Virtual SDG Choupal hosted by Literacy India, CII’s India @75 and Dainik Bhaskar see spirited discussions around digital divide and its impact on education
- Noted cricketer Kapil Dev launches TOKO- an app to promote community hygiene and health developed by students of Literacy India school
Think tanks, NGOs, corporates came together to discuss the importance of digital inclusion to ensure continued education of children at the first virtual SDG (Sustainable Development Goals) Choupal. Hosted by Literacy India, a NGO working on education, empowerment and enablement of the underserved across India, CII’s India @75 and Dainik Bhaskar the discussion focussed on SDG 4 that encourages nations to ‘Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote life-long learning opportunities for all’. The event also saw the launch of TOKO- An android application developed by students of Literacy India school that intends to improve health outcomes of community and in effect impact the education outcomes of children. The application is also an apt example of children’s creativity for the service of society.
Launching TOKO – the app in an earlier virtual event, Kapil Dev, renowned cricketer and national icon said, “Knowledge is everything. Knowledge gives you strength and courage to grow. I want to say to our children that if you have knowledge then you will never get defeated, Those who have knowledge always perform better than others.” TOKO can be downloaded from Google play store
Set in place by United Nations there are seventeen SDGs that aim at encouraging 33 signatory nations including India to work towards a sustainable, inclusive and holistic development targets by 2030. SDG Choupal is a 10 year National Multi Stakeholder initiative until 2030 lead by Nagrik Foundation supported by Niti Aayog, India@75, Ministry of Social Justice,TERI,WHO,UN-Habitat, MSME, NSIC, TheCommonwealth, UNESCAP, GCNI, Caparo Group, RIS, ONGC and others including Literacy India. The mission of SDG Choupal is to reach out to all 730 plus Districts, 6 lac plus Villages Empowering Communities, Enabling Localisation of SDGs.
Mr. Deepak Diwedi – Chairman Dainik Bhaskar and Editor-in-Chief, Member CII Task Force, member of the Governing Council UN Global Compact Network India & Convenor of SDG Choupal 2030 who presided as chief guest of the meet said “No one size fits all. Therefore, the deliberations and decisions regarding the continued education of children, especially from the underserved sections of society cannot be taken unilaterally. We must ensure our voices reach the last child in the last district of this vast country and their voice is heard in turn, as we formulate ways and means to ensure that no child is left behind in this pursuit of lifelong learning. This is critical to ensure a strong foundation for a resilient India.”
The panel moderated by Sukanya Ghosh, Communications consultant for non-profits and social enterprises saw the likes of Amit Gupta, Associate Director with Oxford University Press India; Sonali Dutta, Vice President, Corporate Affairs Bry -Air (Asia) Pvt. Ltd.; Vikhyat Singh, Senior Director and Gurgaon Site Leader, Dell and Ajit Nema, Managing Director, Consulting, Deloitte join in.
The panelists were unanimous in their deliberations and pointed out that education is the only instrument to induce phenomenal positive changes in society. Education is a force multiplier which promotes sound physical and mental health, boosts economic growth by enhancing skills and improves people’s lives by opening up opportunities for better livelihoods. This leads to self-reliance and reduces societal inequalities.
Said Capt. Indraani Singh, Founder Literacy India, “The COVID-19 pandemic has kept over 9 million students in India out of school and colleges. While online classes are now restarting the vital education process but a vast section of students cannot be part of this e-learning journey and may drop out of the education system completely. This will lead to irreversible negative repercussions on the overall social, economic development of the country. Corporates, Non-Governmental organisations, the government and individuals must work together to come up with pragmatic solutions, the right policy, technology and financial interventions to ensure that no child gets left behind in this journey of quality education and learning as the world battles the pandemic.”
About India@75
India@75 is an initiative of the Confederation of Indian Industries (CII) which is working towards realizing the vision of India which is inclusive, sustainable and developed by 2022 and beyond. India@75’s National Volunteering Grid Portal (NVG) https://www.nvgindia.org/ is a convergence platform for all stakeholders in the volunteering space to create awareness towards volunteerism in India.
About Literacy India
Literacy India, a non-governmental organisation has impacted over 6,50,000 lives across 13 states in India led by their three-pronged development approach – Education, Employability and Empowerment. To know more log on to www.literacyindia.org
Add comment