Perspectives On Ict Education In India

PERSPECTIVES ON ICT EDUCATION IN INDIA Ashwin Kumar B Sonone * Rajendra N Pathak**

India: Land of Contrasts “India is a country of grand contradictions. While it is a global leader in the knowledge economy, it is also home to more than half the world’s poor and illiterate people, most of whom are women.” (Reddi & Sinha, 2004).

Country Facts The 2001 Census of India provides the following information: • Population - 1027 Million • Literacy rate: 65.38% According to the World Development Indicator 2005 Report : • 34.7% of people are living below $1 a day • 79.9% of the population live below $2 a day According to The Human Development Report, 2004: • 21% of the population suffer malnutrition (Department for International Development Website, accessed April 2007)

The emergence of the global knowledge economy has put a premium on learning throughout the world. Ideas and know-how as sources of economic growth and development, along with the application of new technologies, have important implications for how people learn and apply knowledge throughout their lives. The global knowledge economy is transforming the demands of the labor market throughout the world. Developing countries and countries with transition economies risk being further marginalised in a competitive global knowledge economy because their education and training systems are not equipping learners with the skills they need. To respond to the problem, policymakers need to make fundamental changes. They need to replace the information-based, teacher-directed learning provided within a formal education system governed by directives with a new type of interactive learning that emphasizes creating, applying, analyzing, and synthesizing knowledge and engaging in collaborative learning throughout the lifespan. Industry can no longer rely solely on new graduates or new labor market entrants as the primary source of new skills and knowledge. Instead, they need workers who are willing and able to update their skills throughout their lifetimes. Developing countries need to respond to these needs by creating education and training systems that equip people with the appropriate skills. Technological based learning environment plays a pivotal role in providing the learners the appropriate knowledge and skills which are required by the industry. In open and distance education, technologies are used primarily to improve the effectiveness of teaching and learning, to individually tailor instruction, and to provide specialised and variety of innovative programmes to large groups of learners, which are generally not taught or impossible through conventional system of teaching-learning. Increased interactivity of the programmes permits more communication, an The Indian Education System: Timeline: 25 Years

“If one were to identify the single most important achievement in the field of education by the government in the post-Independence era, it would have to be putting a school within reach of almost every child….Of course, a school within reach is not the end - it is only the beginning…” (InfoChange Education Website) In 1976, education was brought under the concurrent purview of both the Central and State governments. While the Centre provides general direction on educational policy and curriculum, the individual state governments manage the vast network of schools. State governments either directly run schools, or support privately-run schools through grants. There are a small number of private schools in each state that are completely independent of government funding (Infochange Education Website).

Education in India: A Snapshot •

1986 -1992 : Free and Compulsory Education Pursuant to the National Policy on Education (1986) and revised Plan of Action (1992), a majority of States and Union Territories have introduced free education in Classes I-XII of their schools. (Government of India, Ministry of Human Resource Development, Department of Higher Education Website (b)).

•

1979: Improving Outreach: Non-Formal Education In 1979, the Government of India launched a program of Non-Formal Education (NFE) for children of 6-14 years age group, who cannot join regular schools. These children include school drop-outs, working children, and children from areas without easy access to schools. Initially implemented in ten educationally backward states, the scheme was extended in 1987 and is now operational in 25 states/Union Territories. 100% assistance is given to voluntary organizations for running NFE centers. (ILO Website)

•

2001: The Mid-Day Meal Scheme: Boosting Enrolment, Attendance, and Retention In a landmark decision on November 28, 2001 the Supreme Court of India made it obligatory for the government to provide cooked meals to all children in all government and government assisted primary schools. Though resisted vigorously by State governments initially, the programme became almost universal by 2005, making this the largest school feeding programme in the world, reaching 120 million primary school children. (Government of India, Ministry of Human Resource Development, Department of Higher Education Website (b) ; Midday Meal scheme)

•

1949 onwards: Caste Based Reservation in Educational Institutions Though caste based reservations were introduced in 1949, in 1990, a further 27% of seats in institutions of higher education were reserved for Other Backward Classes (OBCs), over and above the existing 22.5% reservation for Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs). (Wikipedia, Reservation in India)

