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Ltd (ETPL, estb.2015). Involved 50 students will be awarded Rs.1 lakh
with Indian education for the past scholarships, and 10,500 students
22 years, Tyagi is the driving force given awards of Rs.5,000-10,000.
behind PACE’s good track record in “Unfortunately, our plans have
preparing school-leavers for ad- had to be put on the backburner in
mission into the Indian Institutes the wake of the Covid-19 lockdown
of Technology (IITs) and medical since we might not be able to hold a
colleges, which typically admit 2-3 written examination for our students
percent of entrance exam toppers. this year. The contest, however, will
Moreover, after establishing 11 continue next year,” says Tyagi.
junior science colleges, 40 coach- Wind in your sails!
ing institutes and a residential K-12 Dipta Joshi (Mumbai)
school, this energetic edupreneur
is set to make waves in the edtech
space. ETPL’s gamified learning Full STEAM ahead
STEP app (student, talent, enhance-
ment programme application) Tyagi: edtech space waves
provides personalised, interactive IDDHARTH MATHUR is
and adaptive gamified learning in By 2009-10, the duo had estab- director of the Mumbai-based
maths and science mapped with the lished 11 PACE junior science col- SNational Academy of Science
primary-secondary syllabuses of the leges (classes XI and XII) in Mumbai and Creative Arts Llp (NASCA,
pan-India CBSE, CISCE and several and Pune that boast an annual enrol- estb.2017, headcount: 60) which
state boards including the Maha- ment of 3,500 students per year. offers a unique hands-on STEAM
rashtra Secondary School Certificate Moreover, in 2016 Tyagi promoted (science, technology, engineering,
(SSC) examination board. the wholly residential K-12 Vagad arts and mathematics) curriculum
Newspeg. The number of STEP app Pace Global School in Virar — 81 mapped with national and
users has increased by 300,000 dur- km from Mumbai’s central business international boards to schools in
ing the on-going schools lockdown district — on a 27-acre campus. India. Over the past three years since
period with 2 million downloads Direct talk. “Over the years we have it was promoted, 48,000 students in
on Play Store and App store since it increasingly become aware of the 70 schools across the country have
was launched last December. ETPL’s widening gap between students who signed up for NASCA’s in-school
team of 400-plus highly qualified can pay for coaching and those who STEAM programme.
technologists are currently prepar- cannot afford test prep tuition fees. Executed in highly specialised lab
ing course content to integrate social Therefore, we turned to technology environments, NASCA’s RoboWizard
sciences and language subjects into to make quality test prep education modules — designed by an expert
STEP app after which it will be re- affordable. STEP app was designed team of engineers and education-
launched. to provide every child in India af- ists — teach logic development, early
History. An alum of the top-ranked fordable tests prep education using science and math learning, cause
IIT-Delhi, Tyagi and IIT-Bombay gamification and technology. We Mathur: driving force
grad JATIN SOLANKI co-promoted intend to build a bank of high-
the first PACE test prep institute in potential young achievers. Once
1997. In 2009, they pioneered the we identify them, we will handpick
PACE concept of integrated junior the finest brains of our country and
college-cum-coaching class system nurture them into national assets,”
to prepare students to write IIT- vows Tyagi.
JEE and MCI (Medical Council of Future plans. To build the national
India) entrance exams — reputedly bank of talented children, ETPL has
the toughest college entrance exams announced a Rs.50 crore scholarship
worldwide. This strategy of siting programme — a Kaun Banega Cro-
PACE prep classes within junior col- repati style contest for the current
lege premises has proved very suc- year (2020- 21). Open to all VI-XII
cessful, as they prepare students for class students who subscribe to STEP
competitive public entrance exams app, the company intends to award
while meeting the college’s manda- scholarships of Rs.1 crore to every
tory attendance requirements. top-ranked child. Moreover, another

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