For the previous generation, which isn't really that far back I'd say towards the late 90s, the only source of information aside from curriculum textbooks were the school and public libraries. The knowledge base that one could mine through was limited to the availability of books. Interested learners would be left with the occasional interaction with mentors and experts taking the time out to help them. Since then, the turn around time of information dissemination has reduced in astonishing proportions to a few milliseconds in the current day and age, with no distance travelled. The advent of the Internet in India and our widespread adaption has enabled significant advancement of learning with children and toddlers being more informed and aware than ever before. Now the source of this wealth of information and education is simply the screen on their laptop or tablet computer that they can carry around with them. From personal computers to Wi-Fi campuses, smart classrooms and mobile learning new age learning has observed a paradigm shift.

To actually get a true sense of disruption that has taken place over the past decade, consider that today, information and education pertinent to all disciplines is limitlessly accessible by everyone, from its earlier confines. Education is where the Internet has made its most positive impact of all. In just two decades, it has dissolved constraints to learning and created tremendous opportunities through its application across all levels.

With access to technology seeping across the length and breadth of India, far beyond the metropolitan and tier 2 cities, we are transitioning ourselves to become an informed and cognizant society. Our empowerment is heralded by the current wave of inclusive development initiatives like Digital India, Skilling India and several others, I am delighted to see this long held vision of mine coming to fruition.

An Early Start with Technology

There are three defined fundamental principles of education as established by the Ministry of Human Resources and Development- Accessibility, Equity and Quality. These are to be facilitated to all educational institutions with commodity hardware, internet connectivity and affordable access to high quality e-content.