DIGITAL EDUCATION: It is a method of delivering educational information through the Internet and digital platforms. It is the process of sharing knowledge through various channels such as e-books, CDs, webinars and more. It is flexible and self-paced and suited for distance learning.e-Education has revolutionized the conventional method of chalk and board style of learning imparted to the students.

Advantages of DIGITAL Education in India

1. Convenience and Flexibility
   • Flexible Scheduling and 24/7 Access: Online education allows both teachers and students to engage at their preferred times and from any location. Courses and learning materials are accessible anytime, providing a self-paced learning environment.
   • Ease of Access: Resources are available online, eliminating the need for physical presence and making education more accessible.
2. Effective and Engaging Learning
   • Enhanced Grasping and Disciplined Learning: E-learning methods, including audio-visual teaching, ensure better understanding and create a disciplined and engaging learning environment.
   • Improved Engagement: Interactive multimedia content enhances student engagement and makes learning more enjoyable.
3. Cost-Effectiveness
   • Reduced Costs: Savings on transportation and physical infrastructure lower the overall cost of education.
   • More Affordable: Online programmes are generally cheaper than traditional education, making them accessible to a wider audience.
4. Environmental Benefits
   • Paperless Learning and Energy Efficiency: Online education reduces the need for paper and consumes less energy compared to traditional classroom settings, promoting environmental sustainability.
5. Global Reach and Networking
   • Diverse Reach and Networking Opportunities: Tutors can teach in multiple languages, reaching students across different time zones. Online platforms enable students to network with peers globally, fostering a broader learning community.
6. Efficient Resource Management
   • Easy Documentation and Access to Expertise: Educational materials and communications are stored securely in online databases, allowing students to learn from experts worldwide, breaking geographical barriers.
7. Addressing Teacher Scarcity
   • Solving Shortages: Online education helps mitigate the shortage of teachers by enabling a single educator to reach many students simultaneously.
8. Role of Technology in Overcoming Challenges in the Indian Education System
   • Access and Inclusion: Technology provides 24/7 access to education, enabling live interaction with faculty and inclusivity for diverse groups, including remote areas, adult dropouts, and marginalized communities.
   • Quality of Education: Interactive and adaptive learning tools make education engaging and personalized, enhancing comprehension and addressing students’ weak areas.
   • Teacher Development and Management: ICT facilitates large-scale teacher training, knowledge sharing, and collaboration, improving overall teaching quality.
   • Governance and Management: ICT supports transparent and efficient school management systems, enhancing administrative processes.
   • Skill Development and Employability: MOOCs and certification courses from top institutions boost employability.
   • Research and Development: Promotes international collaboration, integrating local knowledge with global advancements.

Challenges and Disadvantages of Online Education in India

1. Weak Student Feedback and Engagement
   • Weak Feedback: Online platforms often provide insufficient feedback mechanisms for students.
   • Social Isolation: The lack of physical interaction can lead to social isolation and poor communication skill development.
   • Reduced Engagement: Digital distractions can reduce focus and productivity, with entertainment easily accessible.
2. Motivation and Integrity Issues
   • Requires Strong Self-Motivation: Students need strong self-discipline to stay on track.
   • Cheating and Plagiarism: Preventing cheating during online assessments is challenging, and students may plagiarize essays and assignments more easily.
3. Access issues
   • Internet Connectivity: Poor internet connectivity in villages and remote areas limits access to online education.
   • Digital Divide: A significant gap exists between urban and rural areas, with less than 15% of rural households having internet access, and only 4.4% of rural households having computers.
4. Digital Illiteracy
   • Lack of Digital Skills: Many parents, teachers, and students lack the necessary digital literacy to effectively engage with online education platforms.
   • Resistance to Technology: Teachers often resist adopting new technologies due to unfamiliarity and comfort with traditional methods.
5. Content and Language Barriers
   • Lack of Vernacular Content: There is a shortage of high-quality educational content in local Indian languages, making it difficult for many students to learn.
   • Content Customization: Often, content from other regions is used without proper customization to meet local needs.
6. Practical and Hands-On Subjects
   • Limitations in E-Learning: Subjects requiring practical, hands-on experience, such as chemistry, face significant challenges in an online format.
7. Domestic and Social Challenges
   • Increased Screen Time: Parents are concerned about the increased screen time for children and their own discomfort with technology.
   • Domestic Responsibilities: Increased domestic responsibilities, especially for girls, impair their learning opportunities.
   • Social Divide: Economically and socially disadvantaged groups struggle to afford and maintain access to ICT devices.
8. Training and Motivation
   • Inadequate Training: Teachers often lack adequate training in using technology effectively for teaching.
   • Low Motivation: Overloaded and less motivated teachers find it challenging to adapt to new teaching methods and technologies.
9. Infrastructure and Support
   • Lack of Infrastructure: Many schools lack basic infrastructure such as electricity, proper classrooms, computers, and internet connectivity.
   • Technical Support: Insufficient technical support hinders the effective use of ICT in education.
10. Policy and Governance
    • Lack of National Policy: The absence of a comprehensive national policy on ICT in education leads to inadequate attention and financial support for integrating technology into education.
    • Weak Monitoring: There are weak standards for monitoring and evaluating the use of ICT in education.
11. Financial Constraints: The high cost of acquiring, installing, maintaining, and replacing ICT infrastructure, combined with current budgetary constraints, limits the adoption of technology in education.
12. Rapid Technological Changes: The fast pace of technological innovation outstrips the ability of most educational institutions to effectively integrate new technologies.
13. Awareness and Engagement
    • Lack of Awareness: There is a general lack of awareness about e-learning platforms among students and educators.
    • Engagement Difficulties: Ensuring high levels of student engagement in online learning environments remains a challenge.
14. Disparity and Equity Issues: Online education may deepen the gap between the haves and have-nots, exacerbating educational inequalities.

