NDEAR is not a project where the Government will be building technology solutions for the use of the education ecosystem. Through NDEAR, the Government will play the role of an enabler, providing a framework where technology can be built by anyone. Further, solutions that use NDEAR frameworks, standards and specifications, would be considered NDEAR compliant. Any technology solution which is NDEAR compatible will be able to connect with other solutions that are NDEAR compliant. State Governments would be free to embark on building solutions to suit their needs. NDEAR, by identifying needs and curating the building blocks needed for the education ecosystem, would be able to help with enabling the States with a leg up by providing technology components that can be configured for different solutions. This is much like selecting good quality bricks, which could be used to make any building of choice by the builder.

NDEAR is under the aegis of the Ministry of Education in collaboration with MeitY.

NDEAR is meant to enable a common set of principles and approaches to be followed in building, using and re-using technology for education. Without NDEAR :

• Systems would continue to function in silos without the ability to connect with each other and leverage their combinatorial values
• Great innovations and solutions by States and the wider education community would not be possible to be leveraged by others.
• The lead time for getting technology projects and solutions by States and UTs would be longer.
• Solutions and ideas that have worked in a particular State, would not be reusable and reconfigurable by another and they would have to start from scratch.
• There would not be wide access to communities of practice and best practices leveraging technology in the Indian context.
• Data systems would not be able to talk to each other using a common framework, thereby curtailing policy-making, particularly to drive learning outcomes.
• There would not be common frameworks on data and policies around data. This would make technology systems and individuals vulnerable and may result in inconsistent handling of data, protection of individual data- particularly children’s data.

NDEAR is not a control-oriented, centralised framework. It is inherently federated and designed to enable autonomy and choice, in keeping with the federal nature of education under the Indian Constitution. For example, in the context of Registries, NDEAR would provide the building blocks for the creation of Registries. This would mean that the States could use these building blocks to create their own Registries. Sharing information from the Registries to the Centre or to other departments would be dependent on administrative policies and practices that are followed, but the standards and principles will make it possible for different federated databases to share data. The existence of Registries as a building block does not mean a common centralised structure bypassing constitutional, legal and administrative rules and regulations.

In consonance with the statutory framework and extant guidelines, NDEAR will come up with policies, standards and practices for the handling of data, particularly children’s data to ensure compliance with existing and proposed data protection laws. In addition, NDEAR will recognise the digital rights of children and evolve best practices to ensure safety, security and protection from untoward exposure, harm and tracking.

NDEAR is meant to be an evolving framework to keep pace with changing and emerging technologies, while staying true to its core principles. The NEP 2020 lays a significant emphasis on the use of emerging technologies like AI/ML, AR/VR/MR and DLT, for making a quantum change in the quality of education, governance, immersive content etc. These areas will be part of NDEAR and the NDEAR ecosystem approach will enable the wider ecosystem to participate and contribute in these areas.

1. An architectural blueprint for the education ecosystem and not a system.

2. That defines a set of

   a. Principles - e.g. technology and ecosystem

   b. Standards and Specifications - e.g. technology and data

   c. Guidelines - e.g. data process, ecosystem engagement

   d. Policies - e.g. data, openness, inclusion, accessibility

3. And identifies the key building blocks needed to make the architecture blueprint a reality

4. For an ecosystem

   of

   a. Actors to build, develop, innovate - interoperable building blocks

   b. Applications/Innovations in the form of Solutions, platforms, tools, assets to be developed and used

5. To enable the achievement of policy goals through programmes such as - SSA, FLN Mission - etc

1. A monolith platform; or
2. Portal; or
3. Application; or
4. A mobile app; or
5. An entity; or
6. Software component(s); or

7. Prescriptive set of:

   a. Features Solutions

   b. Education policies & programmes. It is not a builder or developer of building blocks, solutions and programmes