Online learning not a passing phase but the way ahead: Dr Chenraj Roychand

Online learning is not just a passing phase triggered by the Covid pandemic, but the way ahead , leading educationist Dr Chenraj Roychand said on Saturday.

Dr Roychand, Chancellor, Jain (Deemed-to-be University), said online learning has become the preferred method of education for millions of children across the world and India has quickly adapted to it. He was speaking at the inaugural ceremony of Techspectations 2021, the fourth edition of Manoramaonline's premier digital summit.

Dr Roychand said the development of the right kind of digital infrastructure is going to be the future course of education in the country. He exuded confidence that the challenges in bridging the gaps between the traditional education system and the digital method could be addressed with the implementation of the new National Education Policy.

He emphasised that the education system needs to prioritise inculcating employability skills among students.

He said it is high time the focus was shifted to leveraging technology-based education.

Setting the tone for the digital summit, Kiruba Shankar, CEO, Business Blogging Pvt Ltd, said the online education sector got a fillip during the pandemic period.

Putting things in perspective, Shankar said 8,400 Edtech companies were launched in the country during the period. They form a market of Rs 20,000 crore. He predicted the Edtech market in the country would grow up to the tune of Rs 2,25,000 crore in the next 10 years.

Mariam M Mathew, CEO, ManoramaOnline, delivered the  welcome address. She said 'Pandemic learning', as Tech evangelists had predicted, is all set to transform education with the help of computers and apps powered by artificial intelligence, she noted, while adding, technology's transformational abilities and possibilities are way beyond the virus' disruptive potential.

Technology's transformational abilities and possibilities are way beyond the virus' disruptive potential.

Techspectations Educate 2021, the one-day virtual event, will see a series of intense discussions on the evolving nature of education in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Union Minister for Education Dharmendra Pradhan and Karnataka Higher Education Minister Dr C N Ashwath Narayan are among a stellar line-up of speakers at the summit, titled 'Techspectations EDUCATE', being held in association with Jain Online.