Page 430 - Kaleidoscope Academic Conference Proceedings 2024
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2024 ITU Kaleidoscope Academic Conference
Sustainability Compact Agreement is a part of
Space and Sