PM eVIDYA

As a result of Covid-19, education is one of the most affected areas. Due to the unexpected lockdown and widespread pandemic, students could not physically attend schools. Not just that, those residing in villages and remote areas could not access online education either. Keeping this in mind, the Finance Minister, Ms Nirmala Sitharaman, launched the PM eVIDYA initiative for students in May 2020.

To give superior education to students, a variety of online models are being offered through this platform. This article will provide you with comprehensive information on this programme, including its aim, benefits, characteristics, eligibility, required documents, application method, and so on.

Overview of eVIDYA

About PM eVidya

PM eVidya, also referred to as a one-nation digital platform, is a distinctive and creative initiative by the Ministry of Education, Government of India, to provide students and instructors with multimode access to digital or online teaching-learning content.

Under this strategy, the top hundred institutions in the country began teaching students through online education on May 30, 2020. It consists of six components, four of which are related to school education, and two are for higher education.

The programme can be found on Swayam Prabha's official website. PM eVIDYA has established a customized radio podcast and a television channel to assist students who do not have internet connections so that their education is not disrupted.

Objectives of PM eVIDYA

The initiative was created to assist teachers and students affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. The following are the objectives of Prime Minister eVIDYA's scheme:

• The programme was developed to protect the education sector against the COVID-19 pandemic.
• eVIDYA scheme encourages the use of digital platforms to deliver lessons online.
• It intends to give e-learning information for various disciplines and courses.
• The programme also prepares students for a variety of competitive tests.

Benefits of PM eVIDYA

Students and instructors benefited greatly from the introduction of the PM e-VIDYA initiative. Jotted down below are some of the significant benefits of this scheme:

• Online classes are simple to attend.
• There is a variety of e-learning resources available on the platform.
• Students who do not have access to the internet can attend their lessons via a DTH channel that is completely dedicated to education.
• Students can attend lessons while staying back at home.
• All courses have QR-coded books, making it easier for students to access the textbooks without doubts or issues.
• There is a distinct feature to educate blind or deaf students.

Implementation of PM eVIDYA

The government developed an online PM eVIDYA portal named Swayam Prabha, a set of 34 DTH channels, to ensure the scheme's implementation. Every day, the channels broadcast educational programming. DIKSHA, another portal, was created for school-level education.

It provides study materials for each subject based on the school curriculum. Aside from that, various radio shows, podcasts, and community radio sessions were planned. Listed below are models of the PM eVidya scheme:

Swayam Prabha Portal

The Swayam Prabha is a set of 34 DTH channels dedicated to broadcasting high-quality educational programming 24x7 through the GSAT-15 satellite. Every day, there is fresh content for around 4 hours, which is replayed five times a day, allowing students to select the most convenient time for them.

All channels of the Swayam Prabha Portal are regulated by Bhaskaracharya Institute for Space Applications and Geoinformatics (BISAG), Gandhinagar. Some of the organizations that provide educational opportunities on this channel are:

• National Programme on Technology Enhanced Learning (NPTEL)
• University Grants Commission (UGC)
• Consortium for Educational Communication (CEC)
• Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU)
• National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT)

Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) and the National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS) create programming broadcasted on various channels. The Information and Library Network (INFLIBNET) Centre manages the web portal's maintenance.

Digital Infrastructure for Knowledge Sharing (DIKSHA)

On September 5, 2017, the Hon'ble Vice President of India formally launched Digital Infrastructure for Knowledge Sharing. DIKSHA (one nation-one digital platform) will now serve as the nation's digital infrastructure for Offering excellent e-content in school education to all states and Union Territories (UTs).

DIKSHA is a configurable platform that instructors are presently utilizing from both government and private institutions around the country to assist students in understanding a variety of concepts across all standards.

For user convenience, the portal is available in a variety of languages. Students can access NCERT, NIOS, CBSE books and related topics online through this platform. By scanning the QR code on the app, students can access the portal's course.

Radio, Community Radio and Podcast Learning

The government plans to establish educational web radio streaming and audio for educational purposes so that visually impaired students or those who do not have access to other forms of instruction can receive an education. These radio podcasts will be distributed via the Mukta Vidya Vani and Shiksha Vani podcasts.

