Delhi CM launches ‘Make India No. 1’ scheme, calls for focus on education and healthcare

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August 18, 2022

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, on Wednesday, launched a national mission called ‘Make India No 1’ at Talkatora Stadium, Delhi. According to the chief minister, to accomplish this mission, providing free education and healthcare to citizens, employment to youths, equal rights and dignity to women, and fair price to farmers for their products is needed.

Addressing the gathering on the occasion, he urged 130 crore citizens of the country to join the mission and help make it a success. The initiative aims to make India the number one country in the world and calls on all citizens and political parties to join it.

In his statement, the CM mentioned, “We have to make India the number 1 nation in the world, once again. We are beginning a national mission called ‘Make India No.1’ today. Every citizen of this country has to be connected to this mission.”

Even after 75 years of Independence, Kejriwal claimed that the country still lags behind several nations that gained independence much later. He further added that 27 crore children go to school every day and India can become the No. 1 country in the world only if provided with quality education for free of cost.

“It has been 75 years of independence. In these 75 years, we achieved a lot, India gained a lot but there’s anger, a question among people that several small nations who attained independence after us, surpassed us…Why did India lag behind? Every citizen is asking this. We will have to open schools in every nook and corner of the country, no matter how much money we spend. Once we provide good education, children will go on to become doctors, engineers, etc., and make the country rich eventually,” he added.

Furthermore, the CM claimed that providing every individual with free healthcare services is the need of the hour and thus will travel across the country, encouraging people as part of the mission. “The life of every Indian is very important to us. For this, it is important to open hospitals, mohalla clinics, and dispensaries in every corner of the country,” he said.

Moreover, asserting that the mission is apolitical in nature, he urged the Union government to utilise the Delhi government’s expertise for improving school education and healthcare facilities across India. “This is not the mission of a political party, it’s a national mission. I call upon the BJP and all other parties to come forward and join this initiative to make India the number one country in the world. We are ready to work with the Centre to improve health services and education. I also request the Centre to stop calling them freebies,” the CM said during an online press conference.

There is a need to launch government schools on a large scale, improve them, regularise guest teachers, and train teachers for children’s future. Then India can become a ‘rich country,’ the chief minister stated.

After JEE-NEET-CUET merger, Govt. to merge accreditation & ranking bodies

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August 17, 2022

The Union Government is working to merge the accreditation body National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) with the ranking body the National Board of Accreditation (NBA). This move of the Government follows its successful proposal to merge national-level engineering and medical entrance tests of the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) Main and National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) with the Common University Entrance Test (CUET-UG).

The Government has set up a six-member committee to study the methodology of accreditation of NAAC, NBA and the ranking system of the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) and identify ways to merge NAAC and NBA to form one system for accreditation and ranking, a key feature of the new National Education Policy launched by the Center in 2020.

The Union Education Ministry has commenced the process to create a single accreditation and ranking system in India by setting up the committee under the leadership of Bhushan Patwardhan, chairman, executive committee, NAAC.

Apart from Patwardhan, who was also the former vice-chairman, UGC the committee includes Indranil Manna, vice-chancellor, Birla Institute of Technology, Mesra in Ranchi; K.N. Ganesh, professor, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Tirupati; Dr Surender Prasad, former director, IIT Delhi; B.J. Rao, vice-chancellor, Central University of Hyderabad and Dr Manju Singh, joint secretary, UGC. Besides, Dr Singh will also be the coordinator of the committee.

The NAAC is a single government-authorized agency for accrediting colleges and universities, while NBA can only accredit institutions for technical education. Besides, NBA is also the in charge of releasing higher education institutions’ ranking i.e. NIRF annually.

This is a significant step taken by the government which comes against the backdrop of a recent announcement by UGC (University Grants Commission) chairman, Jagadesh Kumar on merging the NEET and JEE Main with CUET-UG. Besides, the Centre is also working to merge All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) and UGC into a single overarching higher education regulator the Higher Education Commission of India or HECI.

