Just as businesses have digitized, schools are undergoing a shift that transcends the traditional blackboard and textbooks. However, digital infrastructure at most public schools is far from the average standards.

The Indian Government has taken commendable steps towards modernizing education by allocating funds to states to establish computer labs with broadband connectivity across all high and higher secondary schools. It will give students access to technology, and digital learning mediums, thereby reducing the disparities between public and private institutions.

What is Textbook Corporation?

The Textbook Corporation of Tamil Nadu is a government-owned organization responsible for producing and disseminating educational material across schools. This organization has played a pivotal role in advancing education in the state. Recently, it undertook several initiatives to augment digital learning experiences for students. The corporation has developed mobile applications, granting students access to digital textbooks, curriculum outlines, and supplementary materials.

Challenges This Project Proposed

The primary challenge was to ensure that we set up the labs in a timely and efficient manner to minimize disruption to the school's daily operations. To install the necessary hardware and software, such as computers, servers, and networking equipment, we had to carefully plan and coordinate to ensure that the labs were functional and ready for use by students and teachers.

Another challenge was to ensure the ICT labs were utilized optimally and effectively. We did not want the infrastructure and the equipment to be underutilized by the students and the teachers. The challenge was also to make the entire setup transparent for the higher authorities.

Taking on Tamil Nadu's largest school project for Textbook Corporation, we were exhilarated for several key reasons:

1. The outreach was astounding, touching the lives of over 1 million students.

2. The technical complexity was right up our alley—a broad array of technology solutions to knit together seamlessly.

3. Tamil Nadu has been at the forefront of educational innovation in India, and contributing to this legacy was a welcome challenge.

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What Makes Our Approach to This Project Unique and Valuable?

The conventional approach would be to deliver the most basic solution prescribed - individual internet connectivity to each school, basic lab infrastructure, and computers. The Tamil Nadu state government authorities wanted to provide the best possible outcome, one that would greatly benefit the students and the authorities.

Netcon presented a solution involving the replacement of traditional computers with thin clients, a shift from a Windows operating system to a custom-built Linux operating system, and wired labs to Wi-Fi labs. This seemingly minor alteration in the approach resulted in substantial savings of around 70 million USD. We utilized these savings to upgrade the broadband connectivity to a leased circuit and to establish a central command center, a dedicated help desk, and a data center. This integrated setup gives comprehensive oversight of 6029 schools, thereby increasing the efficiency and effectiveness of the educational infrastructure.

Why a Hyper-converged Infrastructure to Connect 6029 Schools

Simplified Scalability

One of the most compelling aspects of HCI is its ease of scalability. As each school's needs grow, the system can scale horizontally, allowing for seamless addition of resources without system downtime. It was a decisive factor considering the variability in the student population and the potential increase in digital educational tools.

Unified Management

HCI offers a single pane for system management. It made it feasible for a central control center to oversee and make adjustments to all the ICT labs across various schools. Each school would have its own server and thin clients at the ICT lab infrastructure. This centralization removed the need for separate IT staff at each school location, significantly cutting operational costs.

With all its components tightly integrated, HCI minimizes the number of separate technologies that need to be purchased and maintained, thereby reducing the Total Cost of Ownership.

A Smart Rack Data Center at the Centre

The smart rack data center at the central command center hosts all the applications and educational content for the entire ecosystem.

What Constitutes Our Central Data Center?

Our Central Smart Rack Data Center is more than just a repository; it's an intelligent, self-managing unit. Leveraging hyper-converged infrastructure (HCI), the data center is designed to provide an optimal blend of computing power, storage, and networking. It enables us to host the LMS, analytics, and network management, all from a single, centralized location.

The Security Measures

Combining both physical and digital security layers, the data center employs multi-factor authentication, firewalls, and constant surveillance to protect sensitive data.

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Central Command Centre and Helpdesk: Orchestrating Smooth Operations

Real-time Monitoring

The Central Command Centre deploys a comprehensive and detailed dashboard to oversee real-time eLearning content usage and student learning outcomes. This center is crucial for strategic decision-making, allowing educational authorities to adjust policies based on real-time data.

Centralized Helpdesk

Our centralized helpdesk services enhance collaboration and information exchange. It serves as the first line of support for teachers and administrators, providing immediate solutions to operational challenges. They can raise a ticket for any fault or issue they face, and our representatives will fix it immediately. It not only minimizes downtime but also fosters a collaborative environment among educators.

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ICT Labs with Thin Clients and Local Servers: Tailored Learning Spaces

Thin Clients: A Cost-Effective Solution

The labs are equipped with thin clients running on open-source-based VDI technology. Each secondary school has 10 thin clients. Each higher-secondary school has 20 thin clients. Thin clients dramatically reduce upfront costs and power consumption, offering an eco-friendly, budget-conscious solution.

Local Servers: A Seamless User Experience

Each school is fitted with a local server connected to the central server via a leased line. These local servers act as intermediaries, caching frequently accessed data and reducing load times. This localized approach ensures a seamless and lag-free user experience for students and faculty alike.

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End-User Impact: Students, Teachers, and Administrators

Students

With access to an array of digital educational resources from their ICT labs, students are not only becoming more engaged in their learning but are also developing essential digital skills that are invaluable in the modern world.

Teachers

The reliability and ease of management of the HCI environment mean that teachers can effortlessly integrate a diverse range of multimedia and interactive learning platforms into their teaching methods.

Administrators

Real-time monitoring of all ICT labs is possible from the central control center, providing a continuous assessment of resource utilization and performance. It allows administrators to make data-driven decisions concerning educational programs and future scalability.

Conclusion

In partnering with Textbook Corporation to implement this initiative, we have successfully installed ICT labs across 6,029 public schools in Tamil Nadu. The outcome is a robust, scalable, and easily managed system that has not only elevated the standard of education but has also made it more accessible - which aligns perfectly with our mission statement - Making Technology Accessible. This state-wide transformation impacts over 100,000 students daily, marking a milestone in the quest to make quality education universally accessible.

The project serves as a proof-of-concept for how thoughtful technology integration can substantially elevate educational standards while being economically viable. It delivered a positive impact on students, staff, and authorities, leading to a more equitable education experience for all students.