Digital India Initiative: Promises it Holds for Indian Education

It’s high time the system be reformed to make learning productive and fruitful for our kids. One reason why we lag behind on the global education landscape is because a majority of our youth, particularly rural, has little or no access to modern and high-tech education solutions, which have changed the way knowledge is perceived.

Let me begin by throwing some light on the Indian education system. For most schools in our country, education means teaching students what is written in their textbooks. They don’t seem to put good thought in the more important aspect of the same – practical utility of what is being taught. The very purpose of learning is defeated when students are unable to put the acquired knowledge to practical use, or can’t think of ways how to apply the logic and concepts learned in school in real-life scenarios.

It’s high time the system be reformed to make learning productive and fruitful for our kids. One reason why we lag behind on the global education landscape is because a majority of our youth, particularly rural, has little or no access to modern and high-tech education solutions, which have changed the way knowledge is perceived.

The Digital India initiative taken up by the Indian government aims to bridge the gap between the rural and the urban masses. The initiative promises to transform India into a digitally empowered society and knowledge economy by way of technological upgradation, widespread, high-speed Internet access, social media, among other benefits. Digitizing education is bound to make the Indian education system more interesting and accessible, thereby reducing dropout rates.

Most teachers have a tough time keeping students engaged, especially during Maths and Science classes. Digital learning makes education fun and engaging by making use of pictorial graphs, pictures, etc.  Many a time, there are concerns with teaching methodologies, or, to put it another way, how a teacher instructs children.

Digital learning solves this problem, too. Multimedia education standardizes lessons and helps maintain the quality of teaching, irrespective of the teacher being good at the subject being taught.  It has been estimated that if India wants to achieve a GDP growth of 8%, it needs to build skilled and educated human capital. Here are a few ways how we aim to achieve this growth:

• Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) – An online course aiming at widespread access through web and unlimited participation is called a massive open online course. The Ministry of Human Resource Development has announced its first set of MOOCs. This can prove to be a meaningful way of improving higher education enrollment.
• Breaking monotony of bookish knowledge – Indian Education system bears the brunt of restricting the students to bookish knowledge. The Digital India Initiative taken up by the government holds promise to break through the monotony of study cycles.
• Better communication – Educators in India are relying on faster means of communication to spread knowledge.
• Evolving education system – With the ever increasing influx of technology in our day-to-day lives, the usage of smartphones and tablets is making us more aware of the ways in which our education system can be evolved.
• Effectiveness of the initiative – Initiatives like National Optical Fibre Network have helped us communicate more effectively and efficiently. This will act as a backbone of this initiative.

Educators in India feel that the Digital India Initiative will lead to improvement in the quality of learning. Rather than being stuck to colorless books, the use of presentations, articles, etc. will make education much more fun.  “It is not knowledge, but the act of learning, not possession but the act of getting there, which grants the greatest enjoyment.” There has been a drastic change in this sector within our country, as it is, which is why educators feel hopeful for its success.

Education is one indispensable tool for personal and professional growth. In the course of our lives, we come across many moments when we realize the importance of education. Nelson Mandela said, “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” With the Digital India Initiative, the education sector in India is set to reach its high-water mark.

Here is a low-down on some of the benefits of digital education:-

1. Time Management – With digital education, a student can adjust his learning process according to his timeline. He/she can flexibly fix his/her schedule as per convenience.
2. Uniqueness of learning – Students can choose to learn  topics according to their interests and requirements.
3. Fun learning – Digital learning makes the process of learning much more interesting than usual textbook/classroom learning, and hence keeps them engaged.
4. Transparency – Parents can keep a  track of what their children are learning and at what pace.
5. Accessibility – Access to the Internet enables students to cut down on traveling time. It also allows them to continue their studies at home and can be a boon for students who are lagging behind.
6. Cost effectiveness – Digital learning is far cheaper than buying textbooks.
7. Eco-friendly – Digital education cuts down on paperwork since everything is available as a soft copy on our computers/smartphones.
8. Equality of Education – Digital education is open for all and hence promotes equality in education.