Lok Sabha Question No. 2019 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-03-14
Subject: Setting up Digital University and PM e-Vidya Programme
Ministry: Education
Asked by: Vinod Kumar Sonkar, Raja Amareshwara Naik, Sukanta Majumdar, Nusrat Jahan Ruhi, Jayanta Kumar Roy, Rattan Lal Kataria, Jaskaur Meena, Sangeeta Kumari Singh Deo, Bhola Singh, Rajveer (Raju Bhaiya) Singh

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2019 TO BE ANSWERED ON 14.03.2022

## Setting up Digital University and PM e-Vidya Programme

2019.  SHRI VINOD KUMAR SONKAR:

SHRI RATTAN LAL KATARIA:

SHRI BHOLA SINGH:

SHRIMATI NUSRAT JAHAN RUHI:

DR. SUKANTA MAJUMDAR:

DR. JAYANTA KUMAR ROY:

SHRI RAJVEER SINGH (RAJU BHAIYA):

SHRIMATI JASKAUR MEENA:

SHRIMATI SANGEETA KUMARI SINGH DEO:

SHRI RAJA AMARESHWARA NAIK:

Will the Minister of EDUCATION be pleased to state:

- (a)  whether the Government proposes to set up a Digital University in the country and if so, the details thereof;
- (b)  whether the Government proposes to develop e-content for schools and expand its One class One TV Channel programme of PM e-Vidya from 12 to 200 channels and if so, the details thereof;
- (c)  whether the Government has proposed to set up 50 virtual lab in Science and Mathematics, and 75 skilling e-labs and if so, the details thereof;
- (d)  whether it is a fact that barely 8 per cent of rural students and 23 per cent of urban students have access to internet and if so, the action being taken by the Government to improve the infrastructure in this regard; and
- (e)  the other steps being taken by the Government to impart supplementary teaching and to build a resilient mechanism for education?

## ANSWER MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION (DR. SUBHAS SARKAR)

- (a)  to (c) Government of India in its Budget 2022-23 has announced the following:
- (i) Establishment  of  Digital  University,  to  provide  access  to  students  across  the  country  for world-class  quality  universal  education  with  personalized  learning  experience  at  their doorsteps in different Indian languages and ICT formats.
- (ii) For "Universalization of Quality Education" 'One class-one TV channel' programme of PM e-VIDYA will be expanded from 12 to 200 TV channels.
- (iii)  In  vocational  courses,  to  promote  crucial  critical  thinking  skills  and  to  give  space  for creativity, 750 virtual labs in science and mathematics, and 75 skilling e-labs for simulated learning environment, will be set-up.
- (d)  Ministry  of  Education  under  one  of  its  project  NKN  connectivity,  provided  1  Gbps  NKN (National Knowledge Network) connectivity to Universities/ Higher Educational Institutes.

Department of Telecommunications, a department under M/o Communications, is implementing the BharatNet project to digitally connect all the Gram Panchayats (GPs) and Villages of India through Optical Fibre Network. Schools/ Colleges can also be connected with Fibre To The Home (FTTH) broadband connections in these areas.

"Under the components of Infrastructure grants to colleges and Universities under the scheme of Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA), grants are provided to support strengthening  infrastructure  facilities  for  new  construction,  renovation  and  purchase  of equipment. These activities include construction of Computer Centres, Classrooms including technologically enabled classrooms and up scaling of existing network to enable wi-fi."

Under  SWAYAM  Prabha  initiative,  34  DTH  channels  devoted  to  telecasting  of  high  quality educational programs through 34 DTH channels on 24x7 basis, to reach out to student/learners of India in a most cost effective manner using two GSAT-15 transponders. It aims to support those students who do not have good learning options like lack of teacher or internet etc.

- (e)  Significant  digital  initiatives  such  as  DIKSHA  for  School  Education,  SWAYAM,  SWAYAM Prabha,  Virtual  Lab  for  Higher  Education,  are  undertaken  for  imparting  supplementary teaching to build a resilient mechanism for education. SWAYAM has a unique feature of Credit Transfer under which upto 40% credits can be earned in a conventional programme through successful completion of courses on SWAYAM platform.

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