Union Budget 22: PM e-vidya Scheme To Bridge Gaps In Rural Areas
The importance placed on digitization, budget after budget, shows the inclination the Union government has towards utilizing technology as a tool for development. This being used in education will only help in making the Indian education system on par with that of the developed nations. The emphasis laid on digital education by the Finance Minister and the Union government is proof of the country heading in this direction.
Post pandemic, the world has seen how technology and its use in digitisation have brought all under one roof. The education sector is not alienated from the silent revolution technology has brought to the schools and the youth. The acknowledgement of the loss of formal education of the students especially from the government schools due to the pandemic induced lockdown is welcoming. The lack of economic stability during the pandemic in the society affected those from the weaker economic sections. Such students could not afford the luxury of digital education, but with the acknowledgement comes the expectation that the Union government has taken the 1st step in the right direction to ensure that these children do not lose their future due to lack of education.
The noteworthy initiatives announced by the government include the e-learning digital platforms that would be launched for consumption by students from rural and economically weaker sections. One TV for one class and expansion of Swayam Prabha TV under PM eVidya scheme from 12 to 200 channels including regional languages from class 1 to 12 is an exponential plan that would greatly benefit those who have not been able to access education continuously. The 750 virtual maths and science labs, and 75 skills e-labs for vocational courses to help the critical thinking ability will help students in being on par with the development the market is witnessing.
Another commendable proposition made by the FM is the infusion of the expertise of foreign universities to strengthen the fintech and mathematics education in the Indian education system. With the Make In India and Aatma Nirbhar Bharat initiatives, the Indian market is looking to expand to various dimensions in the global market. But to ensure a strong foundation and a self-sustaining structure this step taken by the government is necessary. Also, establishing the digital university at par with the global learning standards in various Indian languages will blur the disparity between urban and rural education. This will also ensure that the extensive and untapped talent pool in India will be utilized by every sector in the near future.
In my opinion, aggressive initiatives to promote and collaborate with private players might help the government to reduce further loss of education for the students from economically weaker backgrounds. This is necessary considering that it is nearly impossible for the government to reach every nook and corner of the country with a vast majority needing affordable education. Instead of a divided approach where the efforts of the government and private players are dispersed, a united approach will ensure the strengthening of the education sector in India for all.
The overall budget, did not provide much required reforms for private education players, especially for the K12 segment. The private sector bore the maximum brunt of the pandemic and the budget did not give any relief in terms of GST exemption or special provision for private schools to borrow funds from banks at concessional rates. Since this much required and anticipated from this budget, therefore it was a bit disappointing to notice the FM did not factor these in her Budget planning. However, we appreciate all the other initiatives chalked out by the FM as an effort to bridge the deep digital divide in education system which accelerated due to the pandemic.
