The Ministry of Education is leading the creation of Vidya Samiksha Kendras (VSKs) across Indian states as part of the National Digital Education Architecture (NDEAR).
What are VSKs, or Vidya Samiksha Kendras?
- VSKs are information storage facilities created to compile data from numerous educational initiatives and programmes managed by the Ministry of Education.
- These repositories seek to improve decision-making in the field of education by streamlining data administration, fostering data analysis, and doing so.
Key VSK Components:
- Complete Information: VSKs will compile information from many educational initiatives, such as:
- Centres at the national and state levels: At the national level, VSK operations are situated on the National Council for Educational Research and Training (NCERT) campus in the Central Institute of Educational Technology building. These operations are managed by the international IT firm Ernst and Young.
- Advisory Role: Nandan Nilekani, a former chairman of the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), co-founded the non-profit organisation EkStep, which offers guidance on the implementation of the VSK project.
- Data entry is currently done manually and is accessible for download in Excel format. However, there are plans to automate data entry through the integration of Application Programming Interfaces (APIs). This change will allow for smooth data integration and communication between various systems at the federal, state, and local levels.
- Centres at the national and state levels: At the national level, VSK operations are situated on the National Council for Educational Research and Training (NCERT) campus in the Central Institute of Educational Technology building. These operations are managed by the international IT firm Ernst and Young.
- Advisory Role: Nandan Nilekani, a former chairman of the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), co-founded the non-profit organisation EkStep, which offers guidance on the implementation of the VSK project.
- Data entry is currently done manually and is accessible for download in Excel format. However, there are plans to automate data entry through the integration of Application Programming Interfaces (APIs). This change will allow for smooth data integration and communication between various systems at the federal, state, and local levels.
State-Level Projects
- Each state has received funding from the federal government ranging from two to five crores for the creation of VSKs. These grants cover both human resources and pre-configured open-source gear and software.
- States Taking Action: Gujarat, Maharashtra, Odisha, and Jharkhand are among the states that have already started setting up these technological platforms.
Advantages of VSKs
- Data Analysis and Correlation: The main goal of VSKs is to make correlation possible for data analytics. VSKs work to integrate multiple data points with large amounts of data from numerous educational programmes in order to draw valuable conclusions.
Case Study Scenarios:
- Attendance Patterns: Investigating possible connections between student dropout rates and attendance data.
- Impact of Mid-Day Meals: Examining whether regular mid-day meal distribution increases school attendance in some areas.
- Student Improvement Tracking: Tracking students’ development over time using information from regular assessments to personalise instruction.
- Maps showing schools’ locations will be made possible by VSKs using demographic data to calculate the Gross Access Ratio. This knowledge can aid in the planning of higher education based on demand and future projections, support industrial clusters in determining skilling needs, and influence the creation of new schools.
Source: https://pib.gov.in/PressReleaseIframePage.aspx?PRID=1843168