The Union Human Resource Development Minister, Prakash Javadekar has
launched the new digital initiative of HRD Ministry ‘National Digital
Library of India’on the occasion of National Reading Dayin New Delhi
today. This National Digital Library of India (NDLI) is a project of the
Ministry of Human Resource Development under the aegis of National
Mission on Education through Information and Communication Technology
(NMEICT). The objective of NDL is to make digital educational resources
available to all citizens of the country to empower, inspire and
encourage learning. National Digital Library of India is developed by
IIT Kharagpur.
NDL is the Single Window Platform that collects and collates metadata
from premier learning institutions in India and abroad, as well as
other relevant sources. It is a digital repository containing textbooks,
articles, videos, audio books, lectures, simulations, fiction and all
other kinds of learning media.
Speaking on the occasion Minister said that a new era of Digital
India has begun as we dedicate this Digital Library to the Nation. He
said that the National Digital Library is a 24×7 ubiquitous knowledge
resource that is accessible to anyone with internet access and it is
built to enable the rise of Digital India. The Minister said that
anybody can access the digital library anytime and anywhere absolutely
free of cost and will contribute greatly to the Government’s commitment
towards “Padhe Bharat Badhe Bharat”.
The Minister explained that NDLI is a digital library that makes
quality learning resources available to all learners and has 1.7 Crore
content from more than 160 sources, in over 200 languages, everywhere
and 30 lakh users are registered on NDL as on date and our target is to
increase the users 10 times in a year. He said that NDLI platform is
collaborative in nature and extended his regards to contributing
institutions which have made available their digital repositories for
integration with NDLI.
Prakash Javadekar added that apart from website, NDL is also
available on the Mobile app. NDLI Mobile app is enabling access to rich
digital content of libraries across the country and even foreign
repositories to users even in the remotest of areas. He further said
that the App, which has been downloaded over 6.70 lakh times, is
currently available for both iPhone and Android users. Users can search
for content using various parameters like subject matter, source,
content type and more. Right Now the app is available in three languages
– English, Hindi and Bengali.
Speaking at the launch function today, the Minister of State for
Culture (I/c) Dr. Mahesh Sharma, narrated the difficulties faced by him
as a student in gaining access to books, and fondly thanked the NDL
initiative of Human Resource Development Ministry that would help lakhs
of students in the country. He added that National Digital Library
initiative by MHRD together with National virtual Library of India
platform by Ministry of Culture will enable India leave an indelible
mark on the World stage. He said Education and Culture are the
cornerstones in the concept of India’s ‘Unity in Diversity’ and National
Digital Library is a path breaking initiative by MHRD in this
direction.
Dr Mahesh Sharma also gave details about the National virtual Library
of India as a massive online library with resources covering tens and
hundreds of fields, ranging from arts, music, dance, culture, theatre,
science and technology to education, archaeology, literature, museums,
cartography maps, e-papers and manuscripts, among others , in all
possible forms collated and made available on a single online platform.
This programme is a part of the National Mission on Libraries of the
Ministry of Culture.
While addressing the gathering, the Minister of State for Human
Resource Development Shri Satya Pal Singh said that it is a very
important day in the history of India as the nation gets its own
National Digital Library. The Minister said that in earlier times
students had to struggle because of non-availability of books and other
study materials, but now this initiative will make the educational
resources easily accessible. He further said that NDLaims to make a
paradigm shift in education and research in India by enabling every
citizen with the knowledge resources they need to empower themselves.
Shri R. Subrahmanyam, Secretary, Department of Higher Education,
MHRD; Prof. Partha Pratim Chakrabarti, Director, IIT Kharagpur; Dr. N.
Saravana Kumar, Joint Secretary, MHRD;Shri N. Balagopala, Vice-Chairman,
P.N Panicker Foundation, Kerala were also present on the occasion.
Source- http://computer.expressbpd.com/news/union-hrd-minister-prakash-javadekar-launches-national-digital-library-of-india/25104/
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