Operation Digital Board (ODB)

On 20.02.2019 Central Government launched Operation Digital Board (ODB) to boost education by providing SMART boards from class 9th onward in government / aided / higher educational institutions (HEIs).

Features of Operation Digital Board

The digital board will be introduced all over the country in government and government aided schools from class 9th onwards as well as in higher education institutions, from the coming session of 2019 itself.

University Grants Commission (UGC) will be the implementing agency for ODB in Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). It will be implemented as a Central scheme, as a loan from Higher Education Financing Agency (HEFA).

At school level, Digital / SMART board will be provided in all Government and Government - aided schools by the Central Government in collaboration with the State and UTs.

It aims at converting a classroom into a digital classroom.

Ensure availability of e-resources at any time and at any place to students.

Help in provisioning of personalised adaptive learning as well as Intelligent Tutoring by exploiting emerging technologies like Machine Learning, Artificial Intelligence & Data Analytics.

Highlights
The digital board will be introduced all over the country in government and government aided schools from class 9th onwards as well as in higher education institutions, from the coming session of 2019 itself.

At school level, Digital / SMART board will be provided in all Government and Government - aided schools by the Central Government in collaboration with the State and UTs.

It aims at converting a classroom into a digital classroom.
Ensure availability of e-resources at any time and at any place to students.

Help in provisioning of personalised adaptive learning as well as Intelligent Tutoring by exploiting emerging technologies like Machine Learning, Artificial Intelligence & Data Analytics.

Benefits of ODB

It will help in improving the quality of learning by providing adequate content of high quality which can be taken to every classroom.

Such technology enabled learning can also inspire teachers across the country to raise their own standards of teaching.

Apart from this, other initiatives like e-Pathshala, DIKSHA, National Repository of Open Educational Resources (NROER), National Programme on Technology Enhanced Learning (NPTEL), e-PG Pathshala, SWAYAM and SWAYAM-Prabha DTH Channels etc. have also provided adequate content of high quality which can be taken to every classroom, and thereby facilitating blended learning and flip class learning.

Implementation of Operation Digital Board (ODB) in Higher Education Institutes

University Grants Council (UGC) would be the implementing agency for Operation Digital Board (ODB) in higher educational institutions. UGC Commission has passed a resolution on 29 Jan 2019 to extend digital education to every classroom in the country by FY 2022. As per an estimate, there would be around 5 lakh classrooms in the Central / State govt. institutions.

Out of these classrooms, UGC has proposed to take up 300 universities and around 10,000 colleges in the 1st phase to cover 2 lakh classrooms. All such institutions which are having readiness to implement ODB would be given preference. For this purpose, UGC will soon launch a portal for all public funded HEIs to login and opt for the scheme by providing details of this facility. For 2 lakh classrooms, the approximate cost is Rs. 2000 crore. ODB could be implemented as a central scheme as a loan from HEFA.

Operation Digital Board in Government Schools

Digital or SMART boards would be given to all govt. and govt. aided schools which have Secondary and Senior Secondary classes. Around 1.5 lakh secondary and Sr. secondary schools would be covered under Operation Digital Board Scheme in collaboration with the state and the union territories.

Press release published by Government on 20.02.2019 regarding Operation Digital Board.

Operation Digital Board (ODB) is a revolutionary step to boost quality education in the country - Shri Prakash Javadekar

The Minister of Human Resource Development, Shri Prakash Javadekar launched Operation Digital Board to leverage technology in order to boost quality education in the country. Addressing a press conference in New Delhi today, the Minister of Human Resource Development said that Operation Digital Board is a revolutionary step which will make the learning as well as the teaching process interactive and popularize flipped learning as a pedagogical approach. Shri Prakash Javadekar disclosed that the digital board will be introduced all over the country in government and government aided schools from class 9th onwards as well as in higher education institutions. The process will begin from the coming session of 2019 itself, the Minister explained. He further said that ODB aims at converting a class room into a digital class room and in addition to availability of e-resources at any time and at any place to students, it will also help in provisioning of personalised adaptive learning as well as Intelligent Tutoring by exploiting emerging technologies like Machine Learning, Artificial Intelligence & Data Analytics. An expert committee has worked out optimum configuration of the Digital Class Rooms under ODB.

The Union Minister said that the biggest challenge facing education sector in the country is maintaining acceptable quality standards across the country. Although we have good number of premier institutions, which compete with the best in the world, a large number of higher education institutions and schools needs improvements in quality teaching-learning, as the students coming out of these institutions find themselves unsuitable for the requirements of the society and market. The spread of educational technology and connectivity has given an opportunity to resolve this issue and aim at equity in educational standards.

Shri Javadekar also stated that the launching of e-Pathshala, DIKSHA, NROER,NPTEL, e-pgpathshala SWAYAM and SWAYAM-Prabha DTH Channels etc. by MHRD have provided adequate content of high quality which can be taken to every classroom, and thereby facilitating blended learning and flip class learning. These pedagogical interventions can adequately raise the standards of teaching, irrespective of the location of the Schools and Colleges/Institutes. Such technology enabled learning can also inspire teachers across the country to raise their own standards of teaching.

Implementation in Higher Education Institutions(HEIs)

UGC will be the implementing agency for ODB in HEIs. UGC in its Commission meeting held on 29th Jan 2019, has passed a resolution for extending digital education to every classroom in the country by 2022. It is estimated that there would be 5 lakh classrooms in the institutions which are aided by Centre or State Governments. Out of this, based on the readiness, UGC proposed to take up 300 universities and about 10,000 colleges in the first phase covering 2 lakh classrooms.

Such Institutions with readiness to implement would be preferred. For this purpose, UGC will put in place a Portal for all the public funded HEIs to log-in and opt for the scheme giving details of this facility.

For the 2 lakh class rooms, the cost is estimated at Rs. 2000 crores. This can be implemented as a Central scheme, as a loan from HEFA.

Implementation in Schools

Digital / SMART board will be provided in all Government and Government - aided schools having Secondary and Sr. Secondary classes.

Nearly 1.5 lakh Secondary / Sr. Secondary schools will be covered under the scheme in collaboration with the State and UTs.

Website : https://mhrd.gov.in/

Operation Digital Board (ODB)

Features of Operation Digital Board

Implementation of Operation Digital Board (ODB) in Higher Education Institutes

Operation Digital Board in Government Schools

Press release published by Government on 20.02.2019 regarding Operation Digital Board.

Pradhan Mantri Yojana