India/June 20, 2022/By Mihir Merchant/Source: https://www.republicworld.com/

On May 17, 2020, the Ministry of Education launched the PM eVIDYA as a part of the Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan, utilising technology to minimise learning losses.

The Department of School Education and the Ministry of Education gained UNESCO recognition for its use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) during the COVID-19 pandemic, as part of a holistic effort called PM eVIDYA.

On May 17, 2020, the Ministry of Education launched the PM eVIDYA as part of the Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan, which integrates all activities linked to digital/online/on-air education, to offer multi-mode access for delivering education by using technology to minimise learning losses.

The Central Institute of Education Technology (CIET), a constituent unit of the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) under the Department Of School Education and Literacy (DOSEL), Ministry of Education (MoE), Government of India, has been awarded the UNESCO King Hamad Bin Isa Al-Khalifa Prize for the use of ICT in Education for the year 2021, according to a statement released by the Ministry of Education.

This award honours creative ideas to utilising new technology to improve educational and lifetime possibilities for all people, in accordance with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Goal 4 on Education.

The Ministry of Education, through CIET, NCERT, has been diligently and tirelessly designing, developing, and disseminating a large number of eBooks, eContent – audios, videos, interactives, and augmented reality content, Indian Sign Language (ISL) videos, audiobooks, talking books, etc.- with a mandate to deploy affordable technology to enhance the educational opportunities for all, to augment the quality of education, and to bring equity into the educational system in the country.

The CIET was proactive in taking learning to the doorstep of the children through the extensive, resilient, ethical and coherent use of 12 PM eVidya DTH TV channels and nearly 397 radio stations, including community radio stations under the PM eVidya programme. These efforts turned out to be really fruitful in reaching out to the students, especially during the time of the COVID pandemic when schools were shut.

More about the King Hamad Bin Isa Al-Khalifa Prize

The Prize, which was established in 2005 with the backing of the Kingdom of Bahrain, honours individuals and organisations who execute great initiatives and support the innovative use of technology to improve learning, teaching, and overall educational performance in the digital age.

Every year, an international jury selects two outstanding projects. During a ceremony at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris, each award winner receives US$ 25,000, a medal, and a diploma. This year’s ceremony will be held on June 24, 2022.

(With inputs from ANI)

Image: Representative, ANI

Source: https://www.republicworld.com/education/news/indias-use-of-technology-in-school-education-as-part-of-pm-evidya-wins-unesco-prize-articleshow.html