The NEP 2020 has suggested, “setting up a meta-accrediting body” addressed as the National Accreditation Council (NAC). Currently, according to a source, “accreditation and ranking of higher educational institutions take place through multiple agencies and frameworks, which operate independently of each other. We have the National Board of Accreditation (NBA) that accredits technical programmes, while the NAAC accredits non-technical or general programmes. There is the National Institute of Ranking Framework (NIRF), which ranks all the higher educational institutions in India.”

The source further stated, “The NEP envisages the creation of NAC, a body which will ensure the synchronized working of these bodies and align them to NEP goals.”

The committee of the six members selected by the Ministry of Education will study the methodology of NAAC, NBA, and the ranking system of the NIRF for accreditation. To ensure smooth communication between the bodies, apart from preparing a framework to align the three to form the proposed NAC, the committee will recommend a suitable mechanism.

As per the NEP, “accreditation of institutions will be based primarily on basic norms, public self-disclosure, good governance, and outcomes, and it will be carried out by an independent ecosystem of accrediting institutions supervised and overseen by NAC.”

“The task to function as a recognized accreditor shall be awarded to an appropriate number of institutions by NAC. In the short term, a robust system of graded accreditation shall be established, which will specify phased benchmarks for all HEIs to achieve set levels of quality, self-governance, and autonomy,” according to the NEP.

“Online learning has enabled access to education from any part of the world”

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digitalLEARNING Network

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August 17, 2022

Educational institutions around the world with good quality education are booming with the emergence of technology. Time and technology are proven to be a big game changers nowadays. Technology is playing its cards well in the education landscape. Edtech is also one such platform that is transforming the world of education with multimedia innovation. The privilege that got delivered with edtech is that it makes education possible for even people who can’t think of learning be it differently-abled people, homemakers, people of older age, or kids during the pandemic. Edtech is opening an entirely new edge of learning for every age group and every professional.

With the growing spectrum of online learning and the massive ecosystem of e-learning, Elets News Network interacted with Gaurav Vohra – Chief Business Officer, UNext Learning. Edited excerpts:

How is EdTech redefining education for differently-abled people?

The education system in India has been trying to accommodate differently-abled students with several policies and programmes. Lack of accessibility, flexibility and equity are a few problems they face in traditional education. A 2019 report by UNESCO suggests that three-fourths of the differently-abled children in the country aged five years don’t attend school. Additionally, the number of dropouts among students with disabilities is high in India.

Here’s where EdTech comes as a blessing for differently-abled children. The advent of cutting-edge technologies has led the EdTech sector to offer a slew of solutions to give accessible education to differently-abled children. By introducing innovative solutions, EdTech players are trying to improve the accessibility of education to empower these children. Children with special needs can attend classes from the comfort of their homes and do not have to travel or relocate. Inclusivity is one of the pivotal factors that comes along with online education. When children with disabilities attend classes with other children, they feel included, and it bridges the psychological gap between them.

What are the important measures to guarantee accessible technology for all students?

For sustainable growth, it is pertinent to bridge the digital divide in countries like India, where a huge population is yet to access the internet. This is crucial for the expansion of online education too. A 2021 study by Azim Premji University found that 60 per cent of school children in India do not have internet access, especially when the Covid-19 pandemic led to a forced shutdown of schools. The pandemic also contributed to school dropouts.

Here are some measures that ensure that there is no digital divide-

Fast internet service – The government initiatives to expand the internet services will help students from interior parts of the country to access online education without trouble.

Digital literacy programs – Some students today lack technological skills. Teachers and educators can initiate digital literacy programs to help them catch up on pivotal tech skills.

Mobile first learning – Nowadays, all that a student needs is a smartphone to attend classes. Online education involves mobile-first learning, which consists of short, bit-sized micro lessons that students can easily access through their smartphones.

Create downloadable content – Making notes available on a platform where students can download or view them offline helps with round-the-clock access to material.

These features and measures will guarantee accessible technology to students from all backgrounds and ensure a seamless online education experience.

