MoS Ranjan Singh urges all states to have virtual labs for digital education

Jul 16, 2023

New Delhi [India], July 16 : Following the BRICS Ministers of Education meeting, Minister of State for Education, Rajkumar Ranjan Singh said that they urged all the states and union territories to use the fund to have the virtual lab or digital lab to ensure that the format provided by digital education is utilized.
"Under the leadership of our Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan, through Samagra Shiksha, we requested all the states and union territories to use the fund to have the virtual lab or digital lab, so that the format given by the digital education will be enjoyed," Ranjan told ANI. 
He added that for instance, earlier under PM e-Vidya, there were only 20 channels. But, now we have added more than hundreds and thousands of channels. 
He added, "Even under, Nipun Bharat we created the training of the teachers since the digital technology and transformation is coming. And that's why our teachers have the capability to deliver on this issue. So we are also giving training on that line."
Ranjan said that in terms of digital format education, the Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) is the largest mega university. He added that here the lessons are provided through the digital format even in different parts of the globe. 
Moreover, the United Nations and NEP 2020, are fulfilling the constitutional obligation, the right to education and accessibility.
Ranjan further said that COVID-19 gave a boost to the digital approach to education.
"This will serve even the BRICS country, particularly say for example in South Africa or Africa. Their landscape and diversity are almost the same as the Indian landscape. We have a vast and the language and dialects are all culture, even the cultures are diversified."
Ranjan further expressed his delight that the National Education Policy 2020 was launched under Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
"We have adopted and declared about ten items, which has to be followed by all the BRICS country. I also feel very happy that when our nation was under the leadership of Honorable Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji, we launched the National Education Policy 2020."
However, he further said that we have to exchange technology and knowledge and share the best practice in different parts of the school education system.
"These are the things and then of course digital education where we should have cooperation among the BRICS country," he said. 
Ranjan added that this tenth ministerial meeting of the education of the BRICS is quite successful and BRICS is also considered to deepen the co-relationship and relationship and the bilateral and multilateral engagement with the BRICS country will be deepened.
The 10th Meeting of the BRICS Ministers of Education was held in South Africa to ensure deeper cooperation in advancing research collaborations, exchange of students and staff mobility between higher education institutions within BRICS countries, comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. The declaration with 10-point agenda was adopted at the meeting and it will be submitted to BRICS Leadership Summit.