Context :
Consider
dedicated edu channel, radio programmes for students amid pandemic: Bombay HC
to Centre
( Indian Express / 02 Aug 2021 )
Extract :
Ø THE BOMBAY High Court told Monday the Centre, through the
Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, to consider setting up a dedicated
television channel and radio programmes so that students, including specially
abled children, particularly in rural areas, do not suffer due to lack of
internet connectivity during the pandemic.
Ø The court pointed out that there were several TV channels for
entertainment and movies and asked the I&B Ministry why it couldn’t
consider a dedicated education channel for students, including hearing and
visually impaired pupils.
Ø “Why cannot there be full-fledged devoted channels for
education, not only for specially abled students but for those who have
suffered? We have to go back to old technology now as the network issue will
continue,” the bench said. It sought the central government’s response on the
matter by August 5.
Ø The court suggested that the National Council of Educational
Research and Training (NCERT) counsel Rui Rodrigues get in touch with the
Ministry officials for considering a dedicated education channel for all
students during the pandemic and also asked the Centre and the state governments
to explore the option of imparting education through Doordarshan and Akashvani.
Ø “We have Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha TV channels. In future, the
judiciary may also live stream hearings. Why cannot we have a channel for
education? There are hundreds of channels for movies and entertainment, not one
for education. We cannot have only colleges, schools and no academics. People
in rural areas might not have funds to buy smartphones, but they need to get
access to education, especially during a pandemic,” the bench said.
My Take :
Ø Digitized
India ?........................................ [ 12 July 2020 ]
Extract :
Ø 27 crore ( 270 million ) students are unable to attend classes due to
lockdown
Ø 20 crore ( 200 million ) Indian households have TV sets
Ø Hence, all Indian States should follow the example set by Maharashtra and
launch TV
channels for each
Ø Disadvantage of TV Channel-based “ lectures “ is that these are one-
way monologues.
There is no “ dialogue “ between teacher and students ( No questions /
answers
–
taught )
Ø This is why ZOOM / GOOGLE MEET / JIO-MEET are preferred ( since
interactive )
Ø But, to use these platforms ( for online education
purpose ) require :
# Internet-enabled
device ( a Computer / Tablet / Big Smart phone )
# Internet
connection ( Broadband Cable / Fibre or Wi-Fi )
[ A ] …..How can we make available device (
FREE or at nominal cost ) ?
Fortunately
, Shri Prakash Javdekarji has taken following timely initiative :
HRD seeks Rs 60,900 crore for giving laptops to college
students
Extract :
The Union Human Resource Development ministry…… plans to
launch a
60,900 crore scheme to provide laptops/devices to over 4 crore college
students over the next five years, to bridge the digital divide. [ 80 lakh / year ]
The plan for laptops comes at a time when the education system is faced with the
challenge of running nearly an entire academic session in online mode due to
Covid-
out due to the lack of access to computers and internet.
The higher education department has proposed to launch from 2021-22 a scheme
for
estimated to be 4.06 crore in five years
The ministry proposes to start
with distributing laptops / tablets of about Rs 15,000
Of this, Rs 13,500 crore is expected
to be borne by the Centre and the remaining Rs
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I urge Shri Prakash Javdekarji ( HRD Minister ) to consider my following proposal
as a
Let Central Government float a global tender for pre-owned desktops ( in working condition and less than 5 years old) for 100 million units (10 crore ).
I think we could get for Rs 2500
each ( at total cost of Rs 25,000 crore ).
Deliveries could be spread over 24 months
[ B ]……How to
provide FREE internet connections to ALL households ?
Government may not be in a position to provide a FREE connection – at
least till our economy is fully back on the track
And no one can expect the Private Sector companies to provide FREE
connections
I urge the government to evaluate and urgently implement, one of the following options :
In my following blog / email,
( 08 April 2018 / https://myblogepage.blogspot.com/2018/04/wifi-lifi-broadband-internet.html ),
I reported :
“ The
Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has mooted a concept of open
architecture-based public Wi-Fi grid to
bring down the cost of internet by 90 per cent.
By
doing so, it will allow small entrepreneurs such as tea stalls, grocery shops
and vendors to set up and maintain access points.
Device
manufacturers, payment companies, ISPs / telcos and consumer internet companies
can provide the remaining pieces to set up public data offices (PDOs),
it said on Thursday “
==================================================
With regards,
Hemen parekh
/ hcp@RecruitGuru.com / 11 Aug
2021