Also read: Online learning trends to keep an eye on as the education landscape changes

Why is online learning gaining popularity?

Thanks to the internet, online learning has enabled access to education from any part of the world. As long as one has access to a laptop or smartphone connected to the internet, it is possible to access learning as desired. Here are some of the reasons why online learning is gaining popularity.

1. Flexible learning – Online learning enables flexibility for teachers and students. Students can attend classes at any given time and study at their own pace.

2. Accessibility – Online learning has predominantly broken the barrier of distance. Students can attend classes from the comfort of their homes. Not only that, the cost-effective nature of online education makes it more desirable for learners these days.

3. Customised learning experience – Students can get access to various learning materials such as photos, videos and e-books to refer from. The customisation option allows students to continue target-based learning rather than finishing a complete program to earn a relevant certificate.

4. Adaptive learning – The EdTech platforms are using technology to accomplish adaptive learning in order to address the cognitive diversity of learners. The intellectual capacity of learners varies from individual to individual. Traditional learning compels students from all cognitive levels to learn the same content. Using cutting-edge technologies such as AI, machine learning, neural networks, and deep learning, EdTech solutions can identify the cognitive capacity of students, and recommend tailor-made content and learning paths.

How is online learning becoming more cutting-edge and improving this experience?

Educational institutions across the world are providing quality education with the help of cutting-edge technology.

Augmented reality is a technology that superimposes learning materials over real-world views. These virtual elements can be in the form of text, audio, video, photos, 2D illustrations or virtual 3D clips.
Virtual reality technologies allow students to experience destinations from across the world. It helps students understand complex subjects effectively and boosts their creativity.
Artificial intelligence and machine learning are widely being used in digital learning platforms. It helps provide students with personalised learning and automates the routine tasks of teachers. However, it is still early days for AI in online learning, and its adoption will only increase in the coming days.
Gamification is another emerging model in online education. Students can pursue their courses and compete with others like they do when they play other games. It gives the learners real-time updates on their learning progress and encourages them to learn more.

Class X students with basic maths can study maths as a subject in class XI: CBSE

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August 17, 2022

Class 10 students who chose ‘Mathematics Basic’, an easier version of the subject, to select maths as a subject in Class 11 for the academic session 2022-23 as well, as per CBSE’s updated guidelines.

According to the original concept, the only students who select “Mathematics Standard” in place of “Basic” in class 10 are qualified to study math at the junior college level. However, the board waived that requirement in 2021 and has opted to keep it that way for another year, describing the Covid pandemic as a stressful scenario for students.

A principal of the CBSE school said, “Less than 5% of students opt for ‘Mathematics Basic’. In fact, there are many schools where the option is not available at all. It’s good to have it as a choice for students, but the concept never really took off.” The reason that it did not become very popular with students is the curriculum, say, teachers.

“NEP will give strength to people to be free from slavery”: PM’s I-Day speech

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August 17, 2022

Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his speech on Independence Day said, the new National Education Policy (NEP) places a strong focus on the skills that will empower people to break free from servitude.

“I look with hope the way the new National Education Policy has been formulated with a lot of brainstorming, with the exchange of ideas from various people and is at the core of the country’s education policy,” the prime minister said, in his address from the Red Fort’s ramparts on the 76th Independence Day.

“The skill that we have emphasized is such a power which will give us the strength to be free from slavery,” he further said.

The 2020 NEP, which was approved by the Union Cabinet, replaces the 1986-framed National Policy on Education, which had been in place for 34 years. Its goal is to pave the way for radical changes to the school and higher education systems that will turn India into a superpower in the field of knowledge.

In his address on 76th independence day, Modi said, “This Digital India movement of developing semiconductors, entering 5G era, spreading the network of optical fibres is not just to establish ourselves as modern and developed, but it is possible because of three intrinsic missions. The complete transformation of education eco-system, revolution in health infrastructure and improvement in quality of lifestyles of the citizens will be possible only through digitalisation.”