Government Initiatives for Online Education in India

School Level	Higher Education Level	Other Digital Education Initiatives
VidyaDaan 2.0: National program inviting contributions from individuals and organizations to e-learning content for school students.	SWAYAM MOOCs: Provides online courses from school to postgraduate levels, offering quality resources, discussion forums, tests, and academic grades.	‘Wise’ App: Mobile app integrated with Zoom for online teaching on low bandwidth; beneficial for low-income and low connectivity areas, especially used in Kashmir.
e-Pathshala: Portal/app developed by NCERT hosting textbooks, audio, video, and other educational materials for teachers, students, parents, researchers, and educators.	SWAYAM PRABHA: 32 DTH channels broadcasting educational content 24/7 using GSAT-15 satellite, covering diverse disciplines and educational levels.	‘Bolki Shaala’ by Diganta Swaraj Foundation: Loudspeaker-based learning in Maharashtra’s tribal belt; recorded materials played out, with volunteer support.
PRAGYATA Guidelines: Ministry of Education’s guidelines addressing issues related to students with limited or no access to digital technologies.	National Digital Library of India (NDLI): Developed by IIT Kharagpur, offers free digital educational resources to all citizens.	BleeTech Innovations: Remote learning kits for deaf children with visual content workbooks.
Manodarpan: Initiative for the psychosocial support of teachers, students, and families regarding mental health and emotional well-being.	Digital ISBN Portal: Facilitates online registration for ISBNs for publishers and authors.	‘Support Our Students’ in Bengaluru: Collects and refurbishes old devices for underprivileged children; NGOs involved in donating tablets to girls in slums.
PM eVIDYA: Multi-mode access to digital/online education, including DIKSHA portal, TV channels (one class, one channel), radio, community radio, podcasts, and special e-content for visually and hearing impaired students.	Vittiya Saksharta Abhiyan: Promotes digital economy and cashless transactions, involving students and faculty in awareness campaigns.	Government School Teachers in Karnataka: Teachers travel to remote villages for teaching; similar initiatives in Tripura (neighborhood classes) and Chhattisgarh (mohalla classes).
DIKSHA: Digital platform offering engaging learning material aligned with the prescribed school curriculum for teachers, students, and parents.	National Academic Depository (NAD): Digital repository for academic awards, providing online retrieval and verification of certificates and degrees.	Pen-drive Schools in Nagaland: Distribution of pen-drives with study materials; similar workbook delivery in Dadra & Nagar Haveli.
Operation Digital Board (ODB): Converts classrooms into digital classrooms.	National Digital Education Architecture (N-DEAR): Connects various academic activities and modernizes education, reducing inequality.	Home-schooling in Sikkim: Teachers visit students’ homes in remote villages; Jharkhand uses house walls as blackboards for open-air teaching.
ShaGun Portal: Monitors the progress of Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan implementation.	e-Shodh Sindhu: Provides access to quality e-resources, including full-text, bibliographic, and factual databases to academic institutions at a lower subscription rate.	Radio Pathsala in Odisha: Lessons broadcast via radio alongside online versions.
Shala Siddhi: Online portal for schools to conduct self-evaluation based on set standards.	Shodhganga: National repository of all M.Phil/Ph.D. theses and dissertations by universities in India.
National Digital Education Architecture (NDEAR): Supports teaching, learning, educational planning, and administrative activities.	Campus Connect Programme: Connects all Central Universities through WIFI, providing 24/7 access to educational resources in classrooms, libraries, laboratories, and hostels.
National Education Technology Forum (NETF): Platform for exchanging ideas on using technology to enhance learning, assessment, planning, and administration.	Free and Open Source Software for Education (FOSSEE): Promotes the use of open-source software in education.
	PM eVIDYA: Includes initiatives for higher education, such as allowing top 100 universities to start online courses automatically.
	Vidyadaan: Program encouraging academicians and organizations to develop engaging e-learning content aligned to the curriculum.

