A Lesson From India

Context: The Indian education system has been successful in overcoming the former and catching hold of the latter by demonstrating remarkable resilience.

Key Initiatives displaying resilience of Indian education during the pandemic

• Artificial Intelligence (AI)-enabled tools: to assess students and ensure time-bound delivery of results.
• Multimodal access to education: through PM eVidya, which benefitted nearly 25 crore school goers.
• National digital infrastructure: like DIKSHA for teachers, SWAYAM Prabha for e-learning through DTH channel, SWAYAM MOOC (Massive Online Open Courses) and radio broadcasting.
• Psychosocial support (i.e. mental health and emotional well-being): through Manodarpan initiative, for students, teachers and families.
• Digital capacity-building of teachers: through NISHTHA (National Initiative for School Heads’ Teachers’ Holistic Advancement).
• Education continuity: through Alternative Academic Calendar (AAC), PRAGYATA (Plan-Review-Arrange-Guide-Yak (talk)-Assign-Track-Appreciate) guidelines, India Report on Digital Education 2020, and learning enhancement guidelines and ‘Shiksha Samvad’.
• Research and innovation: (in IITs and IIMs) to provide personal protective equipment kits, masks, ventilators and sanitisers, not only for Indians but also for export.
• Introduction of National Education Policy (NEP): to develop as a knowledge superpower and reclaim the status of vishwaguru by introducing the following features in NEP-
  • Academic bank of credit.
  • Common admission test for central universities and multiple entry-exit in top 100 institutions.
  • Multidisciplinary courses in the Institutions of Eminence (IoEs).
  • Establishment of National Education Technology Forum (NETF) and National Research Foundation (NRF).