International Journal of Management (IJM)

Volume 11, Issue 10, October 2020, pp. 441-448, Article ID: IJM_11_10_043

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Available online at http://www.iaeme.com/IJM/issues.asp?JType=IJM&VType=11&IType=10
ISSN Print: 0976-6502 and ISSN Online: 0976-6510
DOI: 10.34218/IJM.11.10.2020.043

© IAEME Publication Scopus Indexed

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IMPACT OF COVID-19 ON INDIAN EDUCATION
Amrita Verma Pargaien
Graphic Era Hill University, Bhimtal Campus

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Uttarakhand, India

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Saurabh Pargaien*
Graphic Era Hill University, Bhimtal Campus
Uttarakhand, India

Neetika Tripathi
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Inverties University, Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh,India

Sonika Upadhaya
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Graphic Era Hill University, Bhimtal Campus
Uttarakhand, India

Gauri Joshi
Graphic Era Hill University, Bhimtal Campus
Uttarakhand, India
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Sapna Joshi
Banasthali University, Rajasthan, India
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Manisha S. Kedar
Amrutvahini Institute of Pharmacy,
Sangamner, India
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Corresponding Authors*

ABSTRACT
Education is one sector which has been tremendously affected by the COVID-19
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pandemic. This paper probes into the effect of this pandemic on education and analyses
the various alternatives which are being used to aid the learning process. The
requirement of every student differs from the other. Therefore, age is used as a
parameter to categorize students and understand the student needs through analysis of
these categories. Also, several initiatives launched by the government are analyzed,
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which go unnoticed due to lack of awareness. The virtual way of learning also brings
with it several problems which are discussed. The importance of online learning is
underscored with future prospects.

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 Impact of Covid-19 on Indian Education

Keywords: Education, COVID-19, Indian education, online education, child mental

health etc.

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Cite this Article: Amrita Verma Pargaien, Saurabh Pargaien, Neetika Tripathi, Sonika
Upadhaya, Gauri Joshi, Sapna Joshi and Manisha S. Kedar, Impact of Covid-19 on Indian
Education, International Journal of Management, 11(10), 2020, pp.441-448
http://www.iaeme.com/IJM/issues.asp?JType=IJM&VType=11&IType=10

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1. INTRODUCTION
Diversity is an appropriate synonym for India. This diversity is also reflected in the Education
System of the country. The vast population of the country includes a vast population of students
from different geographic, ethnic and economic strata. Therefore the requirements and resource
availability of every student differs from the other [1-5].Education has been a primary focus of

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Republic India. Education comes under the Concurrent list with the Government of India (GOI)
suggesting policies and programmes which are implemented by the state governments with

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required amendments. Free and compulsory education is provided to all students between the
ages 6-14. Most state and central boards observe the “10+2” model of education. The different
levels of education are governed by different institutional bodies - the National Council of
Educational Research and Training (NCERT), Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE),
Council for the Indian School Certificate Examination(CISCE),State Governments Boards of
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Education, National Institute of Open Schooling(NIOS), University Grants
Commission(UGC), All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), Distance Education
Council (DSE), Bar Council of India(BCI), and Medical Council of India(MCI) to name a few
[2-3].
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An important aspect of the education system in India is examinations. Evaluation in the
Indian Education is primarily assessment based and theoretical examinations form a major
portion of the marks allotted. The tests conducted on a regular basis assess the student and
examination scores are directly related to eligibility for entry into various organizations [6-7].
The COVID-19 pandemic has greatly affected every sector of the society and stagnated
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progress. Its effect has been reflected in the Education Sector as well. The sudden closure of all
educational institutions created a vacuum in the learning process. With over 150 country-wide
school closures since May, more than 1 billion learners have been affected. The shift to online
learning was a wise move to fill this vacuum and has shown some positive results. But, in a
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country like India with a vast population and limited resources, such efforts can be feasible only
with planning which was left neglected due the time constraint. Educational institutions were
forced to switch to the virtual world of learning that is solely the right of those who have the
appropriate resources. Internet connectivity to the last root of the nation is still a distant dream.
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Also other means of imparting education, for example television, suffer due to inadequate
infrastructure (electricity availability, monetary unavailability). Also, the economic crisis has
made internet data charges an unaffordable luxury for many [8].
Another point to be considered is that every student is variably receptive to adopting and
adapting to the online way of learning. Age is a significant factor which defines the reception
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power of a student. A four- year -old kindergarten student will see a computer screen in a
different perspective when compared to a 21-year-old university student. The physiological and
psychological impact on every individual will also be different. Therefore, age is an important
parameter which can be efficiently used to categorize students and cater to their respective
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needs.Authors have categorized the students as listed in table 1.

