Prashant Chaudhary Wins 5th Rohini Nayyar Prize for His Contribution to Rural Development

Prashant Chaudhary Wins 5th Rohini Nayyar Prize for His Contribution to Rural Development

Introduction

• Award Winner: Prashant Chaudhary, a technology teacher and founder of the CodeYogi Foundation, has won the 5th Rohini Nayyar Prize for Outstanding Contribution to Rural Development.
• Award Date: He received the award on 31 October 2026 at a ceremony held in New Delhi.
• Award Presenter: The award was presented by Amitabh Kant, former CEO of NITI Aayog and India’s G20 Sherpa.
• Award Amount: The prize includes Rs 10 lakh in cash, a certificate of recognition (citation) and a trophy.
• Main Contribution: Chaudhary received this award for helping rural students learn coding, computer technology and Artificial Intelligence (AI).
• Reach: Through his organisation, he has helped more than 3.5 lakh students across nine states and 120 districts learn technology and AI skills.

About Prashant Chaudhary

• Early Life: Prashant Chaudhary belongs to Bhagwanpur village near Meerut in Uttar Pradesh. During his school days, he faced difficulties after moving from a Hindi-medium school to an English-medium school. He found it difficult to understand his lessons in English.
• Teacher’s Support: When he was in Class 4, he was weak in almost every subject except Hindi. His science teacher, Mita Singh, helped him improve by asking him simple questions according to his level of understanding. She also encouraged him to take part in classroom activities. Her support helped him gain confidence.
• IIT Achievement: In 2010, he became the first person from his village to get admission to an Indian Institute of Technology (IIT). He studied at IIT Delhi and completed his graduation.
• Teaching Journey: After completing his studies, he started teaching coding to his cousins and friends in 2012. Later, he also taught students at an engineering college in Ghaziabad.
• Business Experience: In 2016, he started a software company called DevsLane. He hired some of his students and helped them find work in the technology field.
• Social Work: He realised that many talented students in villages could not learn computer skills because they did not have computers, proper laboratories or trained teachers. This made him work towards providing affordable technology education to rural students.

About CodeYogi Foundation

• Establishment: Prashant Chaudhary developed CodeYogi to make computer and technology education available to students who do not have proper learning facilities.
• Main Objective: The main aim of the foundation is to teach coding, software development and AI skills to students, especially those living in villages and less-developed areas.
• Smartphone Learning: Students can attend its courses using ordinary smartphones. They do not need expensive computers or special computer laboratories to learn.
• Indian Languages: The platform provides learning material in Indian languages. This helps students who are not comfortable studying in English.
• Affordable Education: The foundation makes technology education affordable and reduces the need for costly computer equipment and other facilities.
• Student Coverage: By 2026, the foundation had reached more than 3.5 lakh students across nine states and 120 districts in India.

Shift from Coding to AI Education

• Major Change: In the beginning, CodeYogi mainly focused on teaching coding and computer programming. However, with the rapid growth of Artificial Intelligence, the organisation changed its teaching methods.
• AI Programme: It introduced a 30-day Applied AI Fluency Programme to help students understand and use AI tools in their studies and daily lives.
• Practical Learning: Students learn to use real AI tools to complete their schoolwork, solve problems and develop useful projects.
• AI Awareness: The programme also teaches students about the limitations of AI, unfair results produced by some AI systems and the problems that can arise from depending too much on AI.
• Student Participation: According to the figures shared by Chaudhary, 48.6% of the students are girls, while 95% depend only on smartphones for learning.
• Different Backgrounds: Around 59% of the advanced learners come from non-STEM backgrounds. This means that many of them do not have a background in science, technology, engineering or mathematics.
• Future Target: The foundation aims to reach one million (10 lakh) learners by March 2027.

About the Rohini Nayyar Prize

• Established: The Rohini Nayyar Prize was started in 2022 in memory of Dr Rohini Nayyar, a well-known Indian economist and administrator.
• Purpose: The award is given to recognise the work of young Indians below the age of 40 who are making efforts to improve the lives of people living in rural areas.
• Organising Body: The prize is given every year by the Nayyar Foundation for Social and Economic Purpose. This non-profit organisation was established by the family of Dr Rohini Nayyar.
• Award Components: The winner receives Rs 10 lakh in cash, a citation and a trophy.
• Main Focus: The award encourages people who are working to solve problems related to rural poverty, education, employment, healthcare and other areas of rural development.
• Eligibility: People below the age of 40 who have worked for at least five years in rural development activities can apply for this award, subject to the other eligibility conditions.

Previous Award Winners

The previous winners of the Rohini Nayyar Prize were:

Significance of the Award

• Rural Education: This award highlights the importance of providing good technology education to students living in villages.
• Digital Education: CodeYogi has shown that students can learn modern technology even if they do not have expensive computers or computer laboratories.
• Equal Opportunities: The initiative gives students from poor families and different educational backgrounds a chance to learn coding and AI.
• Future Skills: It helps rural students learn new technologies and prepare themselves for future jobs and business opportunities.
• Rural Development: This work shows that technology and affordable education can help reduce the difference between rural and urban areas.
• Inspiration for Others: Chaudhary’s journey also shows how the support of a teacher can change a student’s life and encourage them to help others.

Important Questions

1. Who won the 5th Rohini Nayyar Prize for Outstanding Contribution to Rural Development in 2026?
2. Who presented the 5th Rohini Nayyar Prize to Prashant Chaudhary?
3. What is the name of the foundation started by Prashant Chaudhary to provide technology education to rural students?
4. In whose memory was the Rohini Nayyar Prize started, and what is the cash prize given to the winner?
5. How many students, states and districts has the CodeYogi Foundation reached through its technology and AI education programmes?

Conclusion

Prashant Chaudhary’s achievement shows how education and technology can improve the lives of people in rural India. Through the CodeYogi Foundation, he is helping thousands of students learn coding and Artificial Intelligence using ordinary smartphones. His work has been recognised through the 5th Rohini Nayyar Prize, and his efforts are encouraging more people to use technology to support rural development.