Tech Educator Prashant Chaudhary Wins 5th Rohini Nayyar Prize for Rural Development

Technology educator Prashant Chaudhary, founder of the CodeYogi Foundation, has won the fifth Rohini Nayyar Prize for his contribution to rural development through accessible artificial intelligence (AI) and technology education.

Chaudhary, who hails from a village near Meerut and became the first person from his village to enter an Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) in 2010, received the award from former NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant on Saturday.

The prize, instituted in 2022 in memory of economist and administrator Dr Rohini Nayyar, carries ₹10 lakh, a citation and a trophy. It is awarded annually by the Nayyar Foundation for Social and Economic Purpose to recognise contributions to rural development and socio-economic progress.

The CodeYogi Foundation works to equip underserved youth with practical AI and technology skills through a model that relies entirely on family smartphones and instruction in Indian languages. It does not require computers, laboratories, English proficiency or trained teachers.

The initiative has evolved into a 30-day applied AI fluency programme, enabling students to use AI tools for tasks related to their studies and family lives.

Over the past three years, the platform has reached more than 3.5 lakh students across nine states and 120 districts, covering around 30 per cent of India's geographical area. Girls account for 48.6 per cent of its learners, while 95 per cent depend exclusively on smartphones. Around 59 per cent are advanced learners from non-STEM backgrounds.

Chaudhary said the initiative aims to reach one million learners by March 2027, adding that students are learning to apply AI across areas prioritised by the award despite gaps in rural infrastructure.

Previous recipients of the prize include Sethrichem Sangtam (2022), Dinanath Rajput (2023), Anil Pradhan (2024) and Vidhya Parshuramkar (2025).