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This preprint research paper has not been peer reviewed. Electronic copy available at: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3738539
 Amrita Verma Pargaien, Saurabh Pargaien, Neetika Tripathi, Sonika Upadhaya, Gauri Joshi,
Sapna Joshi and Manisha S. Kedar

Table 1 Different categories of the students [9]

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Age Group Class Category No. of students
enrolled * 2017
projected data
(in thousands)
3 to 5 years Play school, Kindergarten Pre-Primary Education NA

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6 to 13 years Class I-VIII Primary Education 202013
(Elementary Education)
14 to 17 years Class IX-XII Secondary Education 92225
18 to 25 years Graduation, Post Graduation Higher Education 141829
This categorization can be effectively used for analysis. We have conducted an online

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survey among the students of these age groups. We have asked some questions related to their
age group and on the basis of their responses we have made some conclusions. In this paper we

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have represented it category wise.

1.1. Category 1: Age 3-5 years

Children in this category should be involved in activities that help them to unfold their talents,
thus enabling them to sharpen their mental and physical abilities. They learn more effectively
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with their peers. Although online learning has kept their study routine on track but has confined
them to their homes. This has resulted in agitated behavior as was confirmed by our analysis.
Also, most parents are not satisfied with the overall growth of their child (more than 60%
confirming).
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1.2. Category 2: Age 6-13 years
The children in this category are encouraged to follow a disciplined routine which includes both
studying and physical activities. Our survey results reveal that about 76% of the parents feel
that there has been a change in the discipline of their wards since school closure. The pandemic
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has created a situation which has forced the children to see all the content on mobile or laptop.
The inability to complete the work on time has resulted in students getting stressed and
pressurized. This sudden and unplanned transition to online learning has left many children
confused. After some time they will take it as a burden and drift away from learning anything.
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1.3. Category 3: Age 14-17 years

Students in this category are in a very crucial stage of their education. This age forms the
foundation of their career. The survey results show that 65% students are stressed about their
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online class studies. Through the online mode of study students are able to cover their theory
portion but they are not able to perform practicals. So we can say due to COVID- 19 students
are not able to correlate their theory knowledge with practicals Also, their career plans have
been temporarily halted with the conduction of entrance competitive exams getting postponed.
This has resulted in anxiety and confusion in students who are already under the burden of
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assignments. The growth of those students who are unable to avail the online learning facilities
has been completely hampered.

1.4. Category 4: Age 18-25 years

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This category has extracted the maximum benefit from the online learning process. Students in
this category are mostly comfortable with technology and use it efficiently. There has been
increased participation in online webinars, workshops and internships. More than 50% of
students confirm that they have been participating in such events. The drawback is the inability

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This preprint research paper has not been peer reviewed. Electronic copy available at: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3738539
 Impact of Covid-19 on Indian Education

to perform practicals which require physical activity. Those without appropriate resources for
online learning have been left behind in the fast paced online learning method. Although, the

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students in this category have adapted to the online method of learning, 80% of the students
still prefer the conventional method of learning.

1.5. Category 5: Age 25-40 years

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This category includes students pursuing higher education (post-graduation), teachers and
working professionals. The use of technology for learning has not been a problem for people in
this group. More than 80% of the people in our analysis have been engaged in events like
webinars, development programs and online courses to upgrade and enhance their skills.
Around 86% of the people are using educational portals run by the government for preparing
online study material. Even though people have acclimatized to the online method, they are not
satisfied with it. The increased screen time has also led to increased irritation. The full potential

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of a teaching faculty is undermined in the online method and more than 90% people still prefer
the conventional method of teaching and learning.

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2. IMPACT ON EXAMINATION DUE TO COVID-19
Government of India has taken a good initiative to promote students of all classes without any
exam except board students. They were promoted on their previous assessment. The unsure
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conduction of board exams has created confusion. Some states have conducted board exams
but some education boards have cancelled the remaining exams leaving assessment to previous
performance. Conduction of board exams is a crucial issue in the Indian Education system.Most
universities and colleges have policies to take admission based on class 12 board marks or they
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conduct their own entrance test. Entrance test is not a good and feasible option today.The
admission process will be greatly affected in this chaos.The dissimilarity in different states
boards regarding exams may affect the chances of admission. Most of the students have
prepared themselves for competitive exams but the uncertain situation has affected a lot of these
students in taking the right decision for their higher education and ultimately their career. The
examination process in the higher education institutions has also been affected. Some
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universities have conducted online examinations; some have promoted students based on
internal assessments while some students are still awaiting a decision. Evaluation based on
examinations is an important part of the Indian education system; therefore a feasible and safe
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alternative is necessary to ensure fair evaluation without compromising on the health of

students.

