MHRD launches National mission on ICT for education

Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has approved for a new Centrally sponsored Scheme, 'National Mission on Education through Information and Communication Technology (ICT)'.

Submitted by the Ministry of HRD, the scheme has budget provision of Rs.502 crore during the current financial year. An amount of Rs.4612 crore is to be incurred during the 11th Five Year Plan for the National Mission on Education through ICT. The Mission has two major components viz. firstly content generation  and second connectivity along with provision for access devices for institutions and learners. It plans to focus on appropriate pedagogy for e-learning, providing facility of performing experiments through virtual laboratories, on-line testing and certification, on-line availability of teachers to guide and mentor learners, utilization of (EduSAT) and Direct to Home (DTH) platform, training and empowerment of teachers to effectively use the new method of teaching learning etc.

MHRD, Department of Higher Education would enter into MoU with State Governments for proper monitoring of the Scheme in their State and contribute 50% of the cost of hardware and 25% of the cost of connectivity in respect of the colleges/institutions/universities maintained or substantially funded by it. Similar MoU would also be entered into with Mentor institutions for private/self-financing colleges/institutions/universities for ensuring that the beneficiary institutions  contribute 50% of the cost of hardware and 25% of the cost of connectivity and maintain and sustain the facility created  under the Scheme after expire of 5 years.