Lok Sabha Question No. 1236 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2020-09-19
Subject: Distribution of Electronic Gadgets for Students to Study Online
Ministry: Education
Asked by: Talari Rangaiah

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF EDUCATION DEPARTMENT OF HIGHER EDUCATION

## LOKSABHA UNSTARREDQUESTION NO.1236 TO BE ANSWERED ON 19.09.2020

## Distribution of Electronic Gadgets for Students to Study Online

## 1236.SHRI TALARI RANGAIAH:

Will the Minister of EDUCATION be pleased to state:

- (a) Whether  the  Government  has  taken  any  steps  to  distribute  electronic  gadgets  to students for studying online; and
- (b) if so, the details thereof;
- (c) the measures taken by the Government to address on the serious concerns related to online education in this difficult times;
- (d) if so, the details thereof; and
- (e) whether the Government has made any attempts to resolve the issues of the students especially related to their physical and mental health during this pandemic and if so, the details thereof

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF EDUCATION (SHRI RAMESH POKHRIYAL 'NISHANK')

(a) and (b)The steps taken by all the States for providing online education is compiled in a report called India Report Digital Education which can be accessed on -https://www.mhrd.gov.in/sites/upload\_files/mhrd/files/India\_Report\_Digital\_Education\_ 0.pdf.

(c) and (d) A  comprehensive  initiative  called  PM  eVIDYA  has  been  initiated  which unifies all efforts related to digital/online/on-air education to enable multi-mode access to education. The initiative includes: -

- (i) Higher Educational Institutions (HEIs) ranked in top 100 NIRF or NAAC score of 3.26 can offer online programme without prior approval of UGC. Institutions

with NAAC score of 3.01 to 3.25 can offer online programme with prior approval of UGC.

- (ii) For conventional courses, the online content has been increased from up to 20% to 40% in regular degree programmes.
- (iii) DIKSHA the nation's  digital  infrastructure  for  providing  quality  e-content  for school  education  in  states/UTs:    and  QR  coded  Energized  Textbooks  for  all grades (one nation, one digital platform).
- (iv) Study materials have been provided on an experimental basis for 12 channels for classes  1  to  12  on  SWAYAM  Prabha  and  actions  are  expedited  to  run  these channels in a full-fledged manner.
- (v) Extensive use of Radio, Community radio and CBSE Podcast- Shiksha Vani.
- (vi) Special  e-content  for  visually  and  hearing  impaired  developed  on  Digitally Accessible Information System (DAISY) and in sign language on NIOS website/ YouTube.

In  addition to above,online resources are provided through the various initiatives of the  Government  -  SWAYAM,  e-Pathshala,  e-PG  Pathshala,  Virtual  Labs,  National Digital  Library  (NDL)  and  National  Repository  of  Open  Educational  Resources (NROER).

(e) The Ministry has undertaken an initiative, named Manodarpan, covering a wide range of  activities  to  provide  psychological  support  to  students,  teachers  and  families  for mental health and emotional wellbeing during the Covid-19 outbreak and beyond. There is a provision of tele-counseling to address their mental health and psychological issues. NCERT  has  issued  a  detailed  guideline  under  the  document  PRAGYATA  which highlights important measures to be followed while using digital platforms.