Way Forward for Addressing Challenges of Online Education in India

1. National Policy and Strategic Planning
   • Formulate a National ICT Policy: Develop a comprehensive national policy on ICT to enhance the role of technology in education and achieve SDG 4, ensuring inclusive and quality education for all.
   • Prioritize Access to Remote Areas: Improve connectivity infrastructure and bandwidth through initiatives like the BharatNet project and mobile connectivity expansion.
2. Infrastructure and Access
   • Deploy Ed-Tech for Low Bandwidth: Use educational technology applications that function efficiently with low internet bandwidth and patchy connections.
   • Offline Learning Tools: Develop tools to allow curriculum, notes, and other study materials to be downloaded and accessed without internet connectivity.
   • Community Learning Centers: Promote ICT in non-formal education through community learning centres and tele-centres to improve adult literacy and basic education for out-of-school youth.
3. Incentives and Partnerships
   • Incentivize Educational Institutes: Government should incentivize educational institutes to adopt the latest technology for teaching and course delivery.
   • Strengthen Partnerships: Collaborate with private sector, NGOs, and organizations like UNESCO to develop and implement ICT projects in education.
4. Content and Customization
   • Improve Regional Language Content: Enhance educational content in regional languages to make learning more accessible.
   • Customization of Courses: Tailor course content and technology to meet local needs and cultural contexts.
5. Capacity Building and Awareness
   • Capacity Building: Train all stakeholders, including teachers, students, and parents, to effectively use technology for education.
   • Awareness Campaigns: Conduct campaigns to raise awareness about the benefits and methods of online education.
6. Quality Assurance and Monitoring
   • Establish Quality Benchmarks: Set quality assurance mechanisms and benchmarks for online learning to ensure high standards.
   • Effective Monitoring Systems: Implement robust monitoring systems to track the effectiveness of ICT in education.
7. Inclusivity and Equity
   • Inclusive Learning Solutions: Develop solutions that ensure all students, including those from marginalized groups, have access to online education, such as leveraging mobile internet.
   • Leverage Community-Owned Devices: Promote the use of community-owned tablets and smart devices to bridge the digital divide.
8. Funding and Resources: Ensure sufficient financial resources are allocated for the acquisition, installation, maintenance, and replacement of ICT infrastructure in education.
9. Government and Private Sector Collaboration: Ensure that the government and private sector work together to make education available, accessible, and affordable for all, in line with SDG 4.

The challenges in online education in India are multifaceted, involving issues of digital literacy, affordability, infrastructure, content, and social barriers. Addressing these challenges requires comprehensive policy support, increased funding, improved training for teachers, and greater efforts to bridge the digital divide.

School Education in India

Present Status

1. Enrolment Ratios: Elementary level enrolment ratios are close to 100%. Gross enrolment ratios (GER) for secondary education have increased, although net enrolment ratio (NER) remains low.
   • GER for Grades 6-8: 90.9%
   • GER for Grades 9-10: 79.3%
   • GER for Grades 11-12: 56.5%
2. Enrolment Trends: From 2007-08 to 2015-16, enrolment in government primary schools declined by 2.31 crores, while enrolment in private primary schools increased by 1.45 crores.
3. Out-of-School Children: As per the 75th round NSSO survey (2017-18), 3.22 crore children in the age group of 6 to 17 years are out of school.
4. Human Development Report (2019): Between 1990 and 2018, mean years of schooling increased by 3.5 years and expected years of schooling increased by 4.7 years in India.
5. Attendance Rates: ASER surveys estimate national attendance in primary and upper primary schools at 71.4% and 73.2%, respectively, with considerable state-wise differences.
6. Enrolment Drop-offs: Enrolment drop-offs are severe for Scheduled Castes (19.6% to 17.3%), Scheduled Tribes (10.6% to 6.8%), differently-abled children (1.1% to 0.25%), and female students within these categories.
7. Learning Outcomes: Over 5 crore elementary school students have not attained foundational literacy and numeracy.
8. Pupil-Teacher Ratio: The national pupil-teacher ratio is 24:1 for elementary schools and 27:1 for secondary schools.
9. Mental Health: Student suicides due to examination and career stress increased from about 6,600 in 2012 to about 9,000 in 2015.

