Lok Sabha Question No. 996 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-07-26
Subject: Regularizing Classroom Education
Ministry: Education
Asked by: Dibyendu Adhikari

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF EDUCATION DEPARTMENT OF SCHOOL EDUCATION & LITERACY

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.996 TO BE ANSWERED ON 26.07.2021

## Regularizing Classroom Education

## 996. SHRI DIBYENDU ADHIKARI:

Will the Minister of EDUCATION be pleased to state:

(a)  whether  it  is  a  fact  that  due  to  Covid-19  pandemic  the  entire  education  process  has  been changed during 2020 and 2021 academic years;

(b) if so, whether there is any proposal of the Government to regularize classroom systems and to train the students of these two years for practical training and if so, the details thereof; and

(c)  whether  there  is  any  proposal  to  relax  norms  and  rules  to  start  or  establish  more  schools, colleges in rural India to involve and educate more children thereof and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER MINISTER OF EDUCATION (SHRI DHARMENDRA PRADHAN)

(a)  and (b)   The spread of COVID-19 pandemic has also had a severe impact on education as schools, universities and colleges closed their premises and states shut their borders in response to lockdown measures. However, learning could not be stopped.  To ensure that children have access to  education  with  quality  and  equity  and  to  minimize  the  impact  of  the  pandemic  on  school education  in  the  country,  the  Department  of  School  Education  and  Literacy  has  taken  lots  of initiatives to continue children's learning from home through online or offline mode.

The  National  Council  of  Educational  Research  and  Training  (NCERT)  has  developed  an Alternative  Academic  Calendar  for  all  learners  including  learners  with  disabilities  studying  at home for  all  stages  of  school  education  along  with  guidelines  for  teachers,  parents  and  school principals on how to carry out calendar of activities at home. A multi-pronged approach has been adopted  leveraging  technology  to  reach  the  students.    Digital  initiatives  like  PMeVIDYA, DIKSHA, e-pathshala, NROER, NISHTHA, etc., are being used to provide educational e-contents on  24x7  basis.  The  text  books  of  NCERT  are  made  available  on  e-pathshala  in  digital  modes which are accessible through 'read text', 'read aloud' and 'text to speech'. These books can also be downloaded free of cost.  There is one earmarked TV channel per class from 1 to 12 (one class, one channel) under PMeVidya. There has been extensive use of Shiksha Vani- radio, community radio and podcast to broadcast learning content. The initiatives taken by the Department of School Education and Literacy are available in public domain. Link of the same is:

https://www.education.gov.in/sites/upload\_files/mhrd/files/DOSEL\_COMPILATION\_ON\_COVI D\_ACTIVITIES.pdf.

The University Grants Commission ( UGC ) have issued certain guidelines and advisories from time to time and have taken concrete steps to impart online education by making the best use of e-resources which are available on www.ugc.ac.in. In order to disseminate educational content to masses,  32  Direct-To-Home  (DTH)  educational  TV  channels  called  'SWAYAM  Prabha' broadcasting education content 24x7 basis has been launched, and the content developed under SWAYAM would be used for transmission in  SWAYAM Prabha (SP) DTH channels.  UGC's SWAYAMPRABHA initiative is for remote areas, with low bandwidth connectivity. This may now be viewed by any  learner  free  of  cost  without  any  registration.  It  provides  access  to  best teaching learning resources which were earlier delivered on the SWAYAM Platform. UGC has shared the list of 82 UG and 42 PG SWAYAM MOOCs courses to be offered in the July 2020 semester on the SWAYAM platform, with universities and colleges and requested them to come forward in large numbers to adopt the SWAYAM courses for credit transfer, and encourage more and more students to enroll in these courses to ensure uninterrupted teaching learning for students.

(c) Education  being  a  subject  in  the  Concurrent  List  of  the  Constitution  and  majority  of schools/colleges are under the jurisdiction of the State/Union Territory Governments, it is for the respective  State/Union  Territory  Governments to  take necessary measures in this regard.  The Navodaya  Vidyalaya  Scheme  of  the  Central  Government  envisages  for  opening  of  a  new Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya (JNV) in each District of the Country. As on date, there are 649 JNVs functional and all of them are in rural areas.

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