Question : e-Classroom

(a) whether the Government is aware of the fact that the students of the rural areas of the country are still being deprived of better quality education;

(b) if so, whether e-classes have been introduced in the schools, particularly in Uttar Pradesh keeping in view the Digital India Initiative;

(c) if so, the details thereof; and

(d) whether the Government has received representations from various organisations and the Members of Parliament regarding allocation of funds for extension of such classes in other schools of the country and if so, the details thereof, State-wise ?

MINISTER OF HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT
(SHRI RAMESH POKHRIYAL ‘NISHANK’)

(a): The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act, 2009 lays down the duties of the appropriate Government and the local authority to ensure that good quality elementary education conforming to norms and standards is provided, curriculum and courses of study are prescribed in a timely manner, and teachers are trained. In order to focus on quality education, the Central RTE Rules have been amended on 20th February, 2017 to include reference on class-wise, subject-wise Learning Outcomes. The Learning Outcomes for each class in Languages (Hindi, English and Urdu), Mathematics, Environmental Studies, Science and Social Science up to the elementary stage have, accordingly, been finalized and shared with all States and UTs. These serve as a guideline for States and UTs to ensure that all children acquire appropriate learning level.
(b) to (d): In order to provide digital access, there is a provision for setting up of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) laboratories in Government and Government aided schools for classes VI to XII under the Centrally Sponsored Scheme of Samagra Shiksha.
For easy access of e-contents, platforms like Digital Infrastructure for Knowledge Sharing (DIKSHA) (https://diksha.gov.in/), National Repository of Open Education Resources (NROER) (http://nroer.gov.in/welcome) and E-Pathshala (http://epathshala.nic.in/, http://epathshala.gov.in/) are available.
In Uttar Pradesh, ICT labs for 4000 Government and Government aided Secondary schools have been approved under erstwhile scheme of Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyaan (RMSA), now subsumed under Samagra Shiksha. In addition to these, ICT programme for 949 Upper Primary Schools and Smart Classrooms for 509 Secondary Schools have been approved under Samagra Shiksha.
All States & UTs submit their proposals for various intervention including ICT labs, smart classes etc. in their Annual Work Plan & Budget (AWP & B) proposals under Samagra Shiksha which are considered and approved in consultation with the concerned State/UT.

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