New Delhi [India], September 1 (ANI): Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Monday praised the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) for its role in shaping India's education sector as the institution marked its 65th Foundation Day.

'I hope NCERT will continue to play an important role in educating students and making India a 'vishwa-guru'...NCERT is focusing on education in different languages...' Pradhan said while speaking to reporters here.

The NCERT marked its 65th Foundation Day at its headquarters in New Delhi, unveiling a slew of new initiatives, including Bal Vatika DTH TV channel and DIKSHA 2.0 to strengthen digital and inclusive learning in line with the vision of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.

Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, who graced the occasion as chief guest, was joined by senior officials, including Sanjay Kumar, Secretary (DoSE&L), Ministry of Education, former ISRO Chairman Sreedhara Panicker Somanath, and Chamu Krishna Shastry, Chairman of Bharatiya Bhasha Samiti.

Among the key announcements, the NCERT launched Bal Vatika - PM eVidya, a DTH Channel Available on No. 35, which will provide engaging audio-visual content for teachers, Anganwadi workers, parents, and children aged 3-6 years to boost foundational literacy and numeracy skills.

The upgraded DIKSHA 2.0 platform was also unveiled, featuring structured lessons, adaptive assessments, performance feedback, and AI-enabled tools such as Read Aloud, Closed Captioning, and automatic translation of text files into 12 languages.

Other highlights included the inauguration of NCERT's new entrance complex on Aurobindo Marg, the launch of primers in Hindi, Sanskrit, Ho-Hindi, and Koya languages, the release of the PM eVidya mobile app as a centralised gateway for digital learning, and the introduction of Virtual Reality (VR) labs at four demonstration schools.

NCERT also rolled out PRASHAST 2.0--an enhanced pre-assessment screening tool for the early identification of children with disabilities, integrated with UDISE+, APAAR, and Swavlamban Card portals--along with Kitab Ek Padhe Anek, a universal design for learning-based initiative to create accessible textbooks for inclusive classrooms.

To promote regional and cultural education, NCERT launched Utkal Jananinkara Sujogya Santana, a book featuring 100 eminent personalities from Odisha who contributed to the state's development and India's freedom movement. In addition, the Handbook for Key Functionaries on Vocational Education was released by PSSCIVE, underlining the renewed emphasis on vocational education in schools under NEP 2020. (ANI)