Challenges

1. Inadequate Public Funding: Government spending on education remains around 3% of GDP, compared to the world average of 4.7% (World Bank).
2. Focus on Infrastructure Over Learning Outcomes: Disproportionate emphasis on infrastructure rather than actual learning outcomes.
3. Governance and Monitoring: Centralized governance leads to conflicts of interest and ineffective management.
4. Teacher Training and Vacancies: Inadequate teacher training, numerous teaching vacancies, and high absenteeism affect education quality.
5. Limited Vocational Education: The school system offers limited options for vocational training.
6. Language Barriers: Underdeveloped Indian languages and lack of standard publications hinder learning, especially in rural areas.
7. Small Schools: Numerous small schools are economically and operationally inefficient, often requiring teachers to cover multiple grades and subjects.
8. Mental Health Support: Inadequate mental health support for students leads to increased stress and related issues.

Steps Taken

1. VidyaDaan 2.0: National program for contributing e-learning content.
2. e-Pathshala: NCERT portal/app hosting educational resources.
3. PRAGYATA Guidelines: Guidelines for digital education addressing limited or no access to technologies.
4. Manodarpan: Psychosocial support initiative for mental health and emotional well-being.
5. PM eVIDYA: Multi-mode access to digital education, including DIKSHA portal, TV channels, radio, and special content for the visually and hearing impaired.
6. Operation Digital Board (ODB): Converts classrooms into digital classrooms.
7. ShaGun Portal: Monitors Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan implementation.
8. Shala Siddhi: Online portal for school self-evaluation.
9. National Digital Education Architecture (NDEAR): Supports teaching, learning, and administrative activities.
10. National Education Technology Forum (NETF): Platform for exchanging ideas on technology use in education.
11. Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan: Universalisation of primary education.
12. Mid-Day Meal: Enhances enrolment, retention, and nutritional levels among school children.
13. RTE Act, 2009: Enforces free and compulsory education for children aged 6-14 years.
14. NIPUN Bharat Mission: Aims for universal proficiency in foundational literacy and numeracy by the end of Grade 3 by 2026-27.
15. Strengthening Teaching-Learning and Results for States (STARS) Project: Improves monitoring and measurement activities in school education.
16. Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan: Integrates Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA), Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA), and Teacher Education (TE) to provide quality education and enhance learning outcomes.

Way Forward

1. Increase Funding: Raise government spending on education to at least 6% of GDP by 2022.
2. Improve Governance: Develop robust mechanisms to enforce regulations on teacher qualifications, absenteeism, and learning outcomes, with regular assessments by independent bodies.
3. Focus on Learning Outcomes: Integrate small schools to optimize resources, run remediation processes concurrently with regular classes, and implement consequences for failing to meet minimum learning outcomes.
4. Enhance Vocational Education: Award credits for subjects passed, provide options for vocational courses from secondary level, and pilot innovative vocational education models.
5. Revamp Curriculum: Design pre-primary and primary syllabus on a skill-based continuum, align vocational education syllabus with NSQF, and include practical learning activities.
6. Teacher Training: Improve teacher training and reduce vacancies to enhance teaching quality.
7. Reduce Mental Stress: Include life skills and stress management in the curriculum, provide mental health support, and ensure easy access to counseling, especially for at-risk children.
8. Broaden RTE Coverage: Extend RTE to cover ages 6-18, ensuring foundational knowledge and workforce inclusion.
9. Address Drop-Outs: Implement creative policies to tackle drop-outs due to financial constraints and loss of interest, such as free bicycles to improve mobility.