ICT in Education: Policy and Initiatives It is against this backdrop that we need to view the role of information and communication technologies (ICT) in education in India. For the purposes of this discussion, ICT in education can be : • Alternative instructional delivery systems such as radio, educational TV, and audio-visual communication • Computers and computer-based systems for instructional delivery and management, such as CAI (Computer Assisted Instruction), use of multi-media and Internet/web based education (Rai & Bhattacharya)

Since the 1950s, policy has consistently favoured the use of ICT in education (Reddi & Sinha (2004) : “From the use of radio to spearhead the green revolution, to satellite-based, one-way and interactive television for rural development in some of the most backward districts, to today’s thrust for the use of open and distance learning models to serve the larger populations, India has tried it all, with varying degrees of success… Radio has a penetration of 100 per cent in the country while satellite and terrestrial television cover nearly 80 per cent of the country” Gyan Darshan was launched in January, 2000, with three completely digital and round-the-clock TV channels dedicated to education. In November 2001, an FM radio channel, Gyan Vani was launched through different FM stations in the country. (GOI Ministry of HRD Press Release, October 21, 2003). Major Policy Statements and Initiatives In the late 1990s, deregulation of the telecommunication industry began a dramatic improvement in access to basic telephony and Internet services for the general population. Key government initiatives are discussed below: 2004: Edusat Launched in September 2004 at a cost of USD 20 million, Edusat is India’s first dedicated education satellite. “India will require 10,000 new schools each year and meeting the teaching needs on such a scale [by conventional methods] will be impossible…” Madhavan Nair, chairman of ISRO, quoted in New Scientist, (Tata, September 20, 2004) With footprints covering the entire country, Edusat makes it possible for receive Direct to Home quality broadcasts of educational programs using any television set and a low-cost receiver. The result of a collaboration between the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO)and, the Union Ministry of Human Resource Development, state departments of education and the Indira Gandhi National Open University. This infrastructure is available to all sectors of education, but primarily to publicly funded and implementing agencies that will be responsible for transmission and programming for their defined audiences (Iype, July 28, 2005). 2002 – 2007: The Tenth Plan The Tenth Plan outlined goals of improving access and reducing disparities with the Common School System, as well as: • renewal of curricula with emphasis on vocationalisation and employment-oriented courses; • expansion and diversification of the Open Learning System; • reorganization of teacher training and greater use of ICT (GOI, Ministry of Human Resource Development, Department of School Education and Literacy Website ) 2002: Vidya Vahini In 2002, the Indian government launched a project called Vidya Vahini to provide for IT and IT-enabled education in 60,000 schools in India over three years (India has about 1.1 million schools), as part of a Rs 6,000 crore (USD 1.2 billion) project. Beginning with a pilot covering 150 schools the government proposes to equip each school with a computer lab equipped with Internet, Intranet and television to facilitate videoconferencing, Web-broadcasting and e-learning. (Kumar, A., October 9, 2002) 2006: Broadband connectivity in all secondary schools On May 20, 2006, The Government of India, Ministry of HRD, Department of Secondary and Higher Education issued an order for the Constitution of an Integration Action Plan to implement Broadband

connectivity in all secondary schools. (Order dated May 20, 2006, GOI, HRD, Dept. of Secondary and Higher Education Website (e))

2007: Digital Library and Information Network Based on recommendations made by different state open universities and distance education institutions (DEIs), the Indira Gandhi National Open University's (IGNOU) board of management has approved the National Open and Distance Learners Library and Information Network (NODLINET) initiative. The expert committee set up by the ministry for human resource development (MHRD) has endorsed the initiative, which will now be implemented in a phased manner within a period of five years. (Times News Network, April 22, 2007) UNESCO: Gesci At the international level, the United Nations has generated the “Global school and Communities Initiative” (Gesci), a special campaign to promote the use of technology in education (UNESCO Website (d)). From their Bangalore base, Gesci will work with the Indian ministries of Information Technology and Education facilitating policy support, technical assistance and global resources for the initiative.

