Today marks the commencement of the highly anticipated fourth and final Education Working Group (EDWG) meeting under India's G20 Presidency. The Ministry of Education is set to host this significant event in Pune, Maharashtra from June 19 to 22, 2023. With the theme of "Ensuring Foundation Literacy and Numeracy, especially in the context of blended learning," the meeting aims to paint a vision of innovation in education. The Education Ministerial meeting will culminate the discussions on June 22, 2023.
Sanjay Kumar, the Secretary of School Education, said, "The G20 4th Education Working Group will be conducted in Pune from June 19-21. There couldn't be a better place than this, because Pune has always been a primary centre of knowledge. Savitribai Phule opened the first school for women in 1848 in Pune only."
Multimedia Foundational Literacy and Numeracy Exhibition
Alongside the EDWG meeting, Union Minister of State for Education Annapurna Devi on Saturday inaugurated the multimedia Foundational Literacy and Numeracy Exhibition in Pune.
The exhibition will be open to local institutions, students, academicians and researchers from June 17-22, 2023, except on June 19. On the occasion, Union MoS, Ministry of Education, Annapurna Devi delivered the inaugural address at the conference. Speaking on the occasion Annapurna Devi highlighted the National Initiative for Proficiency in Reading with Understanding and Numeracy i.e. NIPUN Bharat Mission, which emphasizes the need to attain Foundational Literacy and Numeracy goals nationally in a time-bound (2026-27) manner.
Features more than 100 exhibitors
It features more than 100 exhibitors, including prominent organizations like Google, UNICEF, and the National Skill Development Corporation. It presents best practices in education, foundational literacy and numeracy, digital initiatives, research, and skill development.
One of the key attractions at the exhibition is an end-to-end machine translation framework called "UDAAN" developed by the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay. UDAAN incorporates advanced technologies such as optical character recognition and data-efficient learning, enabling swift translation of hundreds of textbooks into multiple Indian languages.
Additionally, the exhibition includes an app called "Read Along" (formerly known as Bolo) by Google. This free AI and speech-based application aids children aged 5-11 in learning to read independently by providing real-time assistance. Other notable exhibits include the "DigiTaal" tablet by Littlemore Innovation Labs, designed to replace paper in critical exams, and Sesame Workshop's engaging activities for children in low-resourced communities.
The exhibition also highlights the initiatives of UNICEF, such as the "FLN Hub," an online portal offering guidance on improving foundational learning success, and the "ECE Accelerator Analysis and Planning Toolkit," supporting early childhood education in education planning processes.
The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) showcases its best practices on digital initiatives, skill modules, and the future of work, emphasizing collaboration between industry and education. Their contributions to driving skill development in India will also be highlighted.
At the event, Sanjay Kumar Secretary School Education and Literacy lauded the precursory event of the G20 Working Group meeting, the large-scale Janghabidari events, all over the country that created widespread awareness of FLN, NEP, and G20 in India, a movement that has touched more than 4 crores people in the country.
The exhibition showcased the States of Maharashtra, Gujarat, Assam and Jharkhand presenting the best practices in Foundational Literacy and Numeracy of respective states.
Uni20
In conjunction with the G20 education event, the Uni20 Conference will also commence today, June 19th, along with the G20 education event. Participants will gather at Symbiosis International University in Lavale, Pune to kickstart the three-day conference dedicated to exploring the transformative role of universities in shaping a better future for our world. The conference aims to foster fruitful discussions, collaboration, and the generation of innovative ideas among senior academics and educational leaders from G20+ countries. Under the theme "The Future of Universities: Making the World a Better Place to Live in: The Transformative Role of Universities," Uni20 is poised to ignite inspiring conversations and pave the way for impactful initiatives.
