Shri Dharmendra Pradhan Announced Key NEP-2020 Initiatives at NCERT’s 65th Foundation Day Event

The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT)’s 65th Foundation Day marked another step forward in NCERT’s mission of reshaping education in India in accordance with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. The celebration held in NCERT’s New Delhi office, was graced by the Honourable Union Minister of Education Shri Dharmendra Pradhan, as  the chief guest for the event, who announced multiple important projects to promote inclusive, multilingual, and technology-driven learning in India.

Innovative Educational Initiatives Announced 

• The introduction of Indian Language Primers in Hindi, Sanskrit, Ho, and Koya languages, advancing NEP-2020’s emphasis on teaching in the mother tongue.
• The PM eVidya app, serving as a centralised portal for quality digital education across the nation, was also launched.  
• To keep children engaged in learning, Bal Vatika, a dedicated PM eVidya DTH Channel (No. 35), was launched. It provides colourful and appealing visual and audio materials for children aged 3 to 6 years, in addition to parents, teachers, and Anganwadi workers, with a special focus on foundational literacy and numeracy skills.
• The event was marked by the inauguration of Virtual Reality Laboratories in four Demonstration Multipurpose Schools at Regional Institute of Education centers in Ajmer, Bhopal, Bhubaneswar, and Mysore, with the aim of enhancing experiential learning. 
• Another notable enhancement was the launch of DIKSHA 2.0, an advanced Learning Management System, that includes AI-driven Personalized Adaptive Learning (PAL), support for multiple languages, interactive tools, and adaptive assessments, all aimed at customizing learning and ensuring it is available in a wide range of Indian languages.

Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan praised NCERT by calling it a "Gyan-Kumbh" (a treasure trove of knowledge) and called on the organization to maintain its momentum in spearheading educational reforms that foster critical and creative thinking in students. He noted that, for the realisation of the concept of Samridhh Bharat (prosperous India) by 2047, technology and multilingualism are crucial. The Minister shared his optimism that these efforts would enable teachers and students equally and position India as a world leader in education.

The 65th Foundation Day celebration was attended by senior officials from the Ministry of Education and NCERT, as well as other prominent figures. Their presence marked the renewed commitment to technology-enabled inclusive education as envisaged in NEP-2020, thus making a remarkable leap towards the development of a future-ready Indian Youth. 

Additionally, there are some more initiatives besides the flagship projects which have been initiated on the 65th Foundation Day of NCERT and are enriching inclusive and culturally sensitive education in India. The Pre-Assessment Holistic Screening Tool PRASHAST 2.0 is a mobile application used to screen students at the school level to 21 known disability conditions to enable the early identification of disabilities and timely intervention. This is a remarkable initiative in inclusive education in that it enables teachers and special educators to work effectively together to ensure that no child is left behind because of undiagnosed disabilities. 

Another interesting initiative is “Kitab Ek Padhe Anek,” which encourages children to read a single book in multiple Indian languages, cultivating not only language skills but also cultural knowledge. Also, NCERT has taken steps in culture education and one of the examples is publishing books on eminent people of Odisha to help students gain confidence and knowledge of regional heritage.

All-in-all, these efforts represent the integrated approach of NCERT toward education, integrating technology, inclusivity, multilingualism, and culture to form a comprehensive approach to learning. As India fast-tracks its educational reforms under NEP-2020, such efforts are vital for cultivating a future-ready generation equipped with knowledge, empathy, and digital skills. These initiatives released in parallel to the 65th Foundation Day celebrations are a replica of NCERT's efforts to create an innovative, accessible, and culturally-grounded education system in India.