Defining quality in EdTech: India’s EdTech Tulna framework for equitable and evidence-based adoption

• In Event: Ensuring quality and standards in AI-EdTech Part 2

Proposal

In India, the rapid post-COVID expansion of EdTech—fueled by increased smartphone access and national-level digital learning initiatives—has brought to light a significant structural challenge: the absence of clear, credible mechanisms to evaluate the quality of EdTech solutions. In a context where governments, NGOs, astand schools often face high information asymmetry, the absence of transparent standards complicates product selection, program design, and procurement decisions. Particularly in public school systems, this has led to widespread uncertainty around what constitutes effective or safe EdTech.
EdTech Tulna (meaning “to compare” in Sanskrit) responds to this critical need by offering a research-based, public-good framework for evaluating the quality of EdTech products. Anchored at IIT Delhi and launched in collaboration with IIT Bombay and the Central Square Foundation, it is grounded in the principles of design-based evaluation and aligned with evidence-informed pedagogical practice. Unlike traditional approaches that emphasize learning outcomes alone, EdTech Tulna focuses on strengthening the design quality of EdTech products—recognizing that pedagogy, usability, and safety must be embedded from the start for long-term impact.
EdTech Tulna’s framework evaluates products across three core dimensions: Content Quality (e.g., curriculum alignment, conceptual accuracy), Pedagogical Alignment (e.g., use of learning science strategies), and Technology & Design (e.g., accessibility, safety, offline usability). These are applied across key EdTech use cases, including gamified learning, adaptive platforms, doubt-resolution tools, and smart classrooms. Evaluation tools are supplemented by rubrics, training modules, and implementation workshops to support state departments and civil society organizations in conducting rigorous product reviews. Importantly, Tulna is now evolving to keep pace with new technologies. In collaboration with IIT Madras, the framework is being extended to evaluate AI-integrated EdTech tools - addressing new questions around safety, bias, and pedagogical soundness in AI-driven learning environments.
The framework has been operationalised in several Indian states. Governments in Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, and Himachal Pradesh have already used Tulna to guide the procurement of Personalized Adaptive Learning (PAL) solutions and Smart Classroom technologies—showcasing its ability to influence state-level EdTech adoption. In doing so, Tulna has helped shift decision-making away from brand reputation or superficial metrics, toward transparent, learning-focused procurement.
By presenting Tulna, we illustrate how a public-good framework—grounded in pedagogical and design-based evaluation—has enabled Indian states to embed EdTech quality standards into procurement and policy, offering a scalable template for LMIC contexts navigating rapid digital expansion. Tulna exemplifies how Global South-led innovations can influence national policy, restructure market dynamics, and create pathways for responsible AI adoption in education. It also surfaces tensions between ideal product design and real-world constraints—highlighting the need for iterative, context-sensitive application of standards. This case contributes to the panel’s broader discussion on how quality benchmarks can serve as a foundation for inclusive, evidence-informed digital learning systems worldwide, especially as governments seek to re-examine equity, peace, and inclusion in a digitally divided world.

Authors

• Bhanu Potta, Central Square Foundation

• Gouri Gupta, Central Square Foundation