Internet and continuing education programme Very soon open and Distance Learning System (ODLS) is going to use Internet for the launch of continuing education programmes. Efforts have already begun in this direction in private sector. Macmillan India Ltd has recently launched a website “elt.Macmillan.Com” for teachers of English. The site is focused on the teachers and provides them with downloadable worksheets, assignments and guides them in methods of English language teaching. (The Hindustan Times, December 5, 2000). The availability of computers in the society in future will certainly create a demand for continuing education programmes through Internet. According to Adrain Soar, Chairman, Pan Macmillan Ltd., by 2002, 85 per cent schools globally will have Internet access. Having understood the importance of Internet education programme, it is appropriate to discuss the nature of continuing education through Internet. The components of Internet based continuing education programme would comprise: i) Online learning material Like the print based material, online learning material comprises text, structures, diagrams, selfcheck exercises etc. Unlike print based material it contains animation, audio and video integrated with material and provide the learner with a lot of scope for interactivity. The design of learning material on the net is based on using new pedagogical models based on ‘conversational’ rather than instructional interaction between faculty and students. This represents a paradigm shift from instruction-centered learning to student-centered learning. Where the emphasis is placed on knowledge building and skill acquisition through the trajectory of active participation (walker and Beats, 2000). Knowledge building process of the learner is based on the constructivist model of learning which view learning as the result of mental construction. Man does not passively copy the real environment-neither by perception, nor by actions-but creates it by active processes of constructing (Watzalwick, 1981). ii) Online academic counseling The academic counseling will be based on online lecturers, discussions, and chat synchronously, asynchronously, on demand or through CD-ROM. The teacher trainees can raise questions and ask for explanation to their queries through internet, which also could be responded to by the teachers. In this case, students may not require the presence

of a teacher for face-to-face counseling. iii) Online assignments/projects /dissertation guidance The performance of the student’s teachers could be evaluated on a continuous basis through assignments delivered to them online. The feedback to the assignment response also could be provided online. Student teachers can work with their projects/dissertation guide through Internet. They can even present seminar papers and discuss them among the peers under the guidance of their guide. iv) Online collaboration On of the most important features of Internet is that it facilitates collaborative learning. Students like traditional classroom learning can engage themselves in virtual classroom learning. They form collaborative groups in the form of cyber club and interact among themselves regarding their learning problems by using e-mail. 2002: Technology Tools for Teaching & Training in India (Project T4) As

new technologies transform the workplace, workers must have the ability to cope with change, take responsibility for their learning, think critically to solve problems, and work cooperatively in a team environment. Interactive instructional technology can prepare students to meet these workplace challenges while keeping them motivated and interested. In the past, some instructional media failed to fulfill their promise. However, interactive videodisc and CD-ROM offers a combination of media-- computers, video, audio, and graphics that has greater potential to: 1. Increase opportunities for individuation, diagnosis, and self-pacing 2. Give access to a wide variety of information resources 3. Bring resources to isolated or limited-mobility populations 4. Stretch instructors' capabilities to reach more students 5. Accommodate different learning styles 6. Provide better ways to measure skills than standardised testing Interactive video, a combination of computer-assisted instruction and video technology, is an important development in instructional media. Interactive video is helping to change the delivery of technical training: students can experiment and test their skills through simulations and can gain additional training time without using expensive or dangerous equipment Videodisc systems can be simply a disc player and monitor for play back, or they can include a microcomputer to allow the user to interact with the program. Compared to videotapes and other media, interactive videodiscs provide enhanced picture and sound quality; extended longevity of both the discs and the players; faster, random access to individual frames; high quality freeze-frames; huge storage capacity; and connectivity to other devices. Interactive video resources are very useful where practical demonstrations of skills are required. For example: a auto repair and maintenance mechanic training package includes a video of activities in a garage center, alignment and fitting of different parts which brings the subject to life and enables students to respond to real-life situations, a printing technology course which includes various types of printing techniques and printing processes uses a video to demonstrate each process, a course in tour guiding uses a video of an escorted tour around a city to demonstrate presentation techniques, and how to handle "difficult" tourists. Video resources, once produced, can be incorporated into interactive CD-ROM and online programmes. CD-ROM resources, if fully interactive, are very expensive but can be highly effective in certain learning situations. A CD-ROM can contain a vast amount of information in text, audio, video, animation and virtual reality formats, which can be accessed through a complex navigation system. For example; a CD-ROM used in Interior design education programme

