About 4,000 students in six government schools in Ludhiana district will receive support to improve their English language skills under a corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiative launched by Vardhman Special Steels Limited (VSSL) in association with the district administration.The initiative, “Disha”, will provide students with digital learning facilities, including computers, smart classrooms and app-based learning modules. The selected students, from Classes VIII to XII, are from economically weaker backgrounds.Deputy Commissioner Himanshu Jain said the programme would provide students with a platform to improve their English skills. “For the better future of the students, the Vardhman Group has initially provided a cheque for Rs 15 lakh to get whatever is needed in the classrooms to help the students understand English in a better way,” he said.The research education sector of the Punjab Development Commission found that students in some schools needed additional support in English. Based on the data, Vardhman selected six schools for the programme: Government School, Mangarh; Government School, Kohara; Government School, Neechi Mangli; Government School, Miller Ganj; Government School, Katani Kalan; and Government School, Koomkalan.Amit Dhawan, who looks after CSR at the VSSL, said experts would initially focus on the students’ classroom curriculum. Teachers at the schools would be trained to help improve the students’ English skills.An app-based programme has been developed to regularly assess the students. They will also have access to computers and smart classrooms, while mobile phones can be used at home for assignments.Dhawan said the programme would include AI-based online examinations, with students’ progress tracked through a dashboard. AI professionals would monitor the results, while teams from Delhi and Mumbai would review the implementation and progress of the project. Students who qualify in the tests would be awarded certificates.The VSSL had earlier implemented the project in three schools, covering 500 students. Dhawan said the exercise recorded an improvement of up to 60 per cent in English skills of the students, prompting the company to expand the programme to three more schools and a larger number of students. The VSSL plans to extend the support to more schools and students in the future.