ASPIRATIONAL DISTRICTS

Recently, the NITI Aayog launched an initiative with BYJU’S (an edutech giant) to provide free access to tech-driven learning programmes to children from India’s 112 aspirational districts.

Important points:

• Students of Classes 6-12 in government schools across 112 ‘Aspirational Districts (AD)’ will get free access to the company’s “premium learning resources”.
• ADs are the districts which are affected by poor socio-economic indicators.They are aspirational in the context, that improvement in these districts can lead to the overall improvement in human development in India.
• BYJU’S will also provide “free” coaching classes to over 3,000 “meritorious” students of Classes 11 and 12, offered by Aakash Institute, for engineering and medical entrance examinations.
• It aims to make the supplemental learning resources available to children in the government schools in the Aspirational Districts on a pro-bono basis (without charge or very less fees).
• It is also aimed to improve the online education system in India and mitigate the digital divide in education.

SOURCE: THE HINDU,THE ECONOMIC TIMES,MINT