The ‘Digital India‘ program, launched by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), Government of India, aims to transform the nation into a digitally empowered society and knowledge-based economy through PM e-Vidya Initiatives. A key component of this initiative is the PM e-Vidya program, led by the Ministry of Education. This comprehensive initiative focuses on providing high-quality educational opportunities through digital platforms, particularly in rural and remote areas, with the vision of bridging the digital divide and ensuring digital access, inclusion, and empowerment.
PM e-Vidya: A Multi-Pronged Approach to Education
The PM e-Vidya program encompasses a range of initiatives designed to revolutionize education and make it accessible to learners from all backgrounds.
1. DIKSHA: Empowering Learning through Digital Content
DIKSHA serves as the digital infrastructure for school education in all States and Union Territories, offering quality e-content. Energized Textbooks for all grades are available on the platform, bringing together a diverse array of educational resources onto one digital platform. To date (as of 25th July 2023), DIKSHA has recorded an impressive 524 crore learning sessions and over 6,125 crore learning minutes, making it a vital resource for learners and educators alike.
2. DTH and SWAYAM PRABHA Channels: Extending Education to Remote Areas
To reach learners in rural and underserved areas, the PM e-Vidya programme utilizes DTH technology. Currently, 12 DTH Channels cater to school education, while 22 SWAYAM PRABHA channels focus on higher education. The government has ambitious plans to expand the DTH Channels to 200 PM e-Vidya DTH TV Channels, ensuring wider access to educational content.
3. SWAYAM: Enabling Higher Education through Online Courses
SWAYAM, the national MOOC platform, offers a diverse range of higher education courses. An innovative feature of SWAYAM is its credit transfer provision to universities, making it a valuable resource for learners pursuing higher education. Both the National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS) and the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) actively contribute to SWAYAM by delivering school sector courses from 9th to 12th grade. The platform hosts over 10,451 courses, including 257 from NCERT and 431 from NIOS, with a substantial number of registered students.
Conclusion
The PM e-Vidya initiatives exemplify the power of technology in revolutionizing education. With a focus on inclusivity and accessibility, these initiatives are breaking barriers and ensuring that quality education reaches every corner of the country. By leveraging digital platforms and the vision of Digital India, the Ministry of Education is empowering learners and educators, fostering a digitally enabled society, and shaping a knowledge-based economy. As the program progresses under the Atma Nirbhar Bharat Abhiyaan, the journey towards a digitally empowered future gains momentum, promising a brighter and more equitable future for India’s learners.
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