A 17-year-old from Maharashtra has launched a free and multilingual digital learning platform with the objective of making education accessible to everyone, irrespective of their age. 

Rajlaxmi Chavan, hailing from Kolhapur, and Founder of Avidus, said that her project emphasises providing fundamental knowledge on topics like taxes, elections, banking, mental health, financial literacy, and civil rights through a number of downloadable courses, reported The Times of India. 

Avidus currently provides 57 self-paced courses in Marathi, Hindi, and English. Designed to function offline after the initial download, the platform features content structured in a simple and user-friendly format. Its diverse user base includes rural children, homemakers, senior citizens, and working professionals. 

According to founder Chavan, many first-time learners use Avidus to explore subjects not typically covered in traditional schooling, helping them build new skill sets.

Originally launched as a personal initiative, Chavan created the platform herself, from developing the content to managing the outreach efforts. She continues to engage directly with learners, both offline and via online video calls, to better understand their needs and enhance the platform accordingly.

The teen from Maharashtra says her initiative is now benefiting users not just across India, but in other countries as well.