includes text, audio, video and animation in game-type activities that allow students to explore the learning examples required in interior designing such as floor design for residential places. Furniture design for offices, uses a CD-ROM to illustrate practices and functions using interactive text, graphics, sound, animation and video, a course in hair styling uses a CD-ROM that allows students to try out the appearance of different hairstyles on a series of typical head shapes. In September 2002, the T4 project was launched in Karnataka, Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand, and subsequently, in the state of Madhya Pradesh. The program offers interactive radio instruction (IRI) and educational television for mathematics, science and English as a second language and is designed to reach some of the hardest to reach populations. Funded by USAID, with collaboration of state governments and local organizations, the IRI programmes in Kannada are broadcast to nearly 165,000 schools (Project T4 Website and related articles). Video films in the local language are telecast by the state government via EDUSAT, covering about 885 schools. Teacher training in these schools has been undertaken with the support of the local state governments, and the schools have been provided with Teachers’ Guides. An evaluation of the learning gains among the students and the improvements in teaching practices is ongoing. A copy of the Evaluation Plan is available at the project Website (e). An extract of field notes written by an EDC staff member after a field visit in Chhattisgarh provides a glimpse of results. “From the very first day of the IRI programme here in Chhattisgarh there has been a positive response from teachers, students, audiences at large and people from the field. This response comes not only from the pilot areas where the project was launched, but also from the areas and schools we haven’t even targeted. One such school was randomly chosen for a visit by EDC on October 16, 2004. As it turned out, the resource official of one of the clusters of Abhanpur block has taken the pains to run the IRI programme in his school with his personal funds. “(EDC Staff member Fieldnotes, July 2003) 2004: Bridges to the Future Initiative This is a partnership between the International Literacy Institute (ILI) at the University of Pennsylvania (USA), Byrraju Foundation, IIIT, and other agencies in the state of Andhra Pradesh. The program aimed at providing literacy programs in the local language to out-of-school youth and primary school students, using computer infrastructure in schools after hours. Results of a two-year long impact study show dramatic results in putting drop-out youth back into school, and raising learning achievement of in-school children aged 8-10 years in poor rural settings (Wagner, Sridharan & Daswani, January 9, 2007). 2005: Indo-US Collaboration Indo-U.S. Interuniversity Network for Higher Education and Research was launched in 2005, a collaboration between over 20 American universities and Amrita University, The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and the Department of Science and Technology (DST) to enhance higher education and research in India through the Edusat e-learning network. The Indo-US collaboration will use Edusat to deliver classes taught by US faculty to hundreds of colleges and universities throughout India, focusing on areas such as engineering and computer science, information and communication technologies, materials science, biotechnology and bioinformatics, nanotechnology, medical sciences and management sciences. It also aims to create and make available to Indian learners, a digital library of teaching materials and assets of participating faculty and researchers. Mission 2007: Every Village a Knowledge Centre Mission 2007 seeks to establish 600,000 Village Resource Centres by August 15, 2007, coinciding with India’s celebration of 60 years of independence. (Swaminathan, M.S., November 25, 2006). Establishing connectivity and covering the ‘last mile’ are imperative to this ambitious plan. To that end, Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) is planning to connect 80,000 villages of India through wireless broadband. “ BSNL's project will further boost the Central government's e-Governance agenda. Telemedicine, health care, information on agriculture, distance education are some of the projects among the priority list of the government for e-Governance. It has plans to cover 74,000 villages via WiMax. 20,000 more villages will be

covered on the Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line (ADSL).” (Desai, CXO, January 25, 2007) In another venture, San Diego based QUALCOMM Incorporated has allied with the Nasscom Foundation to provide CDMA2000-based wireless Internet connectivity solutions to 65 Village Resource Centres under Nasscom’s Rural Knowledge Network Program. (US-India Summit Blog June 16, 2006) Other Public-Private Partnerships for ICT in Education There is a plethora of Public - Private Partnerships (PPP) and Initiatives in which state governments have partnered with large private sector organizations and multinational corporations to help bring computer enabled education to the masses. Some of these PPP include:

