Fort Kochi: Amid growing concerns that smartphones are leading teens astray, 16-year-old T H Muhammad Adnan is showing how technology can be a force for good. The Plus One student has harnessed his skills in smartphones and technology to create two mobile apps, namely 'Vidyamate' (for schools) and 'My Kochi App' (for city commuters).

Hailing from Edakochi, Adnan is the son of T H Hisham and Simy of Thattarath House and studies at Fort Kochi Central Kalvathi Higher Secondary School.

A computer science enthusiast who scored 99% in the SSLC exams, Adnan has showcased talent not only in academics but also in coding. Through his initiatives, he aims to convey a message: “We shouldn’t let our phones control us; we must learn to control our phones.”

Adnan has designed the Vidyamate app with the goal of fully digitising schools and tuition centres. Key features of the app include:

- Smart attendance system: A paperless attendance mechanism. Parents can check the attendance recorded by teachers in real time.
- Self-uploading and verification: Students can upload topics studied at home via the app. Teachers verify and approve before marking the topic as complete.
- Real-time monitoring: Attendance and academic progress can be evaluated by parents through visual graphs.
- Simple login: Students can access the app using their roll number without a complex sign-up process.

The My Kochi App serves as a digital guide for the city. It provides bus schedules, routes and the exact location of stops, making it highly useful for commuters. The app has been designed by understanding the challenges faced by ordinary commuters.

In his endeavours, Adnan received the support and guidance from T K Muhammad Shafeeq of Edakochi, who serves as both a mathematics teacher and a psychologist. Muhammed Shafeeq has informed that details of the app have been shared via email with the Education Minister and the District Collector.