Education in the times of COVID-19: Maharashtra govt asks Centre to broadcast educational programs on TV and Radio

Maharashtra govt requests Centre to grant 12 hours of air time on television and 2 hours on radio

Minister of School Education Department of Maharashtra, Varsha Gaikwad, on Friday, asked the Central government to grant 12 hours of air time on national television to conduct educational programs for children in rural parts of the state, amid the prolonged lockdown.

As schools and educational institutions are shut as a precautionary measure to maintain social distancing and contain the spread of coronavirus, the Minister suggested utilisation of DD National Channels for educational purposes.

Along with television, a two-hour slot on radio has also been asked for by the Minister to reach out to the students in tribal and rural areas where online learning and internet access is a problem.

A letter addressed to Union Minister of Information and Broadcasting, Prakash Javadekar, read, “The State government, along with SCERT, is figuring out different ways to support student learning in these difficult times, including promoting DIKSHA as a source for learning via mobile devices. In this regard, I welcome the move of MHRD and the Ministry of l&B to provide time slots for various States to transmit educational content via DD National Channels. This will be highly beneficial in these times.”

“In the course of the next academic year, we wish to broadcast 12 hours of daily educational content through any two channels which come under DD National Channel Family and two hours on All India Radio. We have our virtual classroom studios and it will be a great help if you allow us to transmit the live broadcast,” the letter further read.

Gaikwad also informed that the officials have already started working on it and accumulated over 1000 hours of content already.