PM eVIDYA

Context:

Use of ICT under a comprehensive initiative called PM eVIDYA by the Department of School education, Ministry of Education, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic wins UNESCO’s recognition.

During the pandemic one of the most affected sectors was education sector, therefore the PM eVIDYA was initiated.
One of the important provision under this is that, the top hundred universities in the country will be providing online education to students.
To enable students those deprived of internet access, an exclusive channel called Swayam Prabha is launched.
And also an exclusive platform called Diksha will be launched which will contain digital content.
So to provide comprehensive education from class 1^ST to 12^th, 12 DTH channels were dedicated, now which is being expanded to 200.

It is estimated that the PM e – vidya programme will be benefitting more than 25 crore students across the nation.
It is with the goal to provide affordable technology to enhance the educational opportunities for all and to augment the quality of education and to bring equity into the educational system in the country and keeping in view the recommendations of NEP-2020, Ministry of Education through CIET, NCERT has been working tirelessly and meticulously in designing, developing and disseminating a large number of initiatives.
This includes eBooks, eContent – audios, videos, interactives, augmented reality contents, Indian Sign Language (ISL) videos, audiobooks, talking books, etc.
A variety of eCourses for school and teacher education; organizing digital events like online quizzes primarily for students and teachers through leveraging Online/Offline, On-Air technology One Class-One Channel, DIKSHA, ePathshala, NISHTHA, school MOOCs on SWAYAM, etc

It was during the pandemic that the education of millions of students came to an halt.
It was devastating to students from specially rural areas and those from the poorer background
It was only with technology the students could continue with their education.
But there were several surveys which pointed out the digital divide in the country, so the Government must come up with solutions to overcome the challenge of digital divide.

Source The Hindu