Previous Years Questions

2022-The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009 remains inadequate in promoting incentive-based systems for children’s education without generating awareness about the importance of schooling. Analyze. (15M)

2020- National Education Policy 2020 is in conformity with the Sustainable Development Goal-4 (2030). It intends to restructure and reorient the education system in India. Critically examine the statement. (15M)

2016- Professor Amartya Sen has advocated important reforms in the realms of primary education and primary health care. What are your suggestions to improve their status and performance? 

2015-The quality of higher education in India requires major improvements to make it internationally competitive. Do you think that the entry of foreign educational institutions would help improve the quality of higher and technical education in the country? Discuss.(12.5M)

2014-Should the premier institutes like IITs/IIMs be allowed to retain premier status, allow more academic independence in designing courses and also decide mode/criteria of selection of students. Discuss in light of the growing challenges.(12.5M)

Education is a permanent measure to achieve an egalitarian society. Education transforms lives and is at the heart of building peace, eradicating poverty and driving sustainable development.

Education being a basic human right for all throughout life must be matched by access and quality.

• Education is the manifestation of perfection already in man – Swami Vivekananda 
• To educate a person in mind and not in morals is to educate a menace to the society – Theodore Roosevelt
• We do not want book worms, we want man making, character building education – Swami Vivekananda
• Economy is the material part of development. Education is the essential part of it.
• Education that does not mold the character is absolutely worthless. – Mahatma Gandhi
• Confucius – “If you think in terms of a year, plant a seed; if in terms of ten years, plant trees; if in term of 100 years, teach the people”  
• “Education is the most powerful weapon you can use to change the world” – Nelson Mandela.
• “The pen is mightier than the sword” – Edward Lytton 
• Intelligence plus character – that is the goal of real education – Martin Luther King Jr. 
• We want the education by which character is formed, strength of mind is increased, the intellect is expanded, and by which one can stand on one’s own feet” SWAMI VIVEKANAND
•  “Education is what remains after one has forgotten what one has learnt in school”- Mahatma Gandhi
• “Learning gives creativity. Creativity leads to thinking. Thinking Provides knowledge. Knowledge makes you great.” – APJ Abdul Kalam
•  “Children must be taught how to think, not what to think” – Margaret Mead
• “There are two educations. One should teach us how to make a living and the other how to live.” – John T Adams

Case studies and best practices

1. Pota cabins → residential schools for the children in LWE affected areas of Chattisgarh.
2. Delhi Model Virtual School – provide education to students remotely through personalized teaching-learning, effective assessments and use of cutting-edge technology.
3. E-Talim → Video recording of lectures by best teachers in Kishangarh district of Bihar.
4. The AaoGhar Mein Seekhein (let’s learn at home) programme in Rajasthan, improved access to education amidst COVID-19 pandemic.
5.  “Namath Basai” – Kerala Government unique programme of teaching tribal children in their mother tongue.
6. Baste Ka Bojh Kam project (Rajasthan)- Integrated book for different subjects.
7. Pratibha Parv: M.P-regular assessment of teaching learning and evaluation of
8. education.
9. E- takin: Kishangarh district, Bihar – video recording of lectures by best teacher in district
10. Mera Mobile, Mera Vidyalaya: Banka, Bihar
11. Sonam Wangchuk started New hope revolutionizing education in Ladakh
12. Pune Zilla Parishad has appealed to citizens to donate old smartphones and used laptops to help poor students continue with e- classes during the lockdown
13. IT club of school at Koothattukulam in Kerala will train students to blog and post videos on Youtube, Going beyond mere basics of IT
14. Distribution of Smartphone by Punjab Government for Students to access Online education
15. Kerala Government became 1st state which helped struggling students to repay education loan debts after the completion of their course

CONSTITUTIONAL PROVISIONS

Fundamental Rights	Article 21A: Right to elementary education.  Article 28: Freedom from attending religious instruction or worship in certain educational institutions.  Article 29: This article provides equality of opportunity in educational institutions.  Article 30: Right of minorities to establish and administer educational institutions of their own.
Directive Principles	Article 41: Right to work, to education and to public assistance in certain cases.  Article 45: Provision for free and compulsory education for children and provision for early childhood care and education to children below the age of six years.  Article 46: It provides for special care to the promotion of education and economic interests of the scheduled caste, scheduled tribes and the weaker sections of society.
Fundamental Duties	Article 51 A(k): A parent or guardian to provide opportunities for education to his child or, as the case may be, ward between the age of six and fourteen years.
Other Articles	Article 337: This provides for special provision with respect to educational grants for the benefit of the Anglo-Indian community.  Article 350A: This article relates to facilities for instruction in mother tongue at primary stage.  Article 350B: It provides for special officer for linguistic minorities.
Amendments:	42th Amendment Act 1976: Education was shifted from State List to Concurrent List  86 Amendment Act 2002: Right to Education (inserted 21A and amended article 51(A)(K))  93 Amendment Act 2006: Amended Article 15, which provides reservation for SC, ST and OBC in private institutions
Judgements	1993: The Supreme Court in the case of Mohini Jain and Unnikrishnan vs State of Andhra Pradesh Ruled that the right to education is a fundamental right that flows from the Right to life in Article 21 under Indian Constitution.

