Marking its 65th foundation day, the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) on Monday launched new initiatives, including Bal Vatika DTH TV channel and DIKSHA 2.0 to strengthen digital and inclusive learning in line with the vision of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. The event was attended by Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan as the chief guest, Sanjay Kumar, Secretary (DoSE&L), Ministry of Education, former ISRO Chairman Sreedhara Panicker Somanath, and Chamu Krishna Shastry, Chairman of Bharatiya Bhasha Samiti. As part of its key announcements, NCERT launched Bal Vatika – PM eVidya DTH Channel No. 35, aimed at enhancing foundational literacy and numeracy among children aged 3–6 years through engaging audio-visual content tailored for teachers, Anganwadi workers, and parents. The unveiling of the upgraded DIKSHA 2.0 platform marked another milestone, offering structured lessons, adaptive assessments, performance feedback, and AI-powered features like Read Aloud, Closed Captioning, and multilingual text translation in 12 languages. Additional highlights included the inauguration of NCERT’s new entrance complex on Aurobindo Marg, the release of primers in Hindi, Sanskrit, Ho-Hindi, and Koya languages, the launch of the PM eVidya mobile app as a centralised digital learning gateway, and the establishment of Virtual Reality (VR) labs in four demonstration schools. To support inclusive education, NCERT introduced PRASHAST 2.0, an enhanced screening tool for early identification of children with disabilities, integrated with platforms like UDISE+, APAAR, and the Swavlamban Card. -𝐏𝐑𝐀𝐒𝐇𝐀𝐒𝐓 𝟐.𝟎 – enabling early identification & support for children with disabilities. -𝐊𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐚𝐛 𝐄𝐤 𝐏𝐚𝐝𝐡𝐞 𝐀𝐧𝐞𝐤 – Universal Design of Learning (UDL) based inclusive textbooks for Classes 1 & 2, benefitting all learners, including Divyangjan &… pic.twitter.com/i5r8u2Zrfa — NCERT (@ncert) September 1, 2025 It also rolled out Kitab Ek Padhe Anek, a universal design of learning initiative to create accessible textbooks for diverse learners. In a nod to regional heritage, NCERT published Utkal Jananinkara Sujogya Santana, a book celebrating 100 distinguished personalities from Odisha who played pivotal roles in the state’s development and India’s freedom movement. Reinforcing the importance of vocational education under NEP 2020, PSSCIVE released the Handbook for Key Functionaries on Vocational Education. Commemorating five years of NEP 2020, NCERT reaffirmed its leadership in driving educational reform through the development and dissemination of the National Curriculum Framework for School Education (NCF-SE 2023) and the Foundational Stage Framework (NCF-FS 2022). (with inputs from ANI)
