VP Naidu calls for mass movement to promote digital literacy
By TIOL News Service
NEW DELHI, NOV 27, 2020: VICE President Mr M. Venkaiah Naidu today called for a mass movement to promote digital literacy and urged all technological and educational institutions to play a leading role in that endeavour.
Virtually launching the Adi Shankara Digital Academy at Kaladi, Kerala, the birthplace of Adi Shankaracharya, Mr Naidu said that information is the main commodity in the present-day knowledge society and whoever has quick access to information has the advantage. He called digitalization as the medium of access to such information.
Drawing attention towards the unprecedented disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the vice president said that it has forced millions of students out of classrooms due to closure of schools and the world community is trying to address this challenge by adopting online education.
He said technology provides an opportunity to transform teaching and learning and expressed the need to constantly update and develop education models that suit the new era's demands in view of the fast-changing technology.
Enumerating several benefits of online education, he said that it can enable access to quality and affordable education in remote areas, it allows for a personalized learning experience and is especially helpful for groups such as working professionals and housewives who might not be able to attend regular courses.
Because of these advantages, the Mr Naidu opined that online education is likely to remain a preferred choice in the post-pandemic period as well.
"There is no doubt that the COVID-19 pandemic has changed the education landscape forever," he added.
Observing that even before COVID-19, the adoption of technology in education was gaining momentum but the pandemic has thrown up questions like how many are equipped to live the digital way.
"Issues of availability of infrastructure, access to the required tools like computers and smartphones, speed and availability of internet came to the fore for which solutions need to be found out," he added.
Mr Naidu also praised the Digital India initiative for preparing the nation for Industrial Revolution 4.0 and empowering the citizens with technological entitlements. He called for "an equitable digital eco-system" where each citizen gets their due and the gap between the digital "haves" and "have nots" is bridged.