The PM eVidya Initiative is being Expanded Nationally, with the Goal of Providing free Access to Educational Resources to Underprivileged People

Empower education through the PM eVidya initiative – offering free, inclusive, and digital learning. Explore DIKSHA, QR textbooks, and innovative education nationwide

on Dec 05, 2023

The PM eVidya Initiative is being Expanded Nationally, with the Goal of Providing free Access to Educational Resources to Underprivileged People | Frontlist

DIKSHA, the digital infrastructure supplying excellent e-content for school education across States/UTs, and QR coded Energised Textbooks for all grades are part of the PM eVidya project, which consolidates under the goal of one nation, one digital platform.

The National Education Policy 2020 calls for more funding for digital infrastructure, online teaching tools, virtual labs, digital repositories, online assessments, technology-integrated pedagogy, and other initiatives. It highlights the importance of multilingualism and using language's power in teaching and learning through innovative and immersive techniques. The NEP's paragraph 4.23 emphasises the necessity of pupils mastering specific subjects, skills, and capacities, such as digital literacy, coding, and computational thinking.

Annpurna Devi, minister of state for education, stated in a written reply to the Lok Sabha that these skills are actively encouraged through various digital initiatives.

On May 17, 2020, the comprehensive effort known as PM e-VIDYA was launched as a key component of the Atma Nirbhar Bharat Abhiyaan. This programme acts as a cohesive platform, bringing together all efforts in the fields of digital, online, and on-air education. According to an official statement, the major goal is to promote multi-mode access to education, enabling a comprehensive and inclusive approach to learning.

The PM eVidya project, which is free to students across the country, has major components targeted at improving educational resources. These include DIKSHA, a digital infrastructure that provides excellent e-content for school education across States/UTs, as well as QR tagged Energised Textbooks for all classes, all under the umbrella of a single nation, one digital platform. According to the statement, the programme has extended from 12 to 200 PM e-VIDYA DTH TV Channels, supporting additional education in various Indian languages for grades 1st-12th, in accordance with the Union Budget for the Fiscal Year 2022-23.

PM eVidya uses Radio, Community Radio, and CBSE Podcast- Shiksha Vani to guarantee extensive accessibility. Specialised e-content for the visually and hearing impaired is also included, generated on the Digitally Accessible Information System (DAISY) and in sign language on the NIOS website/YouTube. The plan seeks to construct 750 virtual laboratories and 75 Skilling e-labs by 2023 to stimulate critical thinking and creativity in Science and Mathematics courses for grades 6th-12th. According to the announcement, a dedicated vertical for virtual laboratories on the DIKSHA platform, together with training sessions delivered via PM eVidya DTH TV channels, assures effective implementation for teachers and teacher educators countrywide.

Furthermore, the Samagra Shiksha scheme's ICT and digital initiatives component includes government and aided schools with grades 6th-12th. This segment provides financial assistance to schools in order to facilitate the creation of ICT Labs and Smart Classrooms. The SATHEE platform was developed in collaboration with IIT Kanpur to assist students nationwide in their preparation for competitive exams. Currently, input on the platform's beta version is actively sought from students across the country, it noted.