Government school introduces robot ‘Sananda’ to tackle staff shortage

Kolkata: In a first for a government school in West Bengal, Pannalal Institution in Kalyani, Nadia, has introduced a humanoid robot, Sananda, to address a shortage of Group-D staff. Launched on Monday, the school, which has nearly 1,600 students, currently has only two Group-D staff against a sanctioned five. “Whenever one went on leave, the entire system slowed down. The idea of bringing in a robot came from that crisis,” said assistant headmaster Saudipta Das. Headmaster Ramen Chandra Bhawal added that unlike humans, the robot requires neither leave nor rest, making it cost- and time-efficient.

Built by a Hyderabad-based company for around Rs 2 lakh, Sananda can carry 8–10 kg along a pre-installed path on the first floor. It delivers files, notebooks, and water, and can be activated via voice or touch. It communicates in regional, national, and international languages, senses people in its path, and issues alerts in both regional and English languages. A full charge powers it for about 12 hours.

The initiative was funded through a Rs 46.5 lakh donation from alumnus Sandip Mukherjee, a Dubai-based entrepreneur in financial risk management, and alumnus of IIT Kharagpur and IIM Ahmedabad. His contribution in six months helped add two classrooms, a 58.5 KVA generator, a 75-inch smart TV, and the robot.

Mukherjee said: “With education costs rising, strengthening government schools benefits everyone. When authorities shared their plans, I decided to step in.”

Students and teachers are excited about the robot. Class IX student Ritika Sarkar said: “I never imagined a robot could work in our school. It feels like science fiction,” while teachers hope it will inspire innovative applications of technology in daily school life.