Other than the Unified Payments Interface, an instant real-time payment system, the PM eVIDYA-DIKSHA is a diverse school education platform and a public good that India can offer to the world, said Sanjay Kumar, Secretary, Department of School Education & Literacy, Union Ministry of Education. DIKSHA (Digital Infrastructure for Knowledge Sharing) was launched in 2017.

“Have a look at it; assess how good it is and take it across if you think it serves your purpose,” he urged the delegates from G20 countries participating at the first G20 Education Working Group 2023 held in Chennai on Tuesday.

Diverse platform

Speaking on the topic ‘Provide accessible and equitable education for K-12 learners,’ Kumar said PM eVIDYA-DIKSHA is the most diverse school education platform. In the last couple of years, it had 5.17 billion learning sessions in 33 languages. Under the Diksha platform, a huge repository of all the textbooks from class 1 to 12 is available to each and every child. This is the most diverse school education platform. Multilateral international agencies have shown interest to replicate the model in other countries, he said.

Tamil Nadu hosted the seminar chaired by K Sanjay Murthy, Secretary, Department of Higher Education, Government of India. During the past few years, all the G20 countries have made significant progress in expanding the use of digital technologies for improving access to quality education. All countries have encountered challenges in the use of technology.

Learning outcomes

It is time now to harness our advances to improve learning outcomes, promote lifelong learning, narrow the persistence learning deficit and respond to the common challenges each country faces in achieving the sustainable development goal 4 targets, said Murthy.

At the seminar, delegates shared various initiatives taken in their respective countries, as well as the challenges being faced and looked at ways in which we can collaborate to leverage technology further to achieve common educational targets.

Effective solutions

V Kamakoti, Director, IIT, Madras, speaking on the use of digital technologies by G-20 members to provide accessible, inclusive and equitable education for all, said the sessions were dedicated to school and higher education, and skill development. “We have been provided inputs on what challenges and best practices have been followed at different places. This gives an opportunity to understand them to work together and look forward to effective solutions that include all the best of all of and also challenges that can be collectively addressed,” he said.

“We have SDG 4 that talks about quality, equitable education for all. We all dream that due to our efforts we will have a world where every child will be a graduate,” he said.

During the two day meet there will be detailed discussions on themes that will help the global community find long term sustainable solutions to the similar educational challenges being faced by member countries placed in different geographies.

Nearly 80 delegates from 30 countries and international organisations will deliberate on areas for an inclusive, equitable, relevant and quality education and lifelong learning opportunities for all, says a release.

A unique initiative at the event is exhibits from G20 countries on ‘Digital Education Initiatives and Enabling Digital Technologies’ to be showcased for three days, the release said.

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