Zafar Eqbal/Jaipur

Iman Khan of Alwar was already a well-known educationist in his native town of Alwar in the Rajasthan State of northern India but his fame shot to the skies when Prime Minister Narendra Modi told the world about him at a conference in London.

Addressing NRIs in Wembley stadium of London, Modi had mentioned the new India that lives beyond the news headlines and television debates. “My Hindustand lives in Imran Khan of Alwar who had created 50 apps for education and dedicated the same to the children of India,” Modi had told the Indians and elicited thunderous applause.

Since that time, Imran Khan, a government school teacher in Alwar, had created 50 more mobile applications. Today he is known as the Appman of Alwar. His initiatives have also made students leave the high-profile private schools and there is a clamour to attend the school of the Appman.

Imran Khan with his family

His life is an example of how people can turn adversity into advantage and pursue their goals to the levels of becoming extraordinary humans and contribute to society and nation building.

Son of a farmer with limited financial resources, Imran has achieved all through his hard work and consistency. He told Awaz-the Voice, "Papa was a farmer and I wanted to become a scientist, but it was not possible due to our conditions." 

He said his brother left an old computer at home when he started using it for the first time. “I also read some books and slowly started making mobile apps."

Soon, as he was employed as a teacher in the government of Rajasthan, he set up a computer laboratory in the school. This facility and Appman’s reputation travelled across and now students from various villages and towns took admission to his school. Most of them came from expensive private schools.

The computer laboratory set up by Imran Khan in his school

Imran Khan’s first app was related to general knowledge for students.

Recalling that moment, Imran said the then District Collector of Alwar, Ashutosh Pednekar, had encouraged him in the making of his first app. The pat from Pednekar boosted Imran's confidence and he started venturing into more innovations.

After that, he created mobile apps for many departments including the Ministry of Human Resource Development. The total estimated value of his mobile applications is Rs 3 crore 32 lakhs.

One of his most valuable innovations is Devvani (The celestial sound) app that seeks to make learning  Sanskrit, the most ancient language in the world, easy. He said that with the 'Devvani app', students of Sanskrit are able to access the quality content.

Imran has also created an app named Digital Mewat. Apart from this, he various apps related to education, spreading awareness, promoting girls’ education, elimination of social malpractices and creating a positive environment, to his credit.

Appman Imran Imran Khan being honoured by the then Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje Scindia

Appman Imran Khan has been awarded for his Coordination App.

Imran Khan has so far the copyright of more than 50 mobile applications that he has given to the Union Ministry of Human Resource Development.

He has received the prestigious award Bhamashah Award of the Rajasthan government and also the Jamnalal Bajaj Award for working in the field of Science and Technology.

Appman Imran Khan participating in National Conference on Information Information and Communication Technology (ICT)

Talking to Awaz-the Voice, Imran Khan said that the work of making his app is going on continuously. At the same time, he also appealed to the youth of the country that instead of spending time on social media, they must try to create something for society and the country.

Khan has received awards from Prime Minister Modi and many other dignitaries.