'e-INDIA 2008' conference to begin today

New Delhi, July 29 : Minister of State for Human Resource Development (Higher Education), D. Purandeswari will inaugurate the 'e-INDIA 2008'0020 (digital learning) conference and exhibition here today.

The three-day conference is being organised by Centre for Science Development and Media Studies (CSDMS).

The first day will have four sessions, the highlight of which will be the inauguration by the Minister and the opening plenary which will be on Leading Change in e-Education: How to Succeed Amid Endless Challenge.

The second and third sessions of the day will be dedicated to the use of information and communication technology for higher education and at the school level too.

The Government of India has been giving special emphasis on Information Communication Technology (ICT) to galvanise the nation into a knowledge-driven society.

Union Ministry of Human Resources Development has been pursuing this goal with unlimited vigour and accordingly is concentrating or taking the Indian education scenario to a level where ICT is available to all the students and the community at large.

In order to deliver the benefits of ICT in the learning process, a new scheme namely ' National Mission in Education Through ICT' will be launched with the objective of providing connectivity to the deserts to the ' knowledge World' In cyber space and to make them ' Netizens' in order to enhance the self-learning skids and develop their capabilities for on-line problem solving.

The mission would also work for creation of knowledge module with right contents to address to the personalized needs of learners.

It will also give certification of competencies of the learners, acquired through formal or non-formal means, as also to develop and maintain the data base having profiles of human resources.

In order to deliver the benefits of ICT enabled learning, the Mission would focus attention on achieving technological break through by developing very low cost and low power consuming access devise, making available free band-width, for education purpose to every Indian and to build knowledge network between and within institutions of higher learning in the country.

In this regard, it may be mentioned that the 11th Plan also accords priority to promoting research of high quality across the higher education system, modernizing curricula and evaluation system, and making them more responsive to current future challenges and needs.

During the 11th Plan, Rs. 85,000 crores has been earmarked for the expansion of higher education facilities.

This benefit will percolate to all parts of India as the Government is planning to set up a large number of institutions of higher education in various parts of the country.

This conference and exhibition will put-forth views and ideas of well-known professionals and experts of digital learning field.

ANI