3. GOVERNMENT INITIATIVES
The government (ministry of Human Resource Development) has been promoting online
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learning. There are several initiatives which are being implemented to promote online learning
as listed in table 2. The government has announced promotion of students to next classes based
on internal assessment which has not only protected students but also relieved them of the
psychological burden of exams. This has also fostered the spirit for learning.
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This preprint research paper has not been peer reviewed. Electronic copy available at: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3738539
 Amrita Verma Pargaien, Saurabh Pargaien, Neetika Tripathi, Sonika Upadhaya, Gauri Joshi,
Sapna Joshi and Manisha S. Kedar

Table 2 Different learning platforms provided by Indian Goverrnment[10]

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S.No. Platform Name Content Link
1. DIKSHA 80,000 e-content items in
multiple Indian languages, https://diksha.gov.in or
catering to Grades 1-12. During https://seshagun.gov.in/shagun
lockdown accessed nearly 215

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million times.

2. e-PATHSHALA It has 1886 audios, 2000 videos,

696 e- e-books (e-Pubs) and 504 http://epathshala.gov.in
Flip Books for classes 1st to 12th
in different languages
3. NATIONAL

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REPOSITORY Total of 14527 files including http://nroer.gov.in/welcome
OF OPEN 401 collections, 2779 documents,

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EDUCATIONAL 1345 interactive, 1664 audios,
RESOURCES 2586 images and 6153 videos on
(NROER): different languages
4. SWAYAM 1900 courses covering both https://www.swayam.gov.in
school (class IX to XII) And
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Higher Education (both UG and
PG) in all subjects including
engineering, humanities and
social sciences, law and
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management courses
5. SWAYAM 32 DTH TV channels https://www.swayamprabha.gov.in
PRABHA transmitting educational contents
on 24/7 basis.
cover both school education
(class IX to XII) And Higher
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Education in a wide range of

subjects like engineering,
vocational courses, teacher
training, performing arts, social
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sciences and humanities subjects,

law, medicine, agriculture and
many more

6. NISHTHA An integrated Teacher Training nishtha.ncert.gov.in

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Portal and Mobile App

7. NATIONAL digital repository of a vast https://ndl.iitkgp.ac.in/
DIGITAL amount of academic content in
LIBRARY different formats
The access to the above digital resources has grown nearly five times.
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3.1. Ensuring Equality in Digital Learning

The large population of the country with limited resources needs cost effective and feasible
alternatives to provide equal access to students from every strata of the society.One such
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alternative is the use of Television and Radio. This mode of teaching can be used to reach
remote areas as well. The Swayam Prabha initiative has provided 32 DTH TV channels. These
channels are available across the country using DD Free Dish Set Box and Antenna. 12 channels
will be exclusively marked for School education (Class 1 to 12). Swayam Prabha Channels

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 Impact of Covid-19 on Indian Education

related to school education will be given for 2 hours per day to each State/UT. States will
develop class wise/ subject wise content mapped to their syllabus in local languages. Private

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DTH service providers have also provided one channel each for education during COVID
period.
Imparting education through Radio channels is also an effective method of bridging the
accessibility gap. Radio channels are being extensively used to broadcast educational

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programmes. Radio will be used specially for those students who are in remote areas. Activity
based learning will be very effective for radio channels. 289 Community Radio Stations will be
used .This has also led to the utilization of huge portions of the Analog spectrum of Radio and
TV that are not in use.
Post lockdown, Operation Digital Board will be an immediate priority in all Govt. and Govt.
aided secondary and senior secondary schools (Around 1.53 lakh schools). Two Digital Boards

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will be provided to each school. DD free dish antennas will also be included in the package.
Preloaded pen drives with contents from Class 1 to 12 for areas lacking connectivity. Students

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will be able to access e-content online as well as offline mode. It will also be helpful in watching
educational TV channels including Swayam Prabha. Provision of monitoring and evaluation of
the usage of ODB will be made.

3.2. Impact on market er

Application based learning through digital platforms has seen a great boost recently. The
number of internet, more specifically smart phone users, was already growing and the pandemic
has further accelerated this growth. This has created a huge market for apps which provide
learning and conduction of online exams, animation industry and also the electronics
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manufacturing industry.