Importance of Education

DATA

Literacy rate	The literacy rate ( as per the 2011 census) is at 74.04 %; 82.14% for males and 65.46% for females. Kerala has the highest literacy rate of 93.91% and Bihar (63.82 %) ranks last. The literacy rate in rural India is 67.77% as compared to 84.11% in urban India. The National Statistical Commission – literacy 77.7% in 2017–18, 84.7% for male and 70.3% for female.
Gross Enrolment Ratio	Gross Enrolment Ratio in higher education has increased steadily over the past decade, reaching a (GER) of 26.3% in 2019. As per UDISE- In 2020-21 total students enrolled in school education from primary to higher secondary stood at 25.38 crore. There is an increase of 28.32 lakh enrolments as compared to the 25.10 crore enrolment in 2019-20.
Teacher ratio	The pupil to teacher ratio within the public school system for primary education is 35:1. Teachers in School Education: 96 lakh teachers were engaged in school education during 2020-21. This is higher by about 8800 in comparison with the number of teachers involved in school education during 2019-20. Pupil-Teacher Ratio (PTR): In 2020-21 the Pupil-Teacher Ratio (PTR) stood at 26 for primary, 19 for upper primary, 18 for secondary and 26 for higher secondary showing an improvement since 2018-19.  The PTR for primary, upper primary, secondary and higher secondary was 28, 20, 21,and 30 respectively during 2018-19.
Expenditure on education	India spends only 4% of the GDP on education, less than some developing countries. For example, South Africa’s expenditure on education is 6.1% of its GDP.
Non-teaching staffs	The number of non-teaching staff has also improved over the years. Total non teaching staff during 2020-21 stood at 15.8 lakh as compared to 12.37 lakhs in 2018-19.
Report on School Infrastructure	Schools with functional electricity have made impressive progress during 2020-21 with a net addition of 57,799 schools providing electricity. Now 84% of the total schools have functional electricity facilities in comparison with 73.85% in 2018-19 showing a remarkable improvement of 10.15% during the period. Percentage of the schools with functional drinking water has increased to 95.2 % in 2020-21 from 93.7 % in 2019-20. Percentage of the school with functional girls’ toilet facilities has increased to 93.91 % in 2020-21 in comparison with 93.2 % in 2019-20 by adding the facility in additional 11,933 schools during the year. Percentage of schools with hand wash facilities has also improved during 2020-21 and now stands at 91.9 % as compared to 90.2 % in 2019-20. Number of schools having functional computers increased to 6 lakhs in 2020-21 from 5.5 lakh in 2019-20 showing an increase of 3 %. Now, 40% of the schools have functional computers. Number of schools having internet facilities increased to 3.7 lakh in 2020-21 from 3.36 lakh in 2019-20 with an increase of 2.6%.
School Dropout Rates (Economic Survey 2022-23)	Decline in the dropout rates across all school levels in FY22. Primary level:1.5% Upper primary level: 3% Secondary level: 12.6 %
ASER Report 2022 Findings Enrollment :	ASER Report 2022 Findings Enrollment : Almost all (98.4%) students in the age bracket of 6-14 years are now enrolled in schools. Increase of 7.3 percentage points in government school enrollment in the period 2018 to 2022. Enrollment has gone from 97.2 per cent in 2018 to 98.4% in 2022. Basic Reading and Arithmetic Skills :Decline in basic reading and arithmetic skills of children in Class 3 and Class 5 in India. Other Important Findings : In both government and private schools, only 20.5% students of Class 3 can read. The proportion of Class 5 students who can read – 42.8% in 2022 Number of girls not going to school is above 10% in MP (17%), UP (15%), and Chhattisgarh (11.2%).
All India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE) 2020-2021	Enrollment  Only about 27.1% of all eligible candidates can make it to a higher education university. [Target:50% by 2035] 4.1 crore in 2020-21 (increased from previous years)  Female enrollment reaches 2 crore 28% rise in enrolment of SC students 47% rise in enrolment of ST students At the undergraduate level, enrolment was highest in humanities (33.5%), followed by science (15.5%), commerce (13.9%) and engineering & technology (11.9%). At the postgraduate level, maximum students opted for social science (20.56%) followed by science (14.83%). Educational Institutions : No. of medical colleges in the country increased from 387 in 2014 to 648 in 2022. No. of IITs rose from 16 to 23 between 2014 and2022 IIMs increased from 13 to 20. QS World Rankings 2023 : Only 3 Indian Universities in QS top 200 list – IISC, Bangalore (155), IIT-B (172nd), IIT Delhi(174th) Accredited Universities: Only 32 %  Funding on Higher Education: 1.4% of GDP