E-Content for Special Children

People with impairments will use the National Institute for Open Schooling's website. The portal will provide students with:

• Keyboard assistance
• Ease of navigation
• Display settings
• Content readability and organization
• An alternate explanation for photos
• Audio-video description

Competitive Exams Online Coaching

The Not in Education, Employment, or Training (NEET) Department of Higher Education has established provisions for online learning for different competitive examinations such as IIT. The department has planned a series of lectures to help students prepare for competitive exams. There are 193 physics videos, 218 math movies, 146 chemistry films, and 120 biology videos on the portal.

Abhyas has created a mobile app for exam preparation. This app will post one exam for preparation in both English and Hindi every day. The lectures will be aired on the Swayam Prabha channel in preparation for the IITPal. Channel 22 will be designated for this purpose.

Eligibility Criteria for eVIDYA

Here is the description of the eligibility criteria for students applying for the eVidya programme. Have a glance and check whether you are eligible or not.

• Students studying in top universities like IITs, IIMs, eminence institutions, and national institutes can apply to attend digital classes.
• Those students who are enrolled in conventional courses can take lessons online.
• Students pursuing diplomas, engineering degrees, and other higher education degrees are not permitted to enrol in classes under this plan.

Documents Required for Online Registration

Registering for courses online has made the entire process easy and less cumbersome. While registering on the eVidya portal, ensure you have the following documents on hand to complete the registration easily.

• Aadhar card
• Identity proof
• Passport size photo
• Ration card
• Income proof
• Residence proof
• Mobile number

PM eVidya Registration

To register for the PM eVIDYA online, follow the steps below:

• Go to Swayam Prabha's official website.
• Click "Registration."
• On the screen, you will find a signup form. You will have to add your details, such as email address, contact number, password, category, and captcha code.
• Click Signup

You have now enrolled on the site to receive daily information on future events and topics in your selected category.

Important eVidya Portals and Applications

For the scheme's successful implementation, the government has launched the following portals and applications:

• eVIDYA - eVidya education is an online personalized portal assisting you in passing your institutional and competitive tests. It comprises a variety of tests, contests, quizzes, worksheets, movies, study material, etc.
• eVIDYA Vahini - It is an integrated digital platform built by the government of Jharkhand to deliver e-learning to its students.
• Rank Guru eVIDYA - Rank Guru eVIDYA is learning software that makes learning interesting by utilizing numerous contests, quizzes, movies, etc.
• eVIDYA Hub - This is an online learning platform for digital marketing, website design, social media marketing, and other topics.
• e-BIDYA KKHSOU– It is an integrated digital learning management system for students of Krishna Kanta Handiqui State Open University (KKHSOU).

Some Important Information About e-Vidya Scheme

To take advantage of the PM eVidya Program, it is critical to first understand the scheme and its related information. Listed down are points jotted down for better understanding:

• From 1st to 12th grade, there will be a single dedicated channel for each class, referred to as 'one class, one channel.'
• Swayam Prabha DTH channel will be launched for all courses, allowing students who do not have internet access to learn.
• Through the channel Manodarpan, calls will be launched to help students, teachers, and families with their mental health and emotional well-being.
• For all classes, Diksha, an e-content and QR-coded electrified textbook will be introduced for states and union territories.
• It has made private DTH companies such as Tata Sky, and Airtel 2-year education video 200 new textbooks will be added to the e-pathshala.
• The National Foundational Literacy and Numeracy Mission will be launched in December 2020 to ensure that every child achieves Learning levels and outcomes in grade 5 by 2020.
• A new national curriculum and pedagogical framework for schools, early childhood education, and instructors will be introduced, which will be integrated with global and 21st-century skill needs.
• The experts will conduct live interactive sessions from their homes through Skype.

Cost Associated with eVidya Programme

There is no cost associated; it is free of cost. There are no expenses associated with watching any channel on the Swayam Prabha DTH channel.

PM eVidya Channel

All the 12 PM eVidya channels are available on DD Free Dish and Dish TV. The details for all the 12 channels are as below:

  Other DTH operators offering some of the e-Vidya channels are listed below:

Airtel

Tata Sky

Den

Videocon

e-Vidya Support Helpdesk

You can reach for support either by phone at +91 79-23268347 from 9:30 AM to 6:00 PM or by sending an email at swayamprabha@inflibnet.ac.in.

The Bottom Line

PM eVidya is one step in promoting digital education in the country and making e-learning more accessible to students and teachers. Students and instructors would have multimode access to digital education. They'll no longer be obliged to be physically present to receive an education because they can do it from the comfort of their own homes. This, in turn, will save a significant amount of time and money while also increasing system transparency.