India has embraced the Modi government’s Digital India initiative and not to be left behind, human resource development ministry has launched a number of mobile apps and web-based platforms. These applications allow students to access study material online, and parents to keep a track of the performance and attendance of their children.

An event in Delhi showcased various ICT based initiatives in school education. During the event, e-pathshala, saaransh, and national programme on school standards and evaluation Framework (Shala Siddhi) were launched. All these are web portal/ mobile app. Further, shala darpan, MDM-IVRS and Ekta project from Alwar, Rajasthan were also show-cased. Students at the event shared their excitement about these apps which promise to make learning more interesting, school bags lighter and books available on the go.

E-pathshala, a web portal which hosts educational resources for students, teachers, parents, researchers and educators, is available through especially developed mobile app interface on Android, IOS and windows platforms for wider access and contains textbooks and other e-books as e-Pub 3.0 and flipbooks in English, Hindi and Urdu.

HRD minister Smriti Irani said through mobile apps and website ‘e-pathshala’ students, parents and teachers can access study material online. Another initiative for CBSE schools ‘Saransh’ will help parents to compare subject-wise learning outcome of their children, with others at district, state and national levels.

“We are trying to leverage technology not only to bring more transparency in school education system but also to create new learning opportunities for the children,” Irani told reporters while speaking about the initiatives.

She said her ministry, along with some state governments, was working to lessen the burden of exams on students and an announcement to this effect may be made in the coming year. Irani also complimented state ministers, saying because of their cooperation the dream to have toilets for girls in all schools has been realised.

The digital platform ‘Shala Siddhi’, unveiled on Saturday, aims to improve schools. The HRD ministry has taken another initiative ‘Shaladarpan’, which was launched earlier in Kendriya Vidyalayas, in which parents will be kept informed about the child’s presence, mark-sheets and time table etc.

Irani said a committee had been constituted to look at the mid-day meal scheme framework from the point of view of nutrition.

The HRD ministry, she said, plans to urge states that in this nutrition framework, they should prepare their own menus for their students. Lauding work done by individuals to disseminate education among masses, Irani said her ministry now provides a window ‘I share for India’, in which digital initiatives aiming to spread learning can be shared.