Lok Sabha Question No. 5192 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-04-03
Subject: National Digital University
Ministry: Education
Asked by: Rajveer (Raju Bhaiya) Singh, Ajay Kumar Mandal, Raja Amareshwara Naik, Ranjeetsingh Naik Nimbalkar, Locket Chatterjee, Navneet Ravi Rana, Devji Mansingram Patel, Aparajita Sarangi

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 5192 ANSWERED ON 03.04.2023

## National Digital University

5192.  SHRI RAJVEER SINGH (RAJUBHAIYA): SHRIMATI APARAJITA SARANGI: SHRIMATI NAVNEET RAVI RANA: MS. LOCKET CHATTERJEE: SHRI RAJA AMARESHWARA NAIK: SHRI DEVJI M. PATEL: SHRI AJAY KUMAR MANDAL: SHRI RANJEETSINGH NAIK NIMBALKAR:

Will the Minister of EDUCATION be pleased to state:

- (a) the objectives of the National Digital University and the number  of students that are likely to be benefited  therefrom  across  the  country  along  with  the  funds  allocated  and  spent  for  the  said University;
- (b) whether  the  Government  has  taken  note  that  internet  is  still  not  accessible  to  the  marginalised people in the country;
- (c) if  so, the details of policy formulated by the Government to make higher education accessible to more and more such people;
- (d)  whether the Government proposes to provide free digital devices to pursue an online education to the vulnerable communities in the country;
- (e) if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor; and
- (f) the efforts made/being made by the Government to deal with the problems of the students like lack of digital literacy and their limited access to digital instruments?

## ANSWER

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

- (a)  The Government of India, in its Budget Announcement 2022-23, has announced establishment of Digital  University.  It  will  provide  access  to  students  across  the  country  for  world-class  quality universal education with personalised learning experience at their doorsteps. The salient feature of the  Digital  University  is  a  networked  hub-spoke  model,  with  the  hub  building  cutting  edge  ICT expertiseby partnering withvarious top institutions such as IIT-Madras, Delhi University, IIT-Delhi,

IIT-Kharagpur, etc. Multiple stakeholder consultations with experts and representatives drawn from private & Government in the domain of education, technology etc, statutory regulatory bodies such as  University  Grants  Commission  (UGC)  and  All  India  Council  of  Technical  Education  (AICTE), National  Institute  of  Electronics  &  Information  Technology  (NIELIT),  National  Institute  of  Open Schooling (NIOS), etc. are being organized to finalize the key recommendation for operationalizing the Digital University in 2023.

NMEICT  Phase  III  Scheme  approved  on  1 st   February,  2022  till  2025-26,  is  being  leveraged  to implement  the  Hub  &  Spoke  model  for  Digital  University.  The  annual  allocation  for  2022-23  for NMEICT was Rs 400 Crore and the expenditure till date is Rs. 395 Crore.

(b) & (c) To make education accessible to all students including marginalized segments, numerous initiatives  are  being  undertaken.  To  ensure  the  reach  of  educational  contents  to  all  including  the marginalised people, various initiatives such as Multi-lingual content, accessible Learning Management System, linking peer learners to create strong learning communities and synchronised, experiential learning by blending multi-modal education through SWAYAM, SWAYAM PRABHA TV CHANNELS etc. has been planned.To provide internet accessibility to Higher Education Institutions (HEIs), 1 Gbps NKN (National Knowledge Network) connectivity is being provided to large number of HEIs.

(d)  to  (f)  The  National  Education  Policy  (NEP)-2020,  inter  alia  states  that  digital  literacy  is imperatives  for  curriculum  and  highlights  the  need  to  make  available  educational  software  in  all major Indian languages to make it accessible to a wide range of users including students in remote areas. Education is in the concurrent list of the Constitution and majority of the schools, colleges and universities are under the domain of respective State and UT Governments. The State Governments have been advised to act based on the situation prevailing at every place to meet the demands of students  and  teachers  for  providing  them  with  the  digital  access  required  for  teaching  learning digitally. As part of ICT and Digital Initiatives component of Samagra Shiksha, ICT Labs and Smart Class rooms are sanctioned in the Government Schools having classes VI to XII. Under the centrally sponsored scheme of Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA), inter alia, funds are provided under  the  components  of  infrastructure  grants  to  universities/  colleges  which  can  be  utilised  by beneficiary institutions for various activities including improving their ICT facilities.

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