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Follow UsNEW DELHI, INDIA: The Government of India will offer low-cost, power efficient devices and free bandwidth to students, under the ambitious ‘National Mission in Education Through ICT’, unveiled in the Outcome Budget for 2008-`09
An amount of Rs 502 crore has been allocated for rolling out various schemes under this project. Rs 50.20 crore has been earmarked for the mission’s schemes in the northeastern region.
The mission will focus on the identification and nurturing of talent and lifelong learning, development of knowledge modules to address to the learners’ personalized needs, having right content to take care of their aspirations and delivery of content through ICT.
To deliver the benefits of ICT-enabled learning including academic, vocational and life skills, the mission will focus on six challenge areas.
This is to achieve technological breakthrough in the field of very low-cost, low-power consuming access devices and free bandwidth for every Indian, and research in pedagogical techniques and development of pedagogically efficient learning modules for the entire spectrum of learners.
Quality content
“Standardization and quality assurance of content to make them (content) world class and research in the field of virtual reality laboratories are to be undertaken. Techniques and strategies for imparting digital literacy to every Indian, and creation of virtual technological university will be other initiatives,” the policy document said.
The mission will also attempt to build knowledge network between and within institutions of higher learning in the country with a view to achieving critical mass of researchers in any given field.
It will also entail certification of competencies of the human resources acquired through formal or non-formal means as also to develop and maintain the database having profile of human resources.
About 75 centres will be funded in the national mission, which will undertake development of e-contents including curriculum-based videos and Web courses for various classes and subjects.
“The centres will work on standardization of quality assurance and formatting of contents already available or being generated and pedagogical research for enhancing efficiency of learning modules. Funds will also be provided for research for development of very low cost, low power-consuming access device, spreading Digital Literacy, and creation of virtual reality laboratories for practical exposures,” the document said.
Conversions of content available in beta format videotapes to digital format will be undertaken.
“Evolution of standards for setting up Virtual Technical Universities will be worked out along with stabilizing a system for electronically disbursing college and university level scholarships,” it said.
Open Universities
The State Open Universities will be included in the mission and ten per cent funds will be provided to the universities.
“The funds will be for providing improved connectivity for Indian students to the “Knowledge world” in cyberspace. To make them netizens, Enhancement of their self learning skills; development of their competencies for on-line problem solving and learning,” the document added.
Though the scheme is yet to be approved, a draft memo for expected financial contribution has been circulated.
The government will conduct final evaluation of the project by March 2009-end.
However, implementation is subject to the judgment of the Supreme Court and approval of proposals by competent authority.
Commonwealth of Learning
The Indian government will also promote another project to provide education through distance learning among commonwealth nations with focused attention as activities pertaining to development of instructional material, use of ICT and training.
About Rs four crores is to be allocated as India’s commitment towards the Commonwealth of Learning (COL), an International agency.
(jaik@cybermedia.co.in)