Lok Sabha Question No. 145 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-07-22
Subject: Digital Education Services in Schools
Ministry: EDUCATION
Asked by: Shri Putta Mahesh Kumar, Shri Krishna Prasad Tenneti, Shri Magunta Sreenivasulu Reddy

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF EDUCATION

## DEPARTMENT OF SCHOOL EDUCATION AND LITERACY

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 145

## ANSWERED ON 22/07/2024

## Digital Education Services in Schools

## 145. SHRI PUTTA MAHESH KUMAR:

## SHRI KRISHNA PRASAD TENNETI:

SHRI MAGUNTA SREENIVASULU REDDY:

Will the Minister of EDUCATION be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government has introduced any scheme / project / initiative to increase the use of Digital education services in schools across the country;
- (b) if  so,  the  total  number  of  schools  which  are  covered  under  such  scheme  /  project  / initiative during the last five years, State-wise, especially in Andhra Pradesh;
- (c) total number of schools that have been recognized for necessary infrastructure support for digital  education  services  during  the  last  five  years,  State-wise,  especially  in  Andhra Pradesh;
- (d) whether  the  Government  has  carried  out  any  promotional  /  awareness  campaign  for increasing use of Digital Education services in schools; and
- (e) if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION (Shri Jayant Chaudhary)

- (a) to  (e)  As  per  the  National  Education  Policy  (NEP)- 2020, the thrust of technological interventions  are  to  improve  teaching-learning  and  evaluation  processes,  remove language barriers, support teacher preparation and professional development, enhance educational access for Divyang and to streamline educational planning, management, and administration including processes related to admissions, attendance, assessments, etc. (NEP 2020, Technology Use and Integration).

To  achieve  the  objectives  of  NEP  2020,  a  comprehensive  initiative  called  PM  eVIDYA is underway which unifies all efforts related to digital/online/on-air education to  enable  multi-mode  access  to  education.  This  will  benefit  nearly  25  crore  school going children across the country.

The key components of this initiative are: -

-  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).
-  DTH TV Channels - As per the Union Budget announcement for Financial Year 2022-23, the 12 DTH Channels have been expanded to 200 PM e-VIDYA DTH TV Channels to enable all States/UTs to provide supplementary education in various Indian languages for classes  1-12.  The  channels  have  been  allocated  to  the  States/UTs  and  are  operational. Andhra Pradesh has been allocated 5 DTH Channels.
-  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. This is available on NIOS website/ YouTube.

To  promote,  crucial  and  critical  thinking  skill,  a  vertical  on  Virtual  Labs  has  also  been created  on  DIKSHA platform. 280 Virtual  Labs  for  Science  and  Mathematics  for  subjects Class  6 th to  12 th have  been  made  available.  Training  on  Virtual  labs  has  been  conducted through PM eVidya DTH TV channels for teachers and teacher educators across the country.

Further,  ICT  and  Digital  initiatives  component  of  centrally  sponsored  scheme  of  Samagra Shiksha  covers  Government  and  Aided  schools  having  classes  VI  to  XII.  Under  this component financial assistance is provided for establishing ICT Lab and Smart Classrooms in schools.

Under  Samagra  Shiksha,  ICT  component  envisages  covering  all  Government  and  Aided schools from classes VI to XII, subject to the availability of budgetary provision. Financial assistance is provided for establishing ICT Lab and Smart Classrooms in schools. The nonrecurring/recurring grant under 'ICT and Digital Initiatives' is available to the States and UTs

The total number of schools which are covered under such scheme / project / initiative during the last five years is as below:-

| States/UTs Name                        |   ICT Labs Approval (From 2020-21 to 2024-25) |   Smart Classrooms Approval (From 2020-21 to 2024-25) |
|----------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------|
| ANDAMANANDNICOBAR ISLANDS              |                                            28 |                                                     0 |
| ANDHRA PRADESH                         |                                          2687 |                                                  5190 |
| ARUNACHAL PRADESH                      |                                           291 |                                                   243 |
| ASSAM                                  |                                          3132 |                                                  6416 |
| BIHAR                                  |                                             0 |                                                  4846 |
| CHANDIGARH                             |                                            35 |                                                   186 |
| CHHATTISGARH                           |                                          1734 |                                                 10318 |
| DADRA AND NAGAR HAVELI and DAMANANDDIU |                                            98 |                                                   190 |
| DELHI                                  |                                             7 |                                                  1119 |
| GOA                                    |                                             3 |                                                    24 |
| GUJARAT                                |                                           728 |                                                  7078 |
| HARYANA                                |                                           620 |                                                  3520 |
| HIMACHAL PRADESH                       |                                           995 |                                                  2248 |
| JAMMU AND KASHMIR                      |                                          1512 |                                                  3338 |
| JHARKHAND                              |                                          3859 |                                                  1270 |
| KARNATAKA                              |                                          1123 |                                                  1868 |
| KERALA                                 |                                             0 |                                                   509 |
| LADAKH                                 |                                           119 |                                                   123 |
| LAKSHADWEEP                            |                                             0 |                                                     0 |
| MADHYAPRADESH                          |                                          1801 |                                                  7934 |
| MAHARASHTRA                            |                                           637 |                                                  3501 |
| MANIPUR                                |                                           272 |                                                   544 |
| MEGHALAYA                              |                                           267 |                                                    25 |
| MIZORAM                                |                                           651 |                                                   238 |
| NAGALAND                               |                                             0 |                                                   690 |
| ODISHA                                 |                                           302 |                                                  7336 |
| PUDUCHERRY                             |                                            16 |                                                   145 |
| PUNJAB                                 |                                          1881 |                                                  3885 |
| RAJASTHAN                              |                                          2988 |                                                 12627 |
| SIKKIM                                 |                                            99 |                                                   301 |
| TAMIL NADU                             |                                          9115 |                                                  7044 |
| TELANGANA                              |                                          1086 |                                                  3982 |
| TRIPURA                                |                                           773 |                                                   886 |
| UTTAR PRADESH                          |                                          5565 |                                                 26746 |
| UTTARAKHAND                            |                                           240 |                                                  2511 |
| WEST BENGAL                            |                                          1361 |                                                     0 |
| Total                                  |                                         44025 |                                                126881 |

Source: PRABANDH

The  digital  initiatives  are  promoted  by  various  autonomous  bodies  through  various  print, social media activities, focused outreach activities including participation in forums such as G-20 3rd Education Working Group Meeting Future of Work Exhibition, Tech4ED Expo and

Conference 2023, G-20 Education Working Group Meeting 'Ensuring Foundational Literacy and Numeracy  especially in context of  Blended Learning', Akhil Bhartiya Shiksha Samagam-3rd Anniversary of NEP, First Techno Mela-2023, Teacher Training Programme on  use  of  CLAP  (Continued  Learning  Access  Project)  mobile  vehicle,  Baal  Mela  at Children's Park, 69th Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) Adhiveshan, 50th National Children's Science Exhibition, Bharat Parv-2024, World Book Fair New Delhi, India Summit on Education Knowledge Exchange.

Further, States/UTs are advised to undertake outreach activities for various digital initiatives as per their requirements.

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