualizing the answer; by solving the problem intuitively rather than memorizing a bunch of formulae and applying them. Students learn better when they learn visually.
7: You are a start-up unit, what’s your expectations for the product and company, maybe in a period of five years from now?
We have placed our growth engine on 5 pillars of growth, such as teacher training revenue in private and Govt. schools, NGO’S, Revenue from training micro franchise partners, Revenue from App downloads, Revenue from Desktop application sales, E commerce, Overseas, E-slate, Through Initial Public Offer, Tie up with International Numeracy portals and International foundations, International school chains, NSDC teacher training, National and International Government & CSR programmes. The amount raised by selling our products will be wisely re-invested for digital marketing and image building.
We have to develop a complete digital solution for Play school, K12 & Edu apps. We are planning to introduce highly interactive digital content for E-Slate & Edu Apps for Play store, Windows store and IOS platforms – 12000 Tablets for play schools & Anganwadis, Numeracy training programme in 5000 CBSE schools, 15000 Govt schools before 2025. Play School Products such as Edu Tablets & Apps must be introduced in the market during the academic year 2021-22, more talented people should work with us to achieve this target. Literacy and Numeracy Mission 2020 under Atma Nirbhar Bharat can be easily achieved before 2025 by using E-numeracy Edu-kit in Government and aided schools through SSA, common service centers & CSR Schemes. We hope that, in coming years India can produce more Shakundala devis.
8: There are criticisms that Vedic mathematics will take you to ancient times and is not focussed for the future. Your comments?
Golden age of Indian Mathematics saw great mathematicians such as Aryabhata, Varahamihira, Brahmagupta, Bhaskara I, Mahavira, Bhaskara II, Madhava and Nilakantha Somayaji. We were the founder’s & pioneers of Number system, Calculus, Trigonometry & Geometry, With the invention of zero the Indians gained the ability to make numbers infinitely large or infinitely small, had knowledge for counting 10 to the power 64, while Romans could hardly count only up to 1000.
Theertha developed a complete digital solution for addressing this arithmetic skill deficiency by using Indian math’s logic and latest state of art – Computer Aided Learning through activity-based lessons and Gamification. We can surely produce many Shakuntala Davis. If we embrace our traditional knowledge, Such as Vedic Maths. It is now used by Urban elites for getting good scores in CAT & GMAT. We can easily improve our kids Numeracy, a Life skill defined by UNESCO, by utilizing our cultural heritage & knowledge
