Vidyanjali 2.0: Contributing to education by strengthening others

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व्यये कृते वर्धते एव नित्यम् विद्याधनम् सर्वधन प्रधानम् ॥
(Knowledge is the greatest of all possessions and wealth because knowledge is the only wealth that increases by sharing it with others.)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched Vidyanjali 2.0 during the Shikshak Parv. During the launch, the PM said that ‘Vidyanjali 2.0’ is like a very lively platform for the country’s resolve to ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas’ with ‘Sabka Prayas’.

Vidyanjali is the combination of two words- Vidya meaning “correct knowledge” or “clarity” and Anjali meaning “an offering with both hands” in the Sanskrit language.

Vidyanjali 2.0 portal – A School Volunteer Programme

The Ministry of Education and National Informatics Centre (NIC) has designed and developed Vidyanjali 2.0 to leverage the contribution/ services of the community and volunteers in school education.

Vidyanjali 2.0 portal is a platform for facilitating education volunteers/ donors/ Corporate Social Responsibility contributors for the development and improvement of schools. Through the mobile application, mentors can interact with institutions directly and can contribute to the institution’s activity with relevant knowledge and skill set. This would not only bring satisfaction to the volunteers but also make the students’ experience seamless.

An initiative, launched in 2016, aims to strengthen schools through community and private sector involvement in schools across the country. Vidyanjali connects schools with varied volunteers from the Indian diaspora including young professionals, school alumni, in service and retired teachers, Government officials, professionals among several others.

The volunteers can either participate in co-scholastic services or activities in Government schools with relevant knowledge and skillset or contribute to schools for strengthening the school infrastructure in form of assets, material, or equipment.

Adopting NEP, 2020

The portal has been revamped to cater to the new National Education Policy (NEP), 2020. The NEP 2020 seeks to introduce and bring about a transformative change across all levels of education in India, through the active involvement of the community and the private sector in the attainment of its goals and objectives.

Vidyanjali connects schools and the community to enhance the involvement and ease the process to do so.

Impact/ Benefits of Vidyanjali 2.0

Vidyanjali 2.0 provides a platform to society and the private sector to contribute towards improving the quality of education in government schools and government-aided schools.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has highlighted that in the last few years, public participation is again becoming the national character of India. Vidyanjali 2.0 is a step in the said direction.

To aid student’s learning

The programme also recognizes the need to encourage reading habits among children and to help create a reading culture at the school and community levels. This initiative is in line with the Ministry’s efforts towards Padhe Bharat Badhe Bharat which focuses on reading skills at the foundation stage.

The volunteers can offer their skills to take sessions like reading, story-telling, plays, preparing storybooks with children, etc. to enhance the affective and psychomotor aspects of their learning.

Volunteer Teachers

The platform not only creates a point of connection between schools and society but also gives retired teachers, IAS, experts, etc to offer their services and expertise in nation-building via contributing to school education. It brings together the services of volunteers across the country under the overall aegis of the Sarva Shikhsa Abhiyan (SSA).

The programme was initially started as a pilot project across 21 States in 2016 including Assam, Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Delhi, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Gujarat, Goa, Jammu and Kashmir, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, among others.