One entrance for NEET, JEE; UGC to introduce CUET

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August 17, 2022

A proposal to incorporate the engineering and medical entrance exams into the Common University Entrance Test-Undergraduate is being developed by the University Grants Commission (CUET-UG).

M Jagadesh Kumar, chairperson, UGC told that as per the proposal, instead of appearing for the four subjects — physics, mathematics, biology, and chemistry — in three entrance exams, students can take the exam once and be eligible for and explore different fields of study. The higher education regulator is working out a committee to deliberate with diverse stakeholders to reach a consensus.

“The proposal is, can we integrate all these entrance examinations so that our students are not subjected to multiple entrance examinations based on the same knowledge base? The students should have one single entrance examination, but multiple opportunities to apply among the disciplines,” said Kumar.

The three major entrance tests in the nation, which are taken by almost 43 lakh hopefuls, are the engineering entrance “Joint Entrance Examination (Main),” the medical entrance “National Eligibility cum Entrance Test-Undergraduate,” and now CUET-UG. Most students show up for at least two of these tests, if not all of them. For the JEE (Mains) exam, candidates must take physics, chemistry, and mathematics, while biology is substituted for mathematics in the NEET UG exam. These topics are included in the 61 domain subjects for the CUET-UG.

The objective of the proposal, Kumar said that students should not undergo the stress of multiple examinations while they’re being tested in the same set of subjects.

“Typically, what are the programmes that are available? Some students may like to go into medicine or engineering. If they don’t get into either, many will in general education. So is it possible to have only one CUET for all disciplines? The students who would like to go into engineering their marks in mathematics, chemistry, and physics can be used as a ranking list and similarly for medicine. If they don’t get into medicine or engineering, under CUET they will still have the opportunity to join different programmes using the same marks of either mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology and so on. So therefore, by writing once, in these four subjects, students can try for different opportunities.”

The commission is focusing the move from the point of simplifying the logistics for the aspirants as well as the National Testing Agency (NTA).

“The difficulties of setting up the computing facilities in so many centres are the other side. Sometimes, as you have seen in CUET-UG, students are not offered their first choice, forcing them to travel a little further to write than they would have otherwise. It might become considerably simpler from the NTA’s perspective in terms of logistics if you reduce the number of tests. Additionally, unique sets of test questions must be created for JEE, NEET, and CUET. For all of these topics, we can only have one set of exam questions at this time, added Kumar.

UGC is looking at building a consensus via deliberations among the stakeholders for the “single examination” so that candidates can be given the opportunity to write it twice a year. “The first one can happen after the Board exams and another one in, say, December,” Kumar further added.

The School of Business, Woxsen University, establishes International Advisory Board

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digitalLEARNING Network

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August 17, 2022

Hyderabad, 22nd July, 2022: The School of Business, Woxsen University announces the establishment of an International Advisory Board (IAB), comprising renowned experts from diverse backgrounds, disciplines and industry. The IAB will be a prominent body providing expert advice and value-driven insights on key strategic activities and initiatives towards the pedagogy of the University.

The International Advisory Board has been tasked with making concrete suggestions on advancing the international recognition of the school and help develop the quality of its educational output on international standards. It brings together fifteen highly experienced, senior representatives and experts from eminent international Industry, Public Sector, Academics and Research Organizations. They will play a pivotal role in providing practical guidance, critical analysis and assistance in relation to the organization’s industrial approach & help ensure Woxsen’s graduates are prepared for the real-world of business.

The body will convene bi-annually to assess the progress of School of Business. Besides its active involvement in building a stronger international dimension in curriculum, research and teaching methodology, the board will promote student success, learning and development on a global level.

The International Advisory Board Members for School of Business, Woxsen University:

The International Advisory Board consists of Heads of Departments & Alumni of Leading Universities with Global FT Ranking and Triple Crown, Representatives of International Accreditation Bodies and Woxsen University Alumni. This will facilitate cooperation with reputed universities across the globe for collaborative academic and research programs.

