One of the fundamental principles of the NEP, 2020 lay emphasis on extensive use of technology in teaching and learning, removing language barriers, increasing access for Divyang students, and educational planning and management. NEP also stipulates use of technology planforms such as SWAYAM/DIKSHA for online training of teachers will be encouraged, so that standardised training programme can be administered to large number of teachers within a short span of time. In the matter of regulation of education sector, use of technology extensively is recommended so as to reduce human interface to ensure efficiency and transparency. The underlaying principle is faceless and transparent technology intervention.

In Chapter 23, NEP 2020 stipulates the need of integrating digital technology in all levels of education. One of the leading suggestions of the NEP 2020 is to establish a National Educational Technology Forum (NETF) to build intellectual and institutional capacities in educational technology. NEP 2020 also stressed upon the need for proliferation of online education to ensure equitable access to education through digital public infrastructure, online teaching, and platform tools, creating digital repositories, creating virtual labs and simulations, exploring blended learning method, and focusing on teacher training.

Institutes have an instrumental role in preparing the children for the transition to work by providing access and opportunities to paths to decent and productive employment. Digital skills can be seen as a tool to empower the learner of the country with capability and opportunity to breakthrough against poverty.

To leverage the power of digital education and to build capacities of not only the students, but also the teachers, the Government of India has formulated the following regulations which have shown promising results:

• Open and Distance Learning Programmes and Online Programmes, Regulations, 2020 was issued on 04.09.2020 and further amended on 01.07.2021 and 18.07.2022. The regulation aims to lay down the minimum standards of instruction for the grant of degrees at the undergraduate and post graduate levels and grant of post graduate diploma, through Open and Distance Learning mode and Online mode.
  
  1. 95 HEIs (71 recognized and 24 Category-I HEIs) are recognized entitled to offer 1149 ODL programmes.
  2. 66 HEIs are recognized / entitled to offer 371 online programmes.
  3. More than 19 lakhs learners benefitted.
• Credit Framework for Online Learning Courses through Study Webs of Active Learning for Young Aspiring Minds Regulations, 2021 was issued on 25.03.2021 to allow students to take up to 40% of the total courses in a particular programme in a semester, through the online credit course on the SWAYAM platform.
  
  1. 288 Universities have adopted SWAYAM Courses for Credit Transfer.
  2. Around 86 lakhs learners are registered in the Jan 2022, July 2022 and Jan 2023 semester.
  3. More than 5 lakh students are taking exams and getting certified on SWAYAM in every year.
• Technology enabled Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) based Solutions for Governance of HEIs starting from Admission to Grant of Degree is being used by 1249 Univ. & HEIs covering in 27 States and 4 UTs. 7 State Higher Education departments are also onboarded.

It is envisioned that in short term to enable open and distance learning we need to leverage the private sector for large-scale high-quality, inclusive online content creation, such as multi-sensory input/output, and deliver through digital platforms/universities, such as DIKHSA/SWAYAM by 2030. And by 2047 it is targeted to streamline digital access by expanding access to digital universities and develop high-quality teaching-learning resources in all formats, including print, audio, video, digital, AR, VR, Haptics, etc. in all spoken languages, delivered through easily open digital platforms.

It is also envisioned that by 2030 the number of students enrolled in Digital University / ODL /Online Students to be increased to 1 crore from the present 10 lakhs and by 2047 to achieve the target of 3 crore. Similarly, use of technology for Administration & Governance of Universities / SAMARTH be increased to 50% of Universities / HEIs from the current 8% and by 2047 it should be in use in 100% of Universities / HEIs.

12.1 Expected Outcomes of the Session

• Understanding the importance of digital tools in empowerment and capacity building of learners
• Exploring methods of adopting digital education technology in the pedagogy of the institutes
• Streamlining institutional management through ERP software, especially SAMARTH and exploring methods to increase the adoption
• Guiding principles for establishing online and distance learning programmes as well as online degree programmes – discussion of methods, success stories, key learnings
• Awareness about adoption of SWAYAM courses by Universities /HEIs

12.2 Roadmap for the Institutes

• Digital transformation in education is not only confined to teaching learning processes but also to entire process of governance and institutional management which includes academic and administrative data integration, dashboards and analytics with real-time data, and interoperable and secure ecosystem that facilitates data driven decisions and policy making at all levels.
• In this direction, several schemes and initiatives by the Ministry of Education have been administered in the school and higher education. For example, National Mission in Education through ICT (NMEICT) with its focus on using ICT interventions to bolster enrolment rates in higher education aims to create and deliver quality content to students through Sakshat portal, undertake digital literacy for teacher empowerment, provide e-books & e-journals through digital libraries that are accessible to students from open universities and AI backed ERP and e-Governance for education.
• A comprehensive initiative called PM e-VIDYA for school education that unifies all efforts related to digital education such as DIKSHA, Swayam Prabha, e-Pathshala, radio & community podcasts enable multi-mode access to education to the last mile. This has the potential to make different types of content accessible on different devices (TV, mobile device, etc.) and in various places of learning (classroom, smart classroom, community centre, through volunteers/mentors and through personal devices).
• Launched in 2021, National Digital Education Architecture (NDEAR) aims to bring together a compendium of digital standards for education to cross leverage ecosystem capabilities and catalyse innovation in school education, higher education, and skills; allowing ecosystem players to contribute to education like never before.
• Close-collaboration between stakeholders including government, policymakers, civil societies, academia, start-ups, industry, and NGOs will be crucial for accelerated impact of the same in the country. It will also help in collaborative action and allow for calibration by leveraging the expertise offered by the institutions outside of Governments.
• Solutions addressing the challenges of Access to digital infrastructure (device & connectivity), quality digital content, technology-integrated curriculum, contextual learning materials, and lack of digitally literate teachers & trainers can be explored.