Lok Sabha Question No. 176 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2020-09-14
Subject: Standardisation of Online Education
Ministry: Education
Asked by: P.P. Chaudhary, Sangeeta Kumari Singh Deo, Sukanta Majumdar, Bhola Singh, Raja Amareshwara Naik, Vinod Kumar Sonkar, Sunil Kumar Singh

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF EDUCATION DEPARTMENT OF HIGHER EDUCATION LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 176 TO BE ANSWERED ON 14.09.2020

## Standardisation of Online Education

## 176. SHRI P. P. CHAUDHARY: SHRI SUNIL KUMAR SINGH:

Will the Minister of EDUCATION be pleased to state:

(a) whether the University Grants Commission (UGC) has released any recommendations on the standardisation  of  online  education,  taking  into  account  that  classes  in  many  educational establishments have moved online;

(b) if so, the details thereof;

(c)  whether  measures  have  been  taken  to  change  assessment  and  evaluation  practices  in  a uniform manner across the country due to a change in class nature, If, so the details thereof; and

(d)  whether  the  Government  plans  to  formulate  long  term  digital  education  strategy  for Secondary Education?

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

(a)  &  (b):    With  regard  to  standardisation  of  online  education,  University  Grants  Commission (UGC) had earlier notified UGC (Online Courses or Programmes) Regulations, 2018 for offering online programmes at Certificate, Diploma, PG Diploma and degree programmes of Undergraduate  and  Postgraduate  level  for  Higher  Educational  Institutions  (HEIs).    However, recently UGC has further notified UGC (Open and Distance Learning Programmes and Online Programmes)  Regulations,  2020  on  4 th September,  2020,  a  new  sets  of  standards  to  maintain quality  by  HEIs  in  ODL  and  online,  in  the  official  Gazette  of  India  superseding  the  earlier Regulation  of  2018.    These  new  Regulations  have  been  uploaded  on  UGC's  website  at https://www.ugc.ac.in/pdfnews/221580.pdf

(c): In view of the situation arisen due to COVID19 Pandemic, UGC has issued guidelines on examination  and  academic  calendar  for  Universities  in  the  country  on  29.4.2020.  Further,  in continuation  of  these  guidelines,  Commission  has  also  issued  revised  guidelines  on  6.7.2020 consisting therewith the scope for alternative assessment measures etc.  The same are available on  UGC's  website  at  https://www.ugc.ac.in/pdfnews/6100894\_UGC-Revised-Guidelines-onExaminations-and-Academic-Calendar-for-the-Universities-in-view-of-COVID-19-Pandemic\_06\_07\_2020.pdf

(d): With  regard  to  digital  education  strategy  for  secondary  education,  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:

- 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)
- One earmarked TV channel per class from 1 to 12 (one class, one channel)
- Extensive use of Radio, Community radio and CBSE Podcast- Shiksha Vani
- Special e-content for visually and hearing impaired developed on Digitally Accessible Information System (DAISY) and in sign language on NIOS website/ YouTube

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