Dr. Cobus Oosthuizen
Dean, Milpark Business School

Dr. Logan Rangasamy
Academic Director, Wits Business School, University of Witwatersrand

Ms. Savana Pires
Head of International Relations, Porto Business School

Dr. Morris Altman
Dean & Chair Professor of Behavioural and Institutional Economics & Co-operatives, School of Business, University of Dundee

Dr. Joseph Altarriba
Associate Dean for Education and Academic Affairs, UPF Barcelona School of Management

Dr. Bruno Henrique Rocha Fernandes
Dean, PUCPR, Brazil

Dr. Raj Devasagayam
Dean, Monmouth University

Dr. Ali Taleb
Associate Dean for Research, International & Community Engagement
MacEwan University School of Business

Dr. Dima Rachid Jamali
Dean, College of Business Administration, University of Sharjah

Dr. Krisztian Szucs
Vice Dean General, University of Pecs

Dr. MaryAnne Hyland
Dean- Robert B. Willumstad School of Business, Adelphi University

Mr. Pranay Kumar Pokala
Alumnus, Woxsen University

Ms. Anushka Johari
Current Student (MBA 2023), Woxsen University

Mr. Nishit Jain
Senior Special Advisor – EFMD Asia, EFMD

Mr. Roman Pastoors
Alumnus, HHL Leipzig Graduate School of Management

Dr. John Anchor
Associate Dean (International), The University of Huddersfield

Dr. Anicia Jaegler
Associate Dean for Inclusivity, Kedge Business School

Mr. Vivek Kalia
Head of Business Operations- India & South Asia, Airbus

About Woxsen University, Hyderabad: Woxsen University, located in Hyderabad, is one of the first private universities of the state of Telangana, India. Renowned for its 200-acre state-of-the-art campus and infrastructure, Woxsen University offers new-age, disruptive programs in the fields of Business, Technology, Arts & Design, Architecture, Liberal Arts & Humanities. With 80+ Global Partner Universities and Strong Industry Connect, Woxsen is reckoned as one of the top universities for Academic Excellence and Global Edge. Woxsen is Ranked #13, All India Top 150 B-Schools by Times B-School Ranking 2022, Rank #16, All India Top Pvt. B-School, Business World 2021 and features in India’s Best B-Schools beyond IIMs by Dalal Street Investment Journal.

Youth: Forerunner of the future & the way ahead

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August 12, 2022

The torch bearer of future developments and nation-building, youth has all the power to spearhead the changes needed in the constantly evolving world. Commemorating the youth’s excellence and their unbreakable courage, we have marked the 22nd anniversary of “World Youth day”.

On December 17, 1999, the UN General Assembly endorsed the recommendation made by the World Conference of Ministers Responsible for Youth, and International Youth Day was formed. From the first time celebrating it in August 2000, we have destined it for a long. Ever since then, youth is bringing value addition & societal alteration for the better. The major purpose of the UN while formulating this special day was to look at the challenges and problems faced by youth.

After the stagnant two years through the pandemic, youth is facing some major challenges in the education sector. The entire dishes on the platter of the education arena are altered. Now, the world is looking forward to educators not only as preachers of context but also as industry experts who can reskill, and upskill the students for a future-ready workforce. Youth can be a pertinent part to direct this entire changing landscape to end at a promising vista.

On the occasion of “World Youth Day”, Sheeba Chauhan of Elets News Network(ENN) interacted with a few industry leaders to get some enlightening insights. Edited Excerpts:

CP Gurnani, Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer, Tech Mahindra, said, “The pandemic has further underscored the dire need to seek transformational change towards a more sustainable tomorrow. I firmly believe that young minds across the globe have the power to lead this evolutionary change. We are currently living in the era of purpose and youth is our ‘Parth Saarthi’, navigating the chariot of the economy around undulating bends. They can shoulder the responsibility of creating a new world that is resilient and sustainable. From time immemorial, their intellect and undefeatable spirit have anchored nations to safety in troubled situations.

