What’s in the news?

The Ministry of Human Resource Development has released the India Report on Digital Education 2020.

About:

• The report elaborates on the innovative methods adopted by the Ministry of HRD, Education Departments of States and Union Territories for ensuring accessible and inclusive education to children at home and reducing learning gaps.
• This report gives a better understanding of the various initiatives taken to facilitate remote learning and education for all by taking schools to the students.
• The quality digital education has acquired a new urgency in the present context of globalization, and the pandemic as well.

Initiatives by HRD Ministry

It has initiated many projects to assist teachers, scholars and students in their pursuit of learning like 

• DIKSHA platform-It is a platform for school education which offers teachers, students and parents engaging learning material relevant to the prescribed school curriculum.It currently supports 18 languages and the various curricula of NCERT, CBSE and SCERTs across India. The platform is being leveraged and developed for school education, foundational learning programs and to support inclusive learning for under-served and differently-abled communities of learners and teachers.
• SWAYAM- SWAYAM is the national online education platform hosting 1900 courses covering both school (class IX to XII) And Higher Education (undergraduate, post graduate programs) in all subjects including engineering, humanities and social sciences, law and management courses.
• SWAYAM PRABHA- It has 32 D2H TV channels transmitting educational contents on 24/7 basis. These channels are available for viewing all across the country using DD free Dish set top box and antenna. The channels cover both school education and Higher Education. 
•  On Air– 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 
• Online Coaching: ITPAL for IITJEE/NEET preparation
• e-PATHSHALA-In this web portal NCERT has deployed 1886 audios, 2000 videos, 696 e-books (e-Pubs) and 504 Flip Books for classes 1st to 12th in different languages.
• National Repository of Open Educational Resources (NROER)- NROER portal has a total of 14527 files including 401 collections, 2779 documents, 1345 interactive, 1664 audios, 2586 images and 6153 videos on different languages.

Initiatives by State Governments

• Some of the major digital initiatives are SMILE (Social Media Interface for Learning Engagement) in Rajasthan, Padhai Tunhar duvaar (Education at your doorstep) in Chhattisgarh, Mission Buniyaad in NCT of Delhi etc.
• Some states have launched innovative mobile apps and portals as means to facilitate remote learning. 
• Madhya Pradesh has launched Top Parent App, a free mobile app that empowers parents of young children (3-8 years) with knowledge and strategies around child development to help them meaningfully engage with their children. 
• Assam has launched the Biswa Vidya Assam Mobile Application for class 6 to 10.
• States are also pioneering Whatsapp as a medium for education and to encourage teachers, parents, and students to stay connected.
• Odisha Shiksha Sanjog – a Whatsapp based digital learning programme has been launched in Odisha that shares e-content with class groups in a streamlined way.Many states have had to be creative with low tech forms of teaching and instruction delivery with low or nil requirements of the internet. 
• In Arunachal Pradesh, primary class students are receiving interesting Radio talks in their mother tongue through All India Radio, Itanagar. 
• Ladakh is collaborating with NGOs like EMBIBE Bangalore and 17000 feet in providing online education to students even in low connectivity zones.
• NIOS & Swayam Prabha contents are disseminated focusing on children who are not connected to the internet and have limited access to radio & TV.
• Jammu & Kashmir has distributed free tabs to students, along with laptops & Braille tactile readers for visually impaired learners.
• Andhra Pradesh has started Toll Free Call Centre and Toll Free Video call centre for students for understanding critical topics and clearing their doubts.
• Psychological well being is also focused upon.Mental well-being of children is also taken care of through happiness classes channelized through SMS/IVR for primary grade children in the national capital.

References:

1. http://www.newsonair.com/News?title=HRD-Minister-launches-India-Report-on-Digital-Education%2C-2020&id=395949#:~:text=Human%20Resources%20and%20Development%20Minister,Report%20on%20Digital%20Education%2C%202020.&text=The%20quality%20digital%20education%20has,the%20present%20context%20of%20globalization.
2. https://www.mhrd.gov.in/sites/upload_files/mhrd/files/India_Report_Digital_Education_0.pdf