Right to Education Act 2009:

The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act, 2009, is a landmark legislation in India that aims to provide free and compulsory education for all children aged 6-14 years. It represents the consequential legislation envisaged under Article 21-A, which means that every child has a right to full time elementary education of satisfactory and equitable quality in a formal school which satisfies certain essential norms and standards.

Aspects of the RTE Act:

1. Increased Access to Education: By mandating that all children aged 6-14 years receive free and compulsory education, the Act has helped increase enrolment rates and reduce dropout rates. According to the Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) 2020, the overall enrolment rate for children aged 6-14 years increased from 93.4% in 2006 to 96.3% in 2020. Thus, the Act has made significant strides in improving access to education.
2. Infrastructure and Quality Improvements: The RTE Act also mandates that schools meet certain minimum standards in terms of infrastructure and teacher qualifications. Since the Act’s implementation, there has been a significant improvement in school infrastructure, with the percentage of schools with functional toilets increasing from 62.6% in 2010 to 79.4% in 2016, according to the District Information System for Education (DISE).

Limitations of the RTE Act:

1. Limited Focus on Learning Outcomes: This can limit the effectiveness of the Act in incentivizing and promoting the importance of education, as parents and children may not perceive the benefits of schooling if learning outcomes are not emphasized. The ASER 2018 report reveals that only 50.3% of grade 5 students in rural India can read a grade 2 level text, indicating a gap in learning outcomes.
2. Inadequate Emphasis on Awareness Generation: Without widespread awareness of the benefits of schooling, it is challenging to create an incentive-based system that encourages children to attend school and complete their education. Initiatives like the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan’s “Chalo School Chale” campaign have attempted to create awareness but require further efforts to reach a larger audience.
3. Insufficient Incentives for Disadvantaged Groups: There is a lack of provisions for scholarships, transportation, or mid-day meals to encourage and facilitate school attendance among children from marginalized backgrounds. Although the Mid-Day Meal Scheme is in place, its implementation has faced challenges, and further incentives are needed to ensure greater inclusion.
4. Incomplete Implementation: The RTE Act has faced challenges in its implementation due to inadequate funding, a shortage of trained teachers, and insufficient monitoring and evaluation mechanisms. As per the DISE 2016 report, around 17.51% of schools still lack the mandated pupil-teacher ratio.
5. Age Limitation: The Act covers only children aged 6-14, excluding those aged 0-6 and 14-18, despite international commitments for education up to 18 years.
6. Gender Bias: Traditional norms force girls into household chores, leading to irregular attendance and dropouts. Limited secondary and higher secondary schools in rural areas further exacerbate this issue.
7. Children with Special Needs: The Act lacks provisions for children with disabilities, leaving them without necessary educational support.
8. Private School Challenges: Private schools are required to admit children from weaker backgrounds, but face attitude issues and lack provisions for additional expenses like uniforms and books.
9. Quality of Education: The Act is seen as input-focused, emphasizing universal admission over the quality of education provided.
10. Bridging Courses: The Act mandates age-based admission for out-of-school children but lacks details on bridging courses to help them catch up academically.
11. School Management Committees (SMC): Forming SMCs with primarily parent members can burden poor parents, who may struggle to volunteer time and effort.