On this International Youth Day, I urge young minds to vigorously engage their passion, ability, aptitude, and intellect in gaining relevant skills to lead the change from the front and remain in sync with the innovation-driven world. I also call upon the industry, academia, and the government to collaborate to provide the perfect mix of ‘industry-ready’ skill sets to the youth that can empower them to become job generators rather than job seekers. A collaborative approach is a key to addressing the skill gap for the creation of a new tomorrow.”

Rajiv Bhalla, Vice President of Sales, Large Video Wall Experience, Barco APAC said, “India’s most treasured asset is its youth population, our demographic dividend in terms of the youth population is a key factor that is expected to propel economic growth, innovation, drive culture, and diversity. The large youth population offers great workforce and entrepreneurship opportunities in domestic and international markets contributing significantly to digital natives and new age skills. The attractive proposition of youths in India can provide a host of services to several countries in various sectors such as disruptive technologies, IT, pharmaceuticals, healthcare etc. The current working Indian population presents multiple unique and interesting possibilities for our nation’s future, in terms of economic growth, social mobility, and diverse cultural fabric. This International Youth Day let’s pledge to enable our youth with new age technologies, encourage learning and acquisition of skills, creating a technology-powered world aimed at achieving global sustainability and driving social impact.”

Agendra Kumar, Managing Director, Esri India, said, “The youth are the embodiment of energy, positivity, creativity and an innovative spirit. They possess huge potential in solving the most difficult challenges of the world, provided they are given the right direction and training at the right time. The significance of geospatial technologies in creating a more sustainable world for everyone cannot be stressed enough, and as a leader in GIS software and solutions, we are strongly inclined to inculcate the necessary knowledge and skills in the youth so that they can make a measurable impact in the future. Along with working with 800+ universities, we strive to empower the youth with technical competence through unique initiatives like the Esri India Young Scholar program, GeoInnovation, etc. A major part of our workforce comprises of young talent, and by nurturing them, we hope to make a significant contribution towards building a stronger digital India.”

Eupheus Learning & AWS join hands to launch ‘NEP STAR School’

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August 12, 2022

Edtech startup Eupheus Learning, the largest school-focused distribution platform in India, has partnered with Amazon Web Services (AWS) to launch a new initiative, ‘NEP STAR School’.

The Eupheus Learning-AWS collaboration is aimed at enabling schools to seamlessly implement digital solutions.

As part of the initiative’s pilot phase, the edtech company intends to establish a 21st-century learning environment in 400 schools in over 110 cities.

India has recently marked two years of the National Education Policy (NEP), which ushered in a number of innovative reforms in the education sector, with the integration of technology into education being a key highlight of the policy. This also led to the rise in edtech companies across the country with a focus on different aspects of the Indian education system. Reports suggest that the education market in India is expected to grow from $117 Bn in FY20 to $225 Bn by FY25, according to the data.

Through this initiative, the homegrown edtech company, which has a reach of over 20,000 schools, is aimed at providing existing user schools with a comprehensive platform comprising content, learning management systems (LMS), and enterprise resource planning (ERP) under a single sign-on.

Additionally, to make the task simple for all stakeholders viz., students, teachers, school management and parents, the company is working to offer a unified, one-stop solution.

Talking about the initiative, Sarvesh Srivastava, Founder and Managing Director, Eupheus Learning said, “NEP STAR School initiative aims at upgradation for schools on multiple levels — learners will benefit from integrated content and educators with teaching aids; technology will enable play-based and experiential content, and automation will help create efficiency around routine tasks like marking attendance of students and assigning homework.”

He added, “Importantly, the initiative will help achieve a more positive impact on the learning outcomes through an integrated progress report for students, rather than relying only on assessments and examinations.”

All participants under the ‘NEP STAR School’, will receive hands-on support for better learning outcomes; improvement through the use of technology in the efficacy of school operations thereby creating benchmarks for other schools in terms of usage of technology for administrative work, learning, school management as well as teaching.

