MUMBAI, June 13 -- Encouraged by the success of its 'Ganit Guruvar' (Maths Thursday) programme, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation's (BMC) education department has launched 'Science Somvar' (Science Monday) in municipal schools from the current academic year. The announcement was made at the Mission Merit and STEM Conference 2026 held at Nehru Planetarium in Worli on Friday. Science Monday will be conducted on Khan Academy, a digital learning platform, and will complement Maths Thursday and encourage students to explore scientific concepts through digital tools and interactive learning methods. Officials believe the initiative will improve students understanding of science while making learning more engaging and enjoyable. Friday's event, organised by the BMC education department and Khan Academy India, honoured 133 schools, along with headmasters, teachers and education officials, for their performance in the Maths Thursday programme. Around 150 meritorious students will also receive laptops to support digital learning. Deputy municipal commissioner (education) Prachi Jambhekar said Maths Thursdays, for students of Classes 6 to 8, aimed to improve mathematics learning and ease fear of the subject. Initially, about 60,000 students used the platform, but participation increased after parents were informed about its benefits. Jambhekar said that on some Thursdays, nearly 57,000 students logged into the platform. The initiative has introduced more than 1.25 lakh students into digital learning and helped 31,000 students achieve advanced proficiency in mathematics and science, according to civic officials. She also said Khanmigo, Khan Academy's AI-powered teaching assistant, will be made available free of cost to teachers in municipal schools. The tool will help them with lesson planning, classroom activities, storytelling and question paper preparation. Civic Education committee chairperson Rajashree Shirwadkar said programmes such as Maths Thursday and Science Monday have helped municipal students compete with peers from private institutions. Deputy mayor Sanjay Ghadi said the mathematics initiative has encouraged students to use technology for learning beyond classroom hours. Swati Vasudevan, managing director of Khan Academy India, outlined the company's global educational journey....