The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) is developing a touch/talking pen initiative called ‘Kitab Ek Padhe Anek’ to make educational information more accessible to all students, including those with visual impairments or special needs.
The project, which is being developed by the Central Institute of Educational Technology (CIET), a constituent of NCERT, includes the creation of interactive textbooks with touchpoints. When a talking pen is placed on them, these touchpoints provide audio descriptions of illustrations or other content. The initiative is different from audiobooks launched in 2020, as it involves interactive elements within regular physical books.
A primary teacher in a Delhi school and a participant in the project stated, “A few teachers have been attending workshops being held in batches for this project. I was part of the second batch of teachers, which consisted of 25 teachers from across Delhi. We were briefed about the project’s goals and given a demonstration of how the talking pen will function with the help of a demo book. The team has completed making the touchpoints, and now the audio will be prepared for the respective content.”
The initiative, which began in May, has so far covered subjects such as Hindi, English, and Mathematics for classes I and II. It plans to extend to class V and will gradually cover other subjects. The NCERT aims to have these books ready by the next academic session, which will be available to all students nationwide.
Speaking about the latest development, Sudha Acharya, Former NPSC chairman and Principal of ITL Public School, said:
These books will be a boon for the visually challenged children. The interactive nature of the talking pen will allow students to explore the material at their own pace without relying solely on teachers’ assistance. The books, which will be child-friendly, will help students develop a sense of independence and confidence in their learning journey. The talking pen will make learning more engaging for the children. The initiative will also be a valuable aid for teachers, allowing them to give quality education to all their students.
NCERT aims to promote and coordinate research in areas related to school education; prepare and publish model textbooks, supplementary material, newsletters, journals and develop educational kits, multimedia digital materials, etc. organise pre-service and in-service training of teachers; develop and disseminate innovative educational techniques and practices; collaborate and network with state educational departments, universities, NGOs and other educational institutions; act as a clearing house for ideas and information in matters related to school education; and act as a nodal agency for achieving the goals of Universalisation of Elementary Education. NCERT also interacts and works in collaboration with international organisations, visiting foreign delegations and offering various training facilities to educational personnel from developing countries.
