NCERT launches Bal Vatika TV channel, digital initiatives on its 65th foundation day

Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Monday marked the 65th foundation day of the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) by launching Indian language primers in Hindi, Sanskrit, Ho and Koya, along with several digital initiatives for school students.

Among the highlights was the launch of “Bal Vatika-PM eVidya DTH Channel No. 35”, which offers visual content for children aged 3-6 years, as well as for parents, teachers and anganwadi workers, to strengthen foundational literacy and numeracy skills. Virtual reality labs have also been set up in four demonstration multipurpose schools at Ajmer, Bhopal, Bhubaneswar and Mysuru.

The ministry also introduced “Prahast 2.0”, designed to enable early identification and support for children with disabilities, and “Kitab Ek Padhe Anek”, a universal design of learning initiative to create accessible textbooks for Classes 1 and 2.

To promote regional and cultural education, NCERT published “Utkal Jananinkara Sujogya Santana”, a volume celebrating 100 distinguished personalities from Odisha who contributed to the state’s development and India’s freedom movement.

Pradhan said NCERT has been a “pillar of the nation’s educational landscape, shaping the destinies of generations of students with unparalleled commitment”.

Emphasising the government’s focus on technology-driven learning, he also unveiled “DIKSHA 2.0”, the upgraded digital platform that is mobile-responsive and device-compatible. It offers structured lessons, adaptive assessments and AI-powered tools such as read aloud and text translation in 12 Indian languages.