A tribal hamlet’s tryst with AI-assisted tools Premium

Discover how Limbuguda, a tribal hamlet in Telangana, is transforming through AI-assisted education and holistic welfare initiatives.

Tucked away in the north-eastern corner of Telangana, about 320 kilometres from the State capital Hyderabad, Limbuguda — a tiny Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG) hamlet in Kumram Bheem Asifabad district — is charting a new course for transformative change through the potential of Artificial Intelligence (AI).

But how did this tiny hamlet, surrounded by hilly terrain in the tribal heartland of Wankidi mandal bordering Maharashtra, shoot into prominence? Limbuguda earned wide recognition for its prized possession — the Multipurpose Centre (MPC), equipped with AI-assisted learning tools.

In July last year, the MPC was set up in Limbuguda under the Pradhan Mantri Janjati Adivasi Nyaya Maha Abhiyan (PM-JANMAN) scheme at an estimated cost of ₹60 lakh. AI-aided tools were introduced at the MPC to enhance learning outcomes among PVTG children.

Incidentally, the school dropout rate is high among PVTGs, whose population is estimated to be around 16,092 in Kumram Bheem Asifabad district.

Billed as the first-of-its-kind state-of-the-art centre in PVTG habitations, it houses an ANM centre (a maternity centre specialising in maternal and neonatal care), an Anganwadi, a conference hall with a projector, and a computer lab, among other facilities.

The centre aims to provide education, healthcare, nutrition, and livelihood support — all under one roof — while promoting the holistic development of PVTGs, with a thrust on tribal empowerment and cultural revival.