(a) whether digital skills are crucial in the post - Covid era by training the jobless, modernise institutions and include cutting-edge technologies in university curricula;
(b) if so, the details thereof and steps being taken/ results yielded; and
(c) the steps being taken by the Government for a digital push in for healthcare which has potential to advance medicine and health for all, State-wise and expenditure incurred?
(a) and (b) Yes Sir, Digital Skills are crucial in the post Covid era to ensure skilling for the youth and also to address the requirements of Industrial Revolution 4. Directorate General of Training (DGT), under the Ministry plays a key role in the implementation of long term training schemes including training in the latest cutting edge technologies. DGT has entered into an MOU with IBM in June 2020 for Free Digital Learning Platform “Skills Build Reignite” to reach more Job Seekers and provide new resources to Business Owners in India. The Skills Build Reignite aims to provide job seekers and entrepreneurs, with access to free online coursework and mentoring support designed to help them reinvent their careers and businesses. Multifaceted digital skill training in the area of Cloud Computing and Artificial Intelligence (AI) is provided to students & trainers across the nation in the National Skill Training Institutes (NSTIs). The Ministry of Education has launched an initiative ‘YUKTI 2.0’ in June 2020 to help systematically assimilate technologies having commercial potential and information related to incubated start-ups in the higher education institutions.
(c) The Government of India has taken various steps for digital push in healthcare in the form of eSanjeevani” and “eSanjeevani/OPD”. The eSanjeevani platform has enabled two types of telemedicine services viz. Doctor-to-Doctor (eSanjeevani) and Patient-to-Doctor (eSanjeevani OPD) Tele-consultations. The former is being implemented under the Ayushman Bharat Health and Wellness Centre (AB-HWCs) programme. It is planned to implement tele-consultation in all the 1.5 lakh Health and Wellness Centres (as spokes) in a ‘Hub and Spoke’ model, by December 2022. States have identified and set up dedicated ‘Hubs’ in Medical Colleges and District hospitals to provide tele-consultation services to ‘Spokes’, i.e SHCs and PHCs. As on date, 12,000 users comprising Community Health Officers and Doctors have been trained to make use of this national e-platform. Presently, telemedicine is being provided through more than 3,000 HWCs in 10 States.In a short span of time since November 2019, tele-consultation by eSanjeevani and eSanjeevaniOPD have been implemented by 23 States (which covers 75% of the population) and other States are in the process of rolling it out. National telemedicine service has completed more than 1,50,000 tele-consultations enabling patient to doctor consultations from the confines of their home, as well as doctor to doctor consultations.