Operation Digital Board | 21 Feb 2019

The Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) has launched Operation Digital Board (ODB) to leverage technology in order to boost quality education in the country.

  • ODB aims to have digital and interactive boards in every classroom, which is on the lines of Operation Blackboard which was started in 1987 to supply the bare minimum crucial facilities to all primary schools in the country.

Features

  • The digital board will be introduced all over the country in government and government aided schools from class 9th onwards as well as in higher education institutions, from the coming session of 2019 itself.
  • University Grants Commission (UGC) will be the implementing agency for ODB in Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). It will be implemented as a Central scheme, as a loan from Higher Education Financing Agency (HEFA).
  • At school level, Digital / SMART board will be provided in all Government and Government – aided schools by the Central Government in collaboration with the State and UTs.
  • It aims at converting a classroom into a digital classroom.
  • Ensure availability of e-resources at any time and at any place to students.
  • Help in provisioning of personalised adaptive learning as well as Intelligent Tutoring by exploiting emerging technologies like Machine Learning, Artificial Intelligence & Data Analytics.

Higher Education Financing Agency

  • Higher Education Financing Agency (HEFA) was incorporated in 2017 as a joint venture of MHRD and Canara Bank with an agreed equity participation in the ratio of 91% and 9% respectively.
  • Its objective is to finance the creation of capital assets in premier educational institutions in India.
  • It is registered under Section 8 [ Not-for-profit] under the Companies Act 2013 as a Union Govt company and as Non–deposit taking NBFC-ND with RBI.
  • Recently, HEFA’s scope has been expanded to cover school education, educational institutes under Ministry of Health, etc.

Benefits

  • It will help in improving the quality of learning by providing adequate content of high quality which can be taken to every classroom.
  • Such technology enabled learning can also inspire teachers across the country to raise their own standards of teaching.
  • Apart from this, other initiatives like e-Pathshala, DIKSHA, National Repository of Open Educational Resources (NROER), National Programme on Technology Enhanced Learning (NPTEL), e-PG Pathshala, SWAYAM and SWAYAM-Prabha DTH Channels etc. have also provided adequate content of high quality which can be taken to every classroom, and thereby facilitating blended learning and flip class learning.