•

HEADSTART in Madhya Pradesh (2003) with provider of Linux technologies, Red Hat India. (Sharma, November 19, 2002; Government of MP Website) • Project Shiksha (2004) with Microsoft in West Bengal, Karnataka, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Lakshwadeep, and Tamil Nadu. (Microsoft India Website) • The IntelTeach Program (February 2000) to train classroom teachers in over 35 cities nationwide to use technology to improve teaching and learning. (IntelTeach Website) • Shiksha India (December 2001), a non-profit organization set up by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), has created a teachers’ portal using open source tools and technologies. (Shiksha India Website) • Community Learning Centres (2003) were set up by the Azim Premji Foundation in rural Karnataka. A CLC has about 6-8 computers in a Government Higher Primary School, used by children of that school during school hours for learning curriculum through interactive games and exercises. They are used by the community before or after school hours and during holidays. So far, about 90 CLCs have been set up. (Jain, R., March 25, 2003) Brief details of these and other initiatives are available at the UNESCO and individual project websites, however, details of evaluations conducted and current status of these projects could not be tracked. Initiatives for ICT use in Non-Formal Education Some initiatives toward the use of ICT in non-formal education include: • •

•

Computer Based Functional Literacy Program (2004) with Tata Consultancy Services in in Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal (Tata Literacy Programme Website). Hole-In-The-Wall Training Systems (2002 – 2003) developed by NIIT, for which the International Finance Corporation, a World Bank subsidiary invested $1.6 million for computer kiosks in more than 60 locations to enable underprivileged children in India to learn from a web-based curriculum (UNESCO Website (b)). India IT Freedom Project (2002) was launched in Andhra Pradesh in partnership with Freedom Scientific Inc., USA. The project seeks to make ICT accessible to visually challenged learners by the use of screen reading software. (The Hindu, August 6, 2002, and UNESCO Website)

The UNESCO Website provides details of various other programs for ICT use in the non-formal sector; however, current status details are not available. ICT for Special Needs There are some Government as well as private initiatives (Agarwal, 2003) exploring the use of ICT for persons with disabilities (PWD), for example, • IIT Chennai has developed a local language editor with speech recogntion capabilities available in 15 Indian languages along with English. • IIIT Hyderabad recently developed a software to read web pages written in Hindi or Telugu. • The National Association for the Blind, Delhi is developing a library of electronic educational material for PWDs. Some 1500 titles will be stored using a format accessible with a screen reader or for direct

embossing of the text in Braille. • In 2003, work began on Screen Access For All (SAFA), an open source initiative to develop a screen reading software for vision impaired persons to read and write in their language of choice. (SAFA Homepage) Information about the current status of all these initiatives is however difficult to find. In 2002, The Spastic Society of Karnataka undertook a study for the Azim Premji Foundation, to assess the impact of computer aided learning on children with learning disabilities in rural Karnataka. The study concludes that computer aided instruction offers significant improvements in visual motor coordination, social intelligence and reading skills. (Azim Premjee Foundation Website (d)). There is however, no information available about any initiatives for children with disabilities launched thereafter. Conclusion There are questions about the quality (Basu, 2006) and sustainability of random government initiatives, implemented differently by different states and poorly aligned to the needs of Indian industry. This has led to a “de-facto privatization” (Kapur & Mehta) of ICT education in India with private institutions (such as Aptech and NIIT) flourishing. Today in India, ICT education has become a lottery to success. Not every one wins the lottery though.

References Agarwal, R. (2003) ICT for Persons with Disabilities Website. Retrieved May 2, 2007 from: http://www.apcdproject.org/trainings/web-based/pant_homepages/agarwal/ict-disabilities-india.html Asia-Pacific Development Centre for Persons with Disabilities Website Country Profile: India http://www.apcdproject.org/countryprofile/india/index.html Access to ICT http://www.apcdproject.org/countryprofile/india/india_current.html#current18 Ahuja, S., Allentuck, J., Chung, J. & Corrigan, C. (January 2006). Economic Reform In India Task Force Report. The Harris School of Public Policy, University of Chicago. Retrieved May 10, 2007 from: http://harrisschool.uchicago.edu/News/press-releases/IPP%20Economic%20Reform%20in%20India.pdf Arora, P. (2007). The ICT Laboratory: An Analysis of Computers in Government Schools in Rural India. Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education Journal. ISSN 1065-6901, Volume 15, Issue 1, 2007. AACE Chesapeake, VA. Retrieved April 20, 2007 from: http://www.editlib.org/index.cfm/files/paper_20002.pdf?fuseaction=Reader.DownloadFullText&paper_id=2 0002 Azim Premji Foundation a. September 2006. Dileep Ranjekar, CEO of Azim Premji Foundation talks about the Foundation in an interview with Anirudha Dutta of CLSA http://www.azimpremjifoundation.org/html/articles_dkr_interview.htm b. http://www.azimpremjifoundation.org/html/edu_archives.htm c. http://www.azimpremjifoundation.org/downloads/CALChildrenwithspecificlearningdisabilities.pdf Basu, K. (August 18, 2006). India’s faltering education system. BBC News. Retrieved May 12, 2007 from: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/4793311.stm Central Institute of Educational Technology Website. Retrieved May 10, 2007 from: http://www.ciet.nic.in/welcome.html Department for International Development http://www.dfid.gov.uk/countries/asia/india.asp

