India wins UNESCO award for use of ICT in school education
An initiative called PM e-VIDYA, run by the Department of School Education, Union Ministry of Education, has been accorded UNESCO recognition for using ICT especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. The 'Central Institute of Educational Technology' (CIET), a unit of the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) under the Department of School Education and Literacy (DOSEL), Ministry of Education, Government of India, has been awarded the UNESCO 'King Hamad bin Isa Al-Khalifa of the Year 2021 Award' for the use of ICT inneducation.
The award recognizes innovative approache leveraging new technologies to expand educational and lifelong learning opportunities for all, in line with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and it’s Goal-4 on Education.
Established in 2005 with the support of the Kingdom of Bahrain, the award recognizes individuals and organizations that are implementing outstanding projects and promoting the creative use of technologies to enhance learning, teaching and overall academic performance in the digital age.
An international jury selects the two best projects per year. Each winner is presented with a medal and a diploma of US$25,000, during a ceremony at UNESCO Headquarters, Paris. The ceremony will be held on 24 June, 2022.
PM e-VIDYA
PM e-VIDYA was launched by the Ministry of Education on 17 May, 2020 as part of the Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan, which integrates all efforts related digital/online/on-air education sobthat children can be educated using technology and can enable multi-mode access to deliver education and reduce learning losses.