HRD Ministry to 3 TV channels to help students prepare for IIT entrance test

The HRD Ministry will soon launch 32 educational TV channels, including three that will help students prepare for IIT entrance examination.

Official sources said that the content of these channels has been finalised and the ministry is now working on ensuring that they reach every household with a TV set. "HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar today held a meeting with leading cable operators and DTH service providers to push for the carriage of these channels to all TV viewing homes. The minister asked them to be a part of this educational revolution and assured support in technical matters," a senior official said.

Content of these three channels has been finalised by experts from IIT-Delhi and will focus on Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics. There is a fourth channel which would focus on Biology and could help students preparing for medical entrance exams. The ministry has been seeking to reduce the dependence of students on private coaching centres, which have sprouted across the country, through its 'IIT Pal' initiative.

Several central universities, including like Jamia Millia Islamia, Punjabi University, IGNOU and Kashmir University, and leading educational institutions have been roped in by the HRD Ministry to prepare content of these channels. "A lot of content currently is in English but we are bringing in more and more content in Hindi and other regional languages. There is also animated content for children on these channels," the official said.
Of these TV channels, two will focus on teachers' education, the official added.