Website,

Retrieved

May

10,

2007

from:

Desai, S. (January 25, 2007). BSNL plans to connect 80000 Indian villages via WiMax CXO, Mumbai. Retrieved April 20, 2007 from: http://www.cxotoday.com/India/News/BSNL_to_Push_WiMax_to_80000_Villages/[email protected] Edusat Website Retrieved May 2, 2007 from: http://www.edusatindia.org/ Evans D.R. (1999) Public Report on Basic Education in India; The PROBE Team, in association with the Centre for Development Economics; Oxford University Press, New Delhi, 1999. In International Journal of Educational Development, Volume 19, Number 6, November 1999, pp. 454-457(4). Elsevier

a. Brief summary available on www.ashanet.org b. http://www.ashanet.org/stats/PROBE.html c. Comment on the PROBE Report by the World Literacy of Canada, retrieved May 10, 2007 from: http://www.worldlit.ca/probe.html d. http://www.infochangeindia.org/EducationIbp.jsp Government of India, Ministry of Human Resource Development, Department of Higher Education Website. Retrieved April 25, 2007 from: a. http://www.education.nic.in/NatPol.asp b. Milestones in Indian Education. http://www.education.nic.in/sector.asp#milestone

c. Department of School Education and Literacy Website Tenth Plan (2002 -07) Plan and Budget http://education.nic.in/secedu/sec_planbudget.asp d. Initiatives and Status on Human Resource Development in Information Technology in Union States and Territories. http://www.education.nic.in/circulars/itinstates.asp e. Broadband in Schools (Order dated May 20, 2006) http://www.education.nic.in/whatsnew/boradband.htm f. Ministry of HRD Press Release, October 21, 2003, Electronic Media in the service of distance Education http://pib.nic.in/archieve/lreleng/lyr2003/roct2003/21102003/r211020039.html Government of Madhya Pradesh, Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (Madhya Pradesh, Headstart Programme). Retrieved May 12, 2007 from: http://www.ssa.mp.gov.in/ict.htm Indira Gandhi National Open University Website. Retrieved May 2, 2007 from: http://www.ignou.ac.in/ InfoChange Education Website, Retrieved May 12, 2007 from: http://www.infochangeindia.org/EducationIbp.jsp Information and Communications Technology for Development (ICT4D) Website. Retrieved May 10, 2007 from: a. http://www.com.washington.edu/ict4d/browsebycountry.aspx?countryid=85 b. http://www.i4donline.net/elearn_category.asp?category=school c. http://www.i4donline.net/elearn_category.asp?category=uni Indian Space Research Organization Website: Press Release May 24, 2000. Prime Minister Dedicates INSAT-3B to Nation and Inaugurates Vidya Vahini Yojana. Retrieved May 10, 2007 from: http://www.isro.org/pressrelease/May24_2000.htm Intel Teach Program Website. Retrieved May 12, 2007 from http://www.educationinindia.net/ International Labour Organisation Website. Retrieved April 25, 2007 from:

a. http://www.ilo.org/public/english/employment/skills/hrdr/topic_n/t15_ind.htm#Background b. http://www.ilo.org/public/english/employment/skills/hrdr/init/ind_8.htm c. http://www.ilo.org/public/english/employment/skills/hrdr/topic_n/t15_ind.htm Iype, G., (July 28, 2005). A revolution in India education. The Rediff Special. Retrieved May 10, 2007 from: http://in.rediff.com/news/2005/jul/28gi.htm Jain, R., March 25, 2003, Tech Talk: Transforming Rural India: More ICT Projects (Part 2). Retrieved April 30th 2007 from: http://www.emergic.org/archives/indi/004969.php Kapur, D. & Mehta, P.B.(2004). Indian Higher Education Reform: From Half Baked Socialism to Half Baked Capitalism. Retrieved May 12, 2007 from: http://www.cid.harvard.edu/cidwp/pdf/108.pdf Keniston, K. (2002a) The Four Digital Divides. http://web.mit.edu/~kken/Public/PAPERS/Intro_Sage.html

