Source: PIB
Context
The Press Information Bureau (PIB) on 28 June 2026 released a comprehensive backgrounder on DIKSHA — Digital Infrastructure for Knowledge Sharing — the Government of India’s national digital platform for school education. Launched on 5 September 2017 (Teachers’ Day) by then Vice-President Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu, DIKSHA is spearheaded by NCERT in collaboration with the Central Institute of Educational Technology (CIET) under the Ministry of Education, and is hosted on NIC infrastructure. It is built on Sunbird, an MIT-licensed open-source technology stack with 100+ micro-services. DIKSHA is a key component of the PM e-Vidya initiative (declared part of Atmanirbhar Bharat in May 2020) and was declared “One Nation, One Digital Platform” for school education. The platform now supports 135 languages (128 Indian + 7 foreign), hosts over 614 Virtual Laboratories, and has been adopted by all States, Union Territories, CBSE, NIOS, and Kendriya Vidyalayas. The platform is explicitly recognised in NEP 2020 clauses 2.60 and 23.60 as the national repository for foundational literacy and numeracy and teacher professional development content.
What is DIKSHA?
- Full Form: Digital Infrastructure for Knowledge Sharing.
- Type: Open-source national digital platform for school education.
- Launched: 5 September 2017 (Teachers’ Day) by VP Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu.
- Spearheaded by: NCERT (National Council of Educational Research and Training).
- Developed by: CIET (Central Institute of Educational Technology) — a constituent unit of NCERT.
- Hosted on: NIC (National Informatics Centre) infrastructure.
- Ministry: Ministry of Education (MoE), Government of India.
What is its status?
- Declared “One Nation, One Digital Platform” for school education in May 2020 under Atmanirbhar Bharat.
- Key component of PM e-Vidya initiative.
- Adopted by: All States, UTs, CBSE, NIOS, Kendriya Vidyalayas.
- Coverage: K-12 (Foundational Literacy and Numeracy → Senior Secondary).
What are the key features?
| Feature | Detail |
|---|---|
| QR-Coded Energised Textbooks | Physical NCERT books → linked to videos, interactives, teacher guides |
| Media-Rich Content | 2D/3D animations, AR experiences, simulations, virtual labs, sign language videos |
| Inclusive Features | DAISY format (Digital Accessible Information System), text-to-speech, Indian Sign Language (ISL) videos for differently-abled learners |
| Practice + Assessment | Unlimited practice questions, adaptive assessments, competency-based question banks |
| Teacher Professional Development | Via NISHTHA + state-specific TPD modules — self-paced, certified training |
| Offline Access | Content downloadable; preloaded on Smart Class boards by States/UTs |
| Virtual Laboratories | 614+ virtual labs for critical thinking, creativity |
| Mobile App | Available on Android + iOS for students, teachers, parents |
| PM e-Vidya DTH-TV Integration | One Class, One Channel (Classes 1-12); QR-linked to DIKSHA |
What is PM e-Vidya?
- A comprehensive initiative of the Ministry of Education for multimodal digital education.
- Declared part of Atmanirbhar Bharat package in May 2020 (COVID response).
- Components:
- DIKSHA (One Nation, One Digital Platform).
- One Class, One Channel — 12 DTH-TV channels for Classes 1-12.
- Radio, Community Radio, Podcasts (Shiksha Vani).
- Special e-content for visually + hearing impaired.
- Top 100 university online courses.
Practice MCQs
Q1. With reference to DIKSHA (Digital Infrastructure for Knowledge Sharing), consider the following statements:
- DIKSHA was launched on 5 September 2017 by the then Vice-President Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu.
- It is spearheaded by NCERT in collaboration with the Central Institute of Educational Technology (CIET).
- It is built on Sunbird, an MIT-licensed open-source technology stack.
- DIKSHA is a proprietary platform developed exclusively by a private MNC.
How many of the above statements are correct?
(a) Only one (b) Only two (c) Only three (d) All four (e) None
(Statement 4 is wrong; DIKSHA is an OPEN-SOURCE platform built on Sunbird (MIT-licensed), developed by NCERT/CIET (Government of India), NOT a proprietary platform from a private MNC.)
Q2. With reference to DIKSHA’s place in the digital education ecosystem, consider the following statements:
- DIKSHA is a key component of the PM e-Vidya initiative under the Ministry of Education.
- DIKSHA was declared “One Nation, One Digital Platform” for school education in May 2020 as part of Atmanirbhar Bharat.
- DIKSHA has been adopted by all States, UTs, CBSE, NIOS, and Kendriya Vidyalayas.
- DIKSHA is administered by the Reserve Bank of India.
How many of the above statements are correct?
(a) Only one (b) Only two (c) Only three (d) All four (e) None
(Statement 4 is wrong; DIKSHA is administered by NCERT/CIET under the Ministry of Education, NOT the RBI.)
Q3. With reference to DIKSHA’s features and accessibility, consider the following statements:
- DIKSHA features QR-coded Energised Textbooks that link physical NCERT books to digital content.
- DIKSHA includes inclusive features like the DAISY format, text-to-speech, and Indian Sign Language videos for differently-abled learners.
- As per the latest PIB release (June 2026), DIKSHA supports 135 languages, including 128 Indian and 7 foreign languages.
- DIKSHA only works with active internet connectivity and does not support offline access.
How many of the above statements are correct?
(a) Only one (b) Only two (c) Only three (d) All four (e) None
(Statement 4 is wrong; DIKSHA supports BOTH online and offline access — content can be downloaded in advance and States/UTs preload it on Smart Class boards.)
Answer Key
- (c) — Statement 4 wrong: DIKSHA is open-source, not proprietary.
- (c) — Statement 4 wrong: Administered by NCERT/CIET, not RBI.
- (c) — Statement 4 wrong: Supports both online and offline.
Exam Relevance
| UPSC Prelims & Mains | Very High — GS-II (Schemes, Education Policy, Governance), Essay on Education/Digital India |
