From Chalkboards To Clicks: How DIKSHA Is Transforming Education Across India

India’s journey towards digital education has gained remarkable momentum through DIKSHA (Digital Infrastructure for Knowledge Sharing) , a platform that has evolved into one of the country’s most significant digital public infrastructure initiatives in the school education sector. Developed under the Ministry of Education by NCERT and CIET , DIKSHA is reshaping the way teaching and learning are delivered, making quality educational resources accessible to millions of students and teachers across the country.

Launched in 2017 as an open-source platform, DIKSHA was created to address long-standing challenges in access to quality educational content across India’s diverse linguistic, geographic, and socio-economic landscape. Today, it serves as a unified national platform offering curriculum-aligned, multilingual, and inclusive learning resources for students from foundational literacy levels to senior secondary education. As a key component of the PM e-Vidya initiative , the platform plays a vital role in advancing equitable and technology-driven education.

The importance of DIKSHA became particularly evident during the COVID-19 pandemic , when schools across the country were forced to close. At a time when traditional classroom learning came to a halt, DIKSHA emerged as a critical resource, enabling students and teachers to continue learning remotely. The platform witnessed rapid growth in content, engagement, and adoption, helping maintain educational continuity during one of the most challenging periods for the education sector.

At the heart of DIKSHA is its open-source Sunbird architecture , which provides the flexibility and scalability needed to serve a country as diverse as India. Built on a federated model, the platform allows states, boards, and institutions to independently create, customise, and manage content while remaining connected through a common national framework. Its alignment with the National Digital Education Architecture (NDEAR) further strengthens interoperability and enables seamless collaboration among different educational systems.

DIKSHA is also deeply integrated into the broader PM e-Vidya ecosystem , which combines digital and broadcast-based educational initiatives, including DTH television channels, SWAYAM courses, and other online learning platforms. This multi-channel strategy ensures that education reaches students even in areas with limited internet access, helping bridge the digital divide and expand learning opportunities nationwide.

One of DIKSHA’s most notable strengths is its emphasis on multilingual learning . The platform supports educational content in a wide range of Indian and foreign languages, enabling students to learn in their mother tongue or preferred language. This approach not only improves comprehension but also promotes greater participation among learners from diverse backgrounds.

A standout feature of the platform is its QR-coded Energised Textbooks , which connect printed NCERT textbooks with digital resources such as videos, animations, simulations, assessments, and teacher guides. This integration of physical and digital learning creates a richer educational experience and supports blended learning in classrooms.

DIKSHA also places strong emphasis on inclusive education . To ensure that learning is accessible to all, including differently-abled students, the platform offers features such as text-to-speech functionality, DAISY-format resources, and Indian Sign Language (ISL) videos . These accessibility measures help remove barriers and ensure that every learner has the opportunity to benefit from quality educational content.

The platform promotes personalised and competency-based learning , allowing students to progress at their own pace. Through adaptive assessments, question banks, and extensive practice resources, DIKSHA helps identify learning gaps and supports targeted interventions. This learner-centric approach encourages deeper understanding rather than rote memorisation and provides valuable feedback to both students and teachers.

For educators, DIKSHA serves as a comprehensive professional development platform. Programmes such as NISHTHA (National Initiative for School Heads and Teachers Holistic Advancement) offer self-paced and certified training modules that enhance teaching skills, subject knowledge, and digital competencies. By supporting teacher development on a national scale, DIKSHA contributes significantly to improving educational outcomes.

Another important element of the platform is VidyaDaan , a collaborative initiative that allows teachers, educational institutions, NGOs, and private organisations to contribute learning content. This crowdsourced model expands the diversity and quality of educational resources available on the platform. All contributed content undergoes rigorous review and validation to ensure that it remains relevant, age-appropriate, and aligned with educational standards.

The platform’s federated governance structure enables states and Union Territories to tailor educational content according to local curricula, languages, and learning requirements. At the same time, oversight and validation by CIET-NCERT help maintain consistency and quality across the ecosystem. This balance between local flexibility and national standards has been instrumental in DIKSHA’s widespread acceptance.

From a technological perspective, DIKSHA aligns with India’s vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat , promoting indigenous, scalable, and open digital solutions capable of serving millions of users. Integrated dashboards and analytics tools provide valuable insights into user engagement, content performance, and learning trends, enabling policymakers and educators to make data-driven decisions.

The platform’s scale reflects its growing impact. As of June 2026, DIKSHA has more than 2.25 crore registered users and around three lakh daily active users . It has recorded 575.25 crore learning sessions and 6,691.82 crore learning minutes , demonstrating extensive engagement across the country. The platform hosts 7,687 Energised Textbooks , more than 3.67 lakh digital learning resources , and hundreds of structured courses.

Its reach spans every state and Union Territory, with strong adoption in major states such as Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Bihar, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, and Rajasthan. This widespread participation highlights DIKSHA’s role as a truly national education platform.

Another key strength is its support for offline learning . Students can download educational content for later use, while states and Union Territories can preload resources onto smart classroom systems. This capability ensures uninterrupted access to learning materials even in areas with limited or unreliable internet connectivity.

The platform continues to evolve through a range of innovative tools and services, including content authoring systems, quizzes, surveys, chatbots, dashboards, collaboration tools, mentoring systems, digital credentials, and language translation services. Together, these features create a comprehensive ecosystem that supports the entire educational journey, from content creation and delivery to assessment and certification.

DIKSHA also fosters collaboration among governments, schools, educators, technology partners, and civil society organisations. This collaborative approach allows innovations to be rapidly scaled and adapted across different regions while ensuring that the platform remains responsive to emerging educational needs.

As India advances its digital education agenda, DIKSHA stands out as a transformative force that is redefining how learning is delivered and experienced. By combining technology, accessibility, multilingual content, teacher empowerment, and data-driven decision-making , the platform is helping create a more equitable and future-ready education system.

From traditional chalkboards to digital classrooms, DIKSHA represents a significant shift in India’s educational landscape. Its continued growth and innovation underscore the country’s commitment to ensuring that every learner, regardless of geography, language, or socio-economic background, has access to quality education in the digital age.