Retrieved

April

30th

2007

from:

Keniston, K.(2002b) Grassroots ICT Projects in India: Some Preliminary Hypotheses, ASCI Journal Of Management 31(1&2), Administrative Staff College of India. Retrieved April 30th 2007 from: http://web.mit.edu/~kken/Public/PAPERS/ASCI_Journal_Intro__ASCI_version_.html Kinnersley, M. ( ). Annotated Bibliography: ICT Use In Primary And Secondary Schools, India. Retrieved May 10, 2007 from: www.gg.rhul.ac.uk/ict4d/GG3077/Biblios/Kinnersley.doc Kumar, A. (October 9, 2002). Dept of IT Goes To School VIA VIP Constituencies, Financial Express. Retrieved May 10, 2007 from: http://www.financialexpress.com/fe_full_story.php?content_id=19240

McGivering, J. (May 25, 2003), India’s Digital Divide. BBC News. Retrieved May 10, 1007 from http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/from_our_own_correspondent/2932758.stm Microsoft Project Shiksha Web links retrieved May 8, 2007 from: http://www.microsoft.com/india/education/pil/topstories.aspx http://www.microsoft.com/india/education/pil/shiksha/ http://www.microsoft.com/india/education/pil/lessonplans/default.aspx http://www.microsoft.com/india/education/pil/default.aspx Midday meal scheme. Retrieved April 25, 2007 from: a. http://www.infochangeindia.org/bookandreportsst47.jsp b. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mid-day_meals c. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Education_in_India Mitro, S. (2005/6) .The ICT Landscape in India, National Information and Communication Technology Policies. Retrieved May 2, 2007 from: http://www.american.edu/initeb/sm1238a/ictpolicies.shtml Naha A.L. (December 26, 2005). All set to scale collaborative heights. The Hindu. Retrieved May 10, 2007 from: http://www.hindu.com/edu/2005/12/26/stories/2005122600520200.htm National Association for the Blind (NAB), Assistive Technology Helplinehttp://www.nabdelhi.org/AssistiveTechnology.htm National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) Website. Retrieved April 30th 2007 from: a. http://www.ncert.nic.in/sites/publication/schoolcurriculum/it_curri_content.htm b. http://www.ncert.nic.in/textbooks/testing/Index.htm Project T4 Website. Retrieved April 30th 2007 from:

