The Government of India has launched PM eVIDYA, an effort to create a digital platform for education.
This has been initiated as part of Atma Nirbhar Bharat Abhiyaan on 17th May, 2020, which unifies all efforts related to digital/online/on-air education to enable multi-mode access to education.
The initiative includes:
DIKSHA (one nation, one digital platform) is the nation’s digital infrastructure for providing quality e-content for school education in states/UTs and QR coded Energized Textbooks for all grades are available on it.
One earmarked Swayam Prabha TV channel per class from 1 to 12 (one class, one channel).
Extensive use of Radio, Community radio and CBSE Podcast- Shiksha Vani.
Special e-content for visually and hearing impaired developed on Digitally Accessible Information System (DAISY) and in sign language on NIOS website/ YouTube.
In order to promote online education, UGC has notified necessary regulation, which facilitates the Universities to offer full-fledged Online Program.
Further, the current provisions of 20 per cent Online courses in a programme, as per provisions of UGC SWAYAM and ODL Regulations to be enhanced up to maximum 40 per cent for implementation considering “National interest during COVID-19” and also to ensure effective utilization of e-resources, the Ministry of Education of India said.
Various digital initiatives are also undertaken by Ministry of education which include SWAYAM (“Study Webs of Active-Learning for Young Aspiring Minds”), SWAYAM Prabha, National Digital Library (NDL), Virtual Lab, e-Yantra, NEAT (National Education Alliance for technology), FOSSEE (Free Open-Source Software for Education) and others in order to ensure quality education to the students.
To improve the internet connectivity in rural areas the CSC e-Governance Services India Ltd (CSC-SPV) of MEITY has been assigned the task of providing Fibre to the Home (FTTH) connectivity to the Government Institutions, including schools, the government added.
The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has launched a ‘Cyber Security Handbook’ to ensure safe and healthy digital habits among students. The ‘Cyber Security Handbook’.
An Integrated Teacher Training Programme called NISHTHA has been launched. It is a capacity building programme for “Improving Quality of School Education through Integrated Teacher Training”, NISHTHA.
