| NCERT goes online! The NCERT textbooks can | | | | multi-disciplinary fashion. |
| now be viewed online. Even a decade back | | | | With the introduction of online NCERT textbooks |
| something like this would have been difficult to | | | | the Council has made an effort to make the |
| imagine. | | | | source of learning more flexible than the traditional |
| The NCERT was set up way back in 1961 by the | | | | ones. The driving force behind a move like this |
| Government of India as an autonomous | | | | may well be the increasing awareness that |
| organization to assist and advise the centre and | | | | knowledge does not come from a central source, |
| state on policies related to education and help in | | | | but that it actually emanates from all around us. |
| the implementation of the same. Over the years, | | | | The move to make available online NCERT |
| the council has increasingly taken on the role of | | | | textbooks is a step that recognizes the huge |
| the introducing innovations in the field of education | | | | potential of the internet. |
| in areas of reforms and curriculum framework. | | | | As expected, the NCERT online textbooks are a |
| The NCERT online textbooks have made life | | | | huge hit with both students and teachers. The |
| easier for a lot of students. The availability of | | | | students can now easily access the textbooks for |
| online NCERT textbooks has taken the | | | | all classes from class I to class XII. They are free |
| student-focussed educational initiatives of NCERT | | | | to read these NCERT textbooks online or |
| to new heights. The NCERT as an organization is | | | | download them for free, as they are available in |
| not new to initiatives in the area of educational | | | | PDF format. Each chapter is available as a |
| technology. The Central Institute of Educational | | | | separate PDF file and can be opened by clicking |
| Technology set up in 1984 is a constituent | | | | on the chapter title in the table of contents. With |
| organization under NCERT that undertakes several | | | | the textbooks going online, students who were |
| technology-based educational initiatives. The | | | | previously likely to use ‘non-availability of |
| knowledge explosion of the last decade has | | | | textbooks’ as an excuse for their poor |
| enabled a situation where the knowledge-base | | | | performance in schools, now had no one to blame |
| doubles every 2-3 years (source: UNESCO | | | | but themselves! So, it was time to dig in their |
| “ICT in Teacher Education”). The | | | | heels and study. That is a good job done by |
| Council’s decision to introduce NCERT online | | | | NCERT online textbooks! |
| textbooks can also be rightfully viewed as a first | | | | Cheers! |
| step towards weaving knowledge in a | | | | |