ISRO to help Government Set up Satellite TV Classrooms for Students

The Asian News International reported that the Indian Space Research Organisation, or ISRO, will provide technical assistance to set up “satellite TV classrooms”. The organisation has taken the initiative to bridge learning gaps among school children due to the COVID-19 lockdown. ISRO officials conducted a detailed presentation on the topic of satellite TV classrooms to a formal Parliamentary Committee.

A parliament source stated that “Scientists from ISRO attended the meeting today and made a presentation about the use of satellite TV classrooms for the students before the officials of ministry of electronics and information technology (MEITY) and Doordarshan.” Notable members of the meeting were State Education Secretaries from Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Maharashtra, Telangana, and Arunachal Pradesh.

Vinay Sahasrabudhe later led a committee where he had recommended that the government implement satellite TV classrooms. Additionally, Sahasrabudhe has agreed to work with ISRO across India. The official suggested the solution due to the increasing learning gap in the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdowns. The committee found satellite TV classrooms as an alternative to solving smartphone and data connectivity issues.

Why ISRO Help is Necessary: COVID-19 Education Loss

As reported by The Hindu, the education ministry is collecting data from the states. This collection is to grasp the extent of learning loss caused by school shutdowns and limited access to digital education. A panel member of Hindu also said that the School Education Department has said that more time is required to collect the data [on learning losses]. However, they will get all the data by the end of the month.