Lok Sabha Question No. 89 (STARRED), answered on 2021-07-26
Subject: Girls Education during Pandemic
Ministry: Education
Asked by: Locket Chatterjee

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

## LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION No. 89 TO BE ANSWERED ON 26.07.2021

## Girls Education during Pandemic

## *89.      MS. LOCKET CHATTERJEE:

Will the Minister of EDUCATION be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government has assessed the damaging impact on girls' education during lockdown due to the COVID-19 situation;
- (b) whether the Government is aware that for online studies, the girls' access to computers or smart phones at home is limited; and
- (c) if so, the measures taken/being taken by the Government to address this issue keeping in view the economic crisis being faced by the people due to COVID-19 Pandemic?

## A N S W E R

## MINISTER OF EDUCATION (SHRI DHARMENDRA PRADHAN)

(a) to (c): A statement is laid on the Table of the House.

## STATEMENT  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PART  (a)  TO  (c)  OF  LOK  SABHA STARRED  QUESTION  NO.  89  TO  BE  ANSWERED  ON  26.07.2021  ASKED  BY MS.  LOCKET  CHATTERJEE,  HON'BLE  MP  REGARDING  GIRLS  EDUCATION DURING PANDEMIC.

(a): Education being in the concurrent list of the Constitution, majority of the schools are under the domain of respective State and UT Governments. A sample survey was conducted in the month of July, 2020 for schools of Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan (KVS) and Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti (NVS) by the Department. Subsequently, further surveys were conducted in early 2021 regarding availability of various forms of digital devices with children. NVS has reported 92.5% and KVS has more than 98% of students having full or partial access to some digital device. Subsequently, NCERT  has  prepared  'Alternative  Academic  Calendar'  and  'Students'  Learning  Enhancement Guidelines'. The guidelines suggest models for the following three types of scenarios to ensure that no child is deprived of reach of education and are available at Education Ministry's and NCERT's website:-

- a) Learning Enhancement during COVID-19 for students without digital devices;
- b) Learning Enhancement during COVID-19 for students with limited accessibility to digital devices &
- c) Learning Enhancement during COVID-19 for students with digital devices.

States/UTs were again advised vide letter dated 01.02.2021 to conduct survey of children with access and without access to digital devices and also the special efforts made for the girl child.

(b) to (c): The complexity and diversity of digital penetration in India could make it possible that children  in  rural  areas  including  girls  have  inadequate  access  to  computer  or  smart  phones.  A comprehensive  initiative  called  PM  eVIDYA  has  been  initiated  as  part  of  Atma  Nirbhar  Bharat Abhiyaan on 17th May, 2020, which unifies all efforts related to digital/online/on-air education to enable multi-mode access to education. The initiative includes:

- DIKSHA  (one  nation,  one  digital  platform)  is  the  nation's  digital  infrastructure  for providing  quality  e-content  for  school  education  in  states/UTs  and  QR  coded  Energized Textbooks for all grades are available on it.
- One earmarked Swayam Prabha 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.

Several measures have been taken by the State and UT Governments amid the economic crisis faced by the people due to COVID pandemic. States/UTs have prepared educational content in  the  form  of  audios  and  videos  and  telecasted  on  local  Radio  and  TV  channels  or  YouTube Channels. Bridge course material, workbooks, text books etc along with digital devices have also been  provided  to  help  the  students.  Mobile  applications  with  pre-loaded  content  have  been developed. Also alternate academic calendar has been made for home based learning. Regular home visits  have been made by the teachers/volunteers and Mohalla classes or Community classes etc. have been conducted to support education.

Further,  due  to  COVID  pandemic,  since  schools  were  closed,  all  enrolled  children at  elementary  level  were  provided  Food  Security  Allowance  comprising  of  food  grains  and  dry ration of pulses etc.