Digital boards for five lakh government and government-aided classrooms in three years 

NEW DELHI: Digital boards, instead of blackboards, will adorn classrooms in all government and government-aided schools, for classes IX-XII and institutions of higher education, starting the 2019 academic session.

The Centre plans to completely replace blackboards by 2022. Announcing this on Wednesday, Union Human Resources Development Minister Prakash Javadekar said the launch of ‘Operation Digital Board’ has been planned following recommendations of an expert panel. 

The digital or smart boards will be in the form of TV monitors, computer or projectors with user interfaces. 

“We want to convert classrooms into digital classrooms and, in addition to the availability of e-resources at any time and any place to students, these boards will enable students in personalised adaptive learning,” he said.

The minister added that the digital boards will also facilitate intelligent tutoring by using emerging technologies like artificial intelligence and data analytics. 

An estimated `7,000-`10,000 crore would be required over a period of three years for the initiative. Nearly 1.5 lakh secondary and senior secondary schools will be covered under the scheme in collaboration with the states which means that the cost will be borne by Centre and states in 60:40 ratio.

The University Grants Commission (UGC) will be the implementing agency for higher education institutions.

Of an estimated 5 lakh classrooms in the institutions aided by the central and state government, the UGC has proposed to take up 300 universities and 10,000 colleges in the first phase covering 2 lakh classrooms, which would cost  Rs 2,000 crore.