The Edtech is certain that this initiative will lead to the successful implementation of the NEP mandate at schools, help in tracking and improving the overall learning environment.

Eupheus Learning has the largest content offerings for schools and gives them a platform that helps boost learning outcomes while automating the school’s operating system.

The Eupheus Learning’s platform is powered by a range of cloud services from AWS. It’s operating system (OS), learning environment and financial system run on Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud (Amazon EC2) offering scalable compute capacity. While SchoolMitra, which provides schools with an easy-to-use web and mobile application, leverages Amazon Cognito for the purpose of authentication, authorisation, and user identity management.

While the content delivery for Eupheus Learning is powered by Amazon CloudFront, a content delivery network (CDN) service built for high performance, security and developer convenience, the Amazon Simple Notification Service (SNS) provides it with a scalable, secure and cost-effective service for all the mobile application notifications sent by the edtech platform to its users.

Sharing his thoughts on the initiative, Sunil PP, Lead—Education, Space, and Nonprofits, Amazon Internet Services Private Limited, AWS India and South Asia said, “By participating in the ‘NEP STAR School’ initiative, schools can leverage digital technologies to develop more immersive and engaging learning experiences for their students and teachers, enable smarter decision-making, and run administration operations more effectively and efficiently.”

UGC & MeitY join hands to launch an e-resources portal for rural students

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August 10, 2022

The Ministry of Information and Technology (MeitY) and the University Grants Commission (UGC) have now partnered to launch a UGC e-resources portal, which will provide UG and PG digital course content to millions of students in rural areas.

The portal will provide 25 Postgraduate Non-Engineering Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) in eight Indian languages including Hindi, Gujarati, Marathi, Bangla, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Tamil, under SWAYAM (the Study Webs of Active-Learning for Young Aspiring Minds) programme.

Additionally, it will include 135 PG and 243 UG SWAYAM MOOCs in emerging fields, as well as e-PG Pathshala e-content that is developed in 67 PG subjects.

The initiative’s objective is to reduce language barriers and promote Indian languages while also giving students the flexibility to learn in their mother tongue.

UGC stated, “To mark two years of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and to facilitate last mile accessibility (ensuring that no learner is left behind), the UGC has integrated its ‘UGC e-resources Portal (http://ugceresources.in/)’ with Common Service Centres (CSCs)/Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) of MeitY in rural India.”

“Through the 2.5 lakh, CSCs and SPVs of MeitY centres in Gram Panchayats and 5 lakh+ CSCs and SPVs centres across the nation, digital access and e-governance services are made available to the citizens at their doorstep, especially those who are living in rural India” the notice further stated.

“Anyone desirous of learning can access and benefit from these Open Educational Resources (OER). Also, universities may utilise these OER for flipped classroom learning and blended mode of learning,” it further added.

Recently, UGC and the MeitY collaborated to integrate UGC e-resources with their Common Service Centers (CSC) and Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) Centers, enabling last-mile connectivity.

Besides, learners can use these resources to augment their studies in regular programmes. Moreover, the resources can be used along with the Academic Bank of Credits, to earn credits online, which UGC has already approved.

While there are more than 5 Lakh CSCs/SPVs centres operating across the country, there are only about 2.5 Lakh CSCs/SPVs centres operating in Gram Panchayats.

Additionally, anyone can access the courses on the UGC platform for free. A user must pay a price of INR 20 per day or INR 500 per month to access the CSC/SVP infrastructure in order to reimburse the virtual learning environment (VLE) for their efforts and the cost of their infrastructure.

Various courses will be available on a single portal and students can immediately access all of these courses through CSC/SVPs run all around the nation or on their own devices with internet connectivity.

In particular for individuals who live in rural India, CSCs work to provide every citizen with access to the internet and make e-government services available at their doorstep.

Ayushman Bharat Yojana, PM Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana, e-Shram, Pan Card, Pradhan Mantri Shram Yogi Maandhan Yojana (PMSYM), and numerous other government initiatives are similar to this and working towards the growth of rural India.

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