Building a digital future for Indian Education

In the wake of the global coronavirus pandemic, the uptake of technology in education around the world has never been faster. While this was certainly forced by necessity it may well prove to be one of few positive pandemic legacies and an opportunity for Indian education.

India is rapidly digitalising. The government is committed to transforming the country into a fully digitalised nation empowered by technology. The ingredients needed to realise this are taking shape albeit not at the rate originally hoped for. Broadband networks are growing and services are increasingly more integrated through the Aadhaar system. In the realm of education, both the government and the private sector have their contributions to the national Edtech environment.

Determination to build a digital nation puts digitalised education in good stead, but the road is not without its bumps. Regional wealth and infrastructure disparities pose the greatest challenges, and we should be wary that India’s digitalisation endeavours run a risk of leaving out the less privileged segments of society without thorough planning and investment.

What is the policy background?

Digital India

For educational technology (Edtech) to take a firm and effective hold in India, strong infrastructure is key. Digital India is the flagship digitalisation initiative of the Indian government. Launched in 2015 under the motto “power to empower”, the initiative envisions an India with robust digital infrastructure, a digitally literate population and digital access to services for all at any time or place.

Key targets within the scope of Digital India include a target of coverage for 250,000 Gram Panchayats (village councils), with high-speed internet connection, and a remodelling of post offices across the country into Common Service Centres (CSCs) – locations where the public can access internet and digital services freely. Through Aadhaar, the world’s largest digital identification system, the government is integrating services such as financial, business and government administration on digital platforms. Digital India also plans to provide all citizens with their own ‘digital lockers’ on the cloud.

NEP and digitalisation

The government of India recognises the importance of digitalisation to the future of education and Digital India and the NEP are thus linked. The NEP envisions transforming “the entire nation into a digitally empowered society and knowledge economy”. The role of HE in this is twofold. Policy dictates that HE itself should better adopt emerging technologies reshaping education, while also contributing to the development of those technologies.

If there is one lesson to be drawn from the pandemic, it is the tremendous potential of distance learning. Although institutions globally were initially forced to teach through video calls, innovations such as online exchange programmes and international projects have highlighted that there is more to zoom calls and skype than was previously realised.

It is timely then, that the NEP also recognises distance learning as a pathway to increasing access to higher education. The plan hopes to expand distance learning provision whilst ensuring it maintains the quality of in-person teaching. Institutions will have the option to run distance learning and online programmes given they are accredited, and blended learning is preferred over entirely online delivery.

The NEP also states that HE has a role in developing understanding and resources for new technologies. New technologies should, according to the plan, be integrated into HE teaching, evaluating their success before scaling up their use. In order to ensure there are enough people in the workforce able to manage the boost in tech usage nationally, Masters and PhD programmes will be established focussed on emerging technologies such as machine learning and AI.

Challenges

Infrastructure

India’s digital infrastructure may be a government priority and is improving, but there is still a way to go. A Large proportion of the population still lacks access to computing equipment and internet. The NEP does recognise this divide and suggests the use of existing media such as radio and television to ensure there is still digital education provision for less developed regions.

Digital India’s ambitious target to provide most of rural India with high quality broadband has been repeatedly delayed. The goal first appeared as the National Fibre Optic Network in 2011, which was rebranded as Bharat Net before coming under the umbrella of Digital India. As of January 2022, fibreoptic cable had reached 181,024 Gram Panchayats, roughly 72% of the 250,000 target. Progress may be slower than hoped, but it is there.

CSCs have also been problematic. A Survey in Jharkhand found that CSCs overcharge for services, are regularly offline due to electricity supply issues. Intention to make all Gram Panchayats fully digital seems overly optimistic considering this.

What these examples show is that India’s addiction to high-tech solutions doesn’t always work for the best in less urban regions of the country. The digital infrastructure rollout is admirable as it is necessary, but rushing developments before essential elements are in place is not ideal.

Distance learning and digital response during the pandemic

Much of the world shifted to online teaching at the height of the pandemic. This could have proven the opportune moment to test the government’s commitments to distance learning, but instead it has highlighted that the delivery of distance learning remains challenging in India. According to a report from LIRNEasia and ICRIER, Only 20% of children at school age could access remote learning during the pandemic, and just slightly over half them attended live online classes.

Building on the successes

Despite challenges, India is becoming increasingly digitalised, and the possibilities for education are both exciting and numerous. While infrastructure targets were evidently overly ambitious, the gradual progress backed by policy will make the delivery of educational technology to the whole of the nation easier.

As for Edtech itself, the sector is supported both by government and private sector investment. The pandemic has shown that online learning currently remains inaccessible for large swathes of the population, but it has also highlighted its necessity. Regardless of the challenge, the future of Indian education looks digital.