a. http://www.dot-com-alliance.org/activities/activitydetails.php?activity_id=22 Related Articles: b. EDC Opens Production Studio in India. (January 2004) http://main.edc.org/newsroom/features/bangalore_studio.asp c. Multiple Learning Channels to Attain Education For All -- dot-EDU’s T4-India Project, (July 2003) http://dot-edu.edc.org/projects/indiastory.htm d. Field Notes: Interactive Radio Instruction (IRI) Inspires. http://dot-edu.edc.org/projects/IndiaFieldNotes.htm e. Evaluation Plan for the India dot-EDU project for 2006-2007, prepared by James Royer of the University Massachussets. http://www.dot-com-alliance.org/activities/activitydetails.php?activity_id=22 Rai, K. & Bhattacharya, P.K. Implications Of Information Technology For Teacher Education And Research. Retrieved May 10, 2007 from: http://www.ciet.nic.in/etissues.html Ramsey, D. (June 5, 2006). Indian President Talks Technology During Virtual Visit to UCSD. This Week@UCSD. Retrieved May 10, 2007 from: http://ucsdnews.ucsd.edu/thisweek/2006/june/06_05_india.asp Reddi, V.U., & Sinha, V., (2004), UNESCO Meta-survey on the Use of Technologies in Education, ICT Use In Education, National Policies, Strategies And Programmes. Retrieved May 10, 2007 from: www.unescobkk.org/fileadmin/user_upload/ict/Metasurvey/INDIA.PDF or http://www.com.washington.edu/ict4d/upload/20060126_171600.pdf Rudolph, S. Integrating Technology In Education in India. Retrieved May 10, 2007 from: http://www.newhorizons.org/trans/international/rudolph.htm Screen Access For All (SAFA) Home Page. Retrieved May 12, 2007 from: http://safa.sourceforge.net/ Sharma, A. (November 19, 2002). MP opens windows to Linux. Times News Network. . Retrieved May 2, 2007 from: http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/cms.dll/html/uncomp/articleshow?artid=28707422 Sivaraman, M. (July 13, 2006).NCERT releases school text books on the net. Retrieved May 10, 2007 from: http://www.mukund.org/blog/85/ Shiksha India Website a. http://www.shikshaindia.org/current-projects.html b. http://www.shikshaindia.org/programme-details.html Swaminathan, M.S.(November 25, 2005). Mission 2007: every village a knowledge centre, The Hindu. Retrieved April 30, 2007 from: http://www.thehindu.com/2005/11/25/stories/2005112504941000.htm Tata, P., September 20, 2004, India launches world's first education satellite. NewScientist.com News Service: New Delhi. Retrieved May 10, 2007 from: http://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=dn6423 Thorat, S. (November 24, 2006). Higher Education in India: Emerging Issues Related to Access, Inclusiveness and Quality. Nehru Memorial Lecture: University of Mumbai. Retrieved April 10, 2007 from: http://www.ugc.ac.in/more/chairman_nehru_lecture.pdf Tata Literacy Programme Website: Computer Based Functional Literacy Program (2004). Retrieved April 25, 2007 from: a. http://www.tataliteracy.com/beating_the_odds.htm b. http://www.tataliteracy.com/impact_people.htm c. http://prayatna.typepad.com/education/2004/09/fc_kohlis_educa.html

d.

http://www.tataliteracy.com/

The Hindu, August 6, 2002, IT project for visually challenged students. Retrieved May 12, 2007 from: http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/2002/08/06/stories/2002080609200300.htm The Times News Network. (22 Apr, 2007). Towards an open network. Retrieved May 11, 2007 from:http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Education/Towards_an_open_network/articleshow/1940271.cms UNESCO Website a. http://www.unescobkk.org/index.php?id=1379 b. http://www.unescobkk.org/index.php?id=1626 c. http://www.unescobkk.org/index.php?id=1667 d. UNESCO Communication and Information portal: GESCI: Bangalore Chosen as India Headquarters for UN Technology in Education Initiative. Retrieved May 12, 2007 from: http://portal.unesco.org/ci/en/ev.phpURL_ID=19610&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html US-India Summit Blog (June 16, 2006) News: QUALCOMM Forms Alliance with Nasscom. http://us-india.calit2.net/forum/index.php Varma, A.& Singhal, M., ICT in Education Portal, retrieved May 10, 2007 from http://www.cse.iitb.ac.in/~a_varma/portal/index.php.htm Wagner, D.,Sridharan, E.S.& Daswani, C.J. (January 9, 2007). Bridges to the Future Initiative’ completes two-year ICT for basic education effort with dramatic success, International Literacy Institute / University of Pennsylvania. http://www.literacyonline.org/PDFs/BFI-PR_ILI_Jan9_07.pdf Wikipedia, Reservation in India, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reservation_in_India

Retrieved

May

12,

2007

from:

World Bank, Development Data Group(2003). ICT at a glance: India. Retrieved April 25, 2007 from: http://www.com.washington.edu/ict4d/upload/20060223_124100.pdf World Bank (2006). Report on Information and Communication for Development, Global Trends and Policies. Retrieved May 10, 2007 from: http://wwwwds.worldbank.org/external/default/WDSContentServer/WDSP/IB/2006/04/20/000012009_200604 20105118/Rendered/PDF/359240PAPER0In101OFFICIAL0USE0ONLY1.pdf ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Ashwin Kumar B Sonone* Asstt Prof: TV Production Management Film & Television Institute of India (Under Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, Govt of India) Law College Road Pune -411 004 Maharashtra , India Tel No: 020 - 25431817, 25433060 Mobile: +91 9960421029 Rajendra N Pathak**

Dean (Television) Asstt Prof: TV Engineering Film & Television Institute of India (Under Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, Govt of India) Law College Road Pune -411 004 Maharashtra , India Tel No: 020 - 25431817, 25433060