Learning poverty

About

1. The World Bank’s Global Director for Education highlighted concerns over significant learning losses for children due to the COVID-19 pandemic and emphasized the need for concerted efforts to bridge these gaps.
2. According to the World Bank’s learning poverty calculation, India’s learning poverty increased from 54% before the pandemic to 70% after the pandemic.
3. Learning Poverty, as defined by the World Bank, means being unable to read and understand a simple text by the age of 10. This indicator combines schooling and learning indicators by measuring the share of children who haven’t achieved minimum reading proficiency and adjusting for the proportion of children who are out of school and assumed not to be able to read proficiently.
   • All foundational skills (basic literacy, numeracy, and transferable skills) are important, but reading is focused on because:
   • Reading proficiency is an easily understood measure of learning.
   • Reading is a student’s gateway to learning in every other area.
   • Reading proficiency can serve as a proxy for foundational learning in other subjects, similar to how the absence of child stunting indicates healthy early childhood development.

NEED TO ELIMINATE LEARNING POVERTY

1. Key to eliminating poverty in general and boosting shared prosperity.
2. To improve learning outcomes: Globally, between 2000 and 2017, there has been only a 10% improvement in learning outcomes for primary school-aged children. At this pace, 43% of 10-year-olds will not be able to read by 2030.

3. To achieve SDG Goals: The target is ambitious but achievable and should galvanize action toward achieving Sustainable Development Goal (SDG4) ensuring quality education for all. It will require nearly tripling the rate of progress worldwide if every country matches the performance of the countries that made the most progress between 2000 and 2015.
4. To increase global productivity: The learning crisis not only wastes children’s potential but also harms entire economies. It negatively impacts future workforces and economic competitiveness. The World Bank’s Human Capital Index shows that globally, the productivity of the average child born today is expected to be only 56% of what it would be if countries invested sufficiently in health and education.

INCREASE IN LEARNING POVERTY

1. School closures during the COVID-19 pandemic: Many countries, including India, had to close down schools and colleges, encouraging online classes. According to a World Bank report in 2019, 55% of children in the country at late primary age could not read correctly. The problem worsened during COVID-19, with observations suggesting a 20% increase.
2. Disorganized school systems: When a child cannot read, it usually indicates that school systems are not well-organized to help children learn in other areas such as mathematics, science, and humanities.
3. School dropouts: Many children globally cannot read proficiently. Over 260 million children do not attend school, further deepening the crisis.
4. Decline in household income: Surveys have shown that many students have been forced to withdraw from private schools and enroll in government schools due to a decline in household incomes. The quality gap between private and public schools has increased learning poverty.
5. Quality of study material: Poorly designed study materials, such as textbooks and learning materials, contribute to poor performance and increased learning potential.
6. Malnutrition among children: Severe deprivations in terms of nutrition, unhealthy environments, or lack of nurture by caregivers.
7. Quality of teachers: Poor guidance and teaching methodologies, along with a lack of trained teachers, are causing a decrease in learning outcomes, leading to an increase in learning poverty.

IMPORTANCE OF LEARNING SKILLS

1. For sustainable growth and poverty reduction: Poor education outcomes have major costs for future prosperity, given that human capital is the most important component of wealth globally.
2. Improving overall schooling systems: When children cannot read, it usually indicates that school systems aren’t well organized to help children learn in other areas such as mathematics, science, and humanities.
3. Better quality workforce: Countries that have prioritized and invested in foundational learning have produced a better quality workforce, enabling their economies to take off. Both South Korea and China did this in the 1970s, with a tremendous impact on their economies.
4. Improves individual freedom: For individuals and families, it can lead to higher productivity and earnings, poverty reduction, higher rates of employment, better health outcomes, and greater civic engagement.
5. Benefits society: For societies, it can contribute to faster innovation and growth, better-functioning institutions, greater intergenerational social mobility, higher levels of social trust, and a lower likelihood of conflict.

WAY FORWARD

1. Ensure timely access to more and better age- and skill-appropriate texts: In Mongolia, better access to books led to a 0.21 standard deviation improvement in student outcomes.
2. Focus on ramping up catch-up learning: Brushing up on the fundamentals helps children revise the syllabus easily.
3. Extra effort from teachers in class: Teachers will require a lot of support to group students within the classroom based on where they are rather than their grade or age.
4. Investment in education technology: Re-enrolment campaigns and reassessment of learning levels as schools reopen after a gap of two years call for investment in education technology to complement classroom teaching.
5. Digital literacy: The resurgence of education television and radio is a good development. Resilient systems are necessary because the next natural disaster is unpredictable.
6. Budgetary allocations: Increased budgetary allocation will bring quality and better infrastructure to education, helping to reduce learning poverty.