The app is designed to introduce agricultural knowledge before children formally study agriculture as a subject (Images via IITR, enhanced with AI)IIT Ropar’s Centre of Excellence in AI for Digital Agriculture, ANNAM.AI, has launched ‘AVNI – Grow with Nature’ digital learning platform designed to help children learn about plants, crops, food and agriculture through their surroundings. The web and mobile app uses artificial intelligence (AI) along with hands-on activities to help children identify and understand what they see around them.The platform allows children to explore crops, fruits, vegetables, spices, cereals and millets. For example, a child can use the app while looking at a plant, fruit or crop and learn more about it through AI-powered identification. The idea is to connect what children see in everyday life with basic knowledge about agriculture and food.AVNI developed by the team at IIT Ropar, is available in Hindi and English and also provides audio content for younger children. It includes daily challenges, a digital Nature Book, a Nature Gallery and a Crop Compare feature. These tools allow children to record what they learn, explore different plants and compare crops as part of their learning.The app is designed to introduce agricultural knowledge before children formally study agriculture as a subject, IIT-R said in a statement. A plant in a school garden, a fruit at home or a crop in a nearby field can become a starting point for learning about how food is grown and where it comes from.Also Read | IIT Ropar announces scholarship for underprivileged students, lays foundation stone of yogic sciences centreThe platform also places emphasis on learning through observation rather than only reading information. Children can explore their surroundings, identify plants and crops and gradually build a basic understanding of agriculture and nature.AVNI has been developed by Dr Mukesh Saini, Co-project Director of ANNAM.AI, IIT Ropar. The initiative is part of ANNAM.AI’s work on the use of AI in agriculture and education.Story continues below this adThe platform, as per the institute is free to access, ad-free and privacy-focused, with a child-focused design aimed at keeping the digital learning environment safe and age-appropriate.ANNAM.AI is working on AI-based digital public infrastructure for Indian agriculture. AVNI extends this work into education by using AI not just to provide information but to help children learn about agriculture through direct observation and exploration.The initiative is aimed at building agricultural awareness among children at an early age, including an understanding of the plants they see, the food they eat and the role agriculture plays in producing it.