NEW DELHI, Dec 10: The Centre has set aside financial provisions to provide broadband internet connectivity to all government secondary schools and primary healthcare centres across the country under the existing BharatNet project, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan announced in Parliament on Wednesday.
He said the government is scaling up Atal Tinkering Labs (ATLs) across the country to strengthen innovation and hands-on learning in schools. “Over the next five years, 50,000 Atal Tinkering Labs will be set up in government schools,” the minister said, adding that 10,000 schools already have functional ATLs.
The broadband initiative was announced by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman while presenting the Union Budget for 2025-26.
Broadband connectivity will be extended through the existing BharatNet initiative, which aims to provide high-speed internet access to every Gram Panchayat (village block) nationwide.
The Department of School Education and Literacy has issued an advisory to all States and Union Territories to partner with BSNL and provide Fiber-To-The-Home (FTTH) internet connections to schools with computing devices. The recurring internet charges can be covered by funds from the Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan scheme or other state government funds.
Pradhan said digital classrooms, skill-based education and teacher capacity building are key focus areas in school education reforms.
He noted that the use of technology in education will continue to expand across all levels. Under the BharatNet project, broadband connectivity is being extended to schools in rural areas to bridge the digital divide.
On teacher training, the minister said district institutes of education and training (DIETs), run by state governments, are being strengthened to enhance teachers’ professional capacity. (Agencies)
