Lok Sabha Question No. 420 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-02-05
Subject: Digital Board
Ministry: HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: KAMAL NATH, JYOTIRADITYA MADHAVRAO SCINDIA

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT OF SCHOOL EDUCATION AND LITERACY

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 420 TO BE ANSWERED ON 5 TH FEBRUARY, 2018

## Digital Board

## 420. SHRI KAMAL NATH: SHRI JYOTIRADITYA M. SCINDIA:

Will the Minister of HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT be pleased to state:

- (a) whether it is a fact that the Central Advisory Board of Education has recently urged the Union Government to implement 'Operation Digital Board' on the lines of Operation Blackboard of 1987 with the purpose of providing minimum basic digital education in all primary schools across the country;
- (b) if so, the reaction of the Union Government in this regard;
- (c) whether the Union Government had a detailed discussions with Education Ministers of almost all the State Governments/UTs to provide quality education in schools; and
- (d) if so, the steps Union Government has taken to address the situation?

## ANSWER MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT (SHRI UPENDRA KUSHWAHA)

- (a):  Yes,  Madam.  The  Central  Advisory  Board  of  Education  in  its  meeting  held  on  15th January, 2018 resolved to launch operation digital board in schools jointly by Centre, States, CSR and community participation.
- (b) Under Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA), there is a provision for release of Rs. 50 lakh per district per year to the States, to maximize ICT coverage in upper primary schools with special  emphasis  on  Science  and  Mathematics,  which  includes  funding  for  hardware, software etc. Further, Department of School Education and Literacy has undertaken various digital  initiatives.  Some  of  these  are-  (i)  E-Pathshala,  a  web  portal  has  been  designed  to disseminate e-resources including e-books developed by NCERT, SCERT/SIEs, State Boards etc.; (ii) Shaalakosh aims to integrate all education related processes and data management modules  onto  a  single  platform.  The  initiative  envisions  a  unified  digital  system  with interactive database across Central and State Governments, targeted towards effective datadriven process management and decision making; and (iii) Shagun portal has been designed

to  showcase  the  innovative  and  successful  models  implemented  by  all  States  and  UTs  in diverse  circumstances.  It  has  two  modules  namely  online  monitoring  and  innovations repository.

Further,  under  the  Centrally  sponsored  scheme  of  Rashtriya  Madhyamik  Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA), support is given to states/UTs for introduction of ICT enabled learning in government and government aided secondary and higher secondary schools for provision of hardware including desktops/laptop/tablets in schools and provision of projector/LCD/LED screen.

## (c) Yes, Madam.

(d) The  Central  Government,  through  Sarva  Shiksha  Abhiyan  (SSA)  and  Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA) supports the State Governments and UT Administrations on several interventions to improve teaching standards, including inter alia; regular in-service teachers' training, induction training for newly recruited teachers, training on ICT Component, Inclusive Education, Gender Sensitization and Adolescent Education. A National  Achievement  Survey  based  on  learning  outcomes  has  been  conducted  on  13th November, 2017 with a sample frame upto district level to enable states/UTs to identify gaps in learning outcomes at district level and design strategies to address those gaps.

In  addition  to  above,  the  Central  Government  supports  States  and  UTs  on  early grade reading, writing & comprehension, and early Mathematics programmes through a subprogramme of SSA namely 'Padhe Bharat Badhe Bharat' (PBBB) in classes I and II. Further, the Government has launched Rashtriya Aavishkar Abhiyan  (RAA)  programme on 09.07.2015,  inter  alia,  as  a  subcomponent  of  Sarva  Shiksha  Abhiyan  and  Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA), to motivate and  engage children of the  age  group from 6-18 years in Science, Mathematics and Technology through observation, experimentation,  inference  drawing,  model  building,  etc.  both  through  inside  and  outside classroom activities.

Further,  in  order  to  focus  on  quality  education,  the  Central  rules  to  the  Right  of Children  to  Free  and  Compulsory  Education  (RTE)  Act  have  been  amended  to  include reference on class-wise, subject-wise Learning Outcomes. The Learning Outcomes for each class in Languages (Hindi, English and Urdu), Mathematics, Environmental Studies, Science and Social Science up to the elementary stage have, accordingly, been finalized and shared with all States  and UTs. These would serve as a guideline for State/UTs to ensure that all children acquire appropriate learning level.