Digital Textbooks for Reducing Burden of Bags The Central Government has taken various steps to reduce curriculum load on the basis of recommendations of the report Learning without Burden" of the National Advisory Committee chaired by Prof. Yashpal. The National Curriculum Framework (NCF-2005) brought a shift in the teaching learning paradigm by focusing on child centered; process oriented; constructivist approach which discourages memorization and rote learning. Based on this, the National Council of Educational Research and Training has developed revised syllabi and textbooks and States have also revised their syllabi and textbooks accordingly so as to reduce the burden on children. Further, in the 63rd meeting of Central Advisory Board of Education (CABE) held on 19th August, 2015, the issue of lightening the burden of school children was discussed with all States/UTs. E-Pathshala was launched during the National Conference on ICT in School Education held on 7th November, 2015. It is a platform developed by National Council for Educational Research and Training (NCERT) for showcasing and disseminating all educational e-resources including textbooks, audio and video material, periodicals and a variety of other print and non-print materials. The platform addresses the dual challenge of reaching out to a diverse clientele and bridging the digital divide (geographical, socio-cultural and linguistic), offering comparable quality of e-contents and ensuring its free access at every time and every place. Students, teachers, educators and parents can access e-books through multiple technology platforms i.e. mobile phones and tablets and on web through laptops and desktops. This information was given by the Union Human Resource Development Minister, Smt. Smriti Zubin Irani today in a written reply to a Rajya Sabha question.
