Budget 2022: India Announces Digital University, Chip-Based e-Passports, EV Policy, & More
Feb. 1, 2022India to Set Up a Digital University
Arecent surveyof nearly 1,400 school-going children revealed that only 8% of the students in rural areas have been able to attend schools online, while a whopping 37% of them have already stopped receiving formal education. Hence, setting upa digital university in India could drastically improve the education statusin rural areas.
According to Sitharaman, the digital university will impart world-class education in all regional languages. Furthermore, she stated thatthe digital university will work with other central universities for the required infrastructure and training, and would be able to deliver universal education with a personalized experience for students. The government will also set up 750 virtual labs and 75 skilling e-labs focused on simulated learning.
“A Digital University will be established to provide access to students across the country for world-class quality universal education with personalised learning experience at their doorsteps. This will be made available in different Indian languages and ICT formats,” said the Finance Minister during her speech.
Other than this, the Finance Minister also announced to expand the “One Class, One TV Channel” initiative under the PM e-Vidya scheme from 12 to 200 channels in the country.“This will enable all states to provide supplementary education in regional languages for classes 1 to 12,”the FM further added.
Other than announcing digital education initiatives, Sitharaman also said that Indian citizens will soon be able to avail microchip-based e-passports in the country. These new electronic passports will feature a microchip, encoded with security-related data. The e-passports will be able todigitally store various ID-related data of a citizensuch as their biometric information, name, address, etc.
The authorities say that the advanced security features of the e-passport will prevent unauthorized access to data through Radio-Frequency Identification (RFID). The e-passports will be manufactured at India Security Press, Nashik, andwill be in line with the standards of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).
The Drone Shakti initiative, on the other hand, will promote startups that focus on developing drone technology. With this, the government aims to bring variousdrone-as-a-service (DrAAS)applications to the country. The required courses for skilling in the particular sector will also be started in different ITIs and in all the states of the country.
With these efforts, India is aiming to deliver high-quality education to students in rural areas to help them complete their formal education, empower citizens through online programs, digitize the passport infrastructure, and boost drone startups. However, it remains to be seen how or when these efforts go into effect in the country.
A geek at heart, you’ll find me fidgeting with an iOS device or sitting in front of the laptop, scouring the internet to find interesting technological innovations. In my free time, you’d find me playing Valorant or listening to Pink Floyd.