3.3. Impact on Environment

The education sector of the country also affects the environment in one way or another. The
sudden closure of all educational institutions has also altered this impact on the environment.
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On the good side, use of online media has reduced the use and wastage of stationery items
specifically pages, which affect trees. Another advantage is reduction in pollution levels due to
the halt in transportation vehicles used by educational institutions. But, there are some adverse
effects as well. Online learning has accelerated the generation of waste, both physical and
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digital. The huge amount of information being generated is creating a huge burden. Another
problem is the generation of e-waste which is not disposed in the right manner due to lack of
awareness and resources. Although, there are few facilities available which provide the
recycling solution, but they are not enough in proportion with the amount of waste being
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generated. Also, the dismantling of electronic equipment requires stringent safety measures as
they contain toxic chemicals which can severely affect health. These measures are scarcely
followed by those employed in this domain and the workers bear the brunt of this lack of
responsibility.
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3.4. Cyber Security and user privacy

The unanticipated shift to online learning has forced us to become a part of this race of online
education without being prepared. Any individual using online platforms must be aware of all
the pros and cons associated with online education. An important aspect, which often goes
unnoticed, is cyber security. The online domain also brings the threat of data breaches and cyber
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attacks. A huge number of people using online platforms enter their credentials, including
phone numbers and email addresses, which are not appropriately protected. There have also
been instances where online classrooms have been intruded. A large portion of people have

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 Amrita Verma Pargaien, Saurabh Pargaien, Neetika Tripathi, Sonika Upadhaya, Gauri Joshi,
Sapna Joshi and Manisha S. Kedar

recently switched to online learning and are unaware of these problems. It is important to make

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cyberspace safer. People should be made aware about the cyber threats and trained
appropriately.

3.5. Physiological and Psychological impact

Online learning has turned into the new normal today. Circumstances require us to adapt to this

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form of learning. In order to do this, we must also be aware of the physiological and
psychological impact of online learning. The increased screen time, burden of online classes,
assignment submission and health safety has reduced physical activity which can affect the
health of students. Also, a child studying at home also feels isolated and this can have a great
psychological impact. Students are unsure about their career prospects, especially those who
are just stepping into higher education. The inability to join online classes by some students due

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to unavailability of resources leaves them with a fear of being left out. The last few months
have also witnessed many cases of suicide by students who are unable to cope with the rapidly

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transforming online world. This issue needs to be carefully dealt with by proper counseling and
universal accessibility of resources.

4. CONCLUSION
The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in an unprecedented disruption to education. The post-
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COVID world will witness education as a powerful tool in building back the new normal and
technology will be an integral part of the learning process in catching up with the lost pace.
Online education is an important tool in dealing with the current crisis. It ensures delivery of
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education to students in need.A familiarity with online resources at early stages of education
can benefit students later since most examinations are now conducted online. But the issues on
the other side of the coin must also be addressed. In school education, online learning affects
the mental and physical status of students.Outdoor activities and peer learning cannot be
replaced by online classes. In the higher education domain, online education has opened a
number of opportunities for students. Students can avail the opportunity to learn from renowned
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faculties, access study material and work with industries online. Teachers can also
bringinnovation in the learning process through online education and enhance their skills as
well.But this all also comes with a price. Increased association with mobile or laptop screens
can result in psychological stress and health impacts. The unavailability of resources can create
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an educational divide. Therefore equality in education must be ensured.

There are several initiatives by the government which can help students from every stratum
to learn and develop but lack of awareness has undermined the potential of these facilities. The
higher educational institutes are instructed to include some credits in their curriculum through
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online courses. Every institute must have an online library providing accesses to e-books and
recorded lectures.
As we count days to return to the normal, we must realize that, to rebuild the society we
must rebuild education. The online learning process will become an inevitable part of the
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education system therefore we must be prepared.

REFERENCES
[1] Dattatraya, S.D., Tated, R. G., Falch, M., Prasad, R. (2015). Review of Indian education system.
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(MITE), Amritsar, 416-419, doi: 10.1109/MITE.2015.7375356.

[2] https://www.ugc.ac.in/
[3] https://mhrd.gov.in/

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 Impact of Covid-19 on Indian Education

[4] Ch, S. K. & Popuri, S. (2013). Impact of online education: A study on online learning platforms
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(MITE), Jaipur, 2013, 366-370, doi: 10.1109/MITE.2013.6756369.
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[7] Kumar, M., Singh, T.P, Choudhury, T., & Gupta, S.C. (2019). ICT- The Smart Education
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[8] https://www.unicef.org/coronavirus/keeping-worlds-children-learning-through-covid-19
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[10] https://sakshat.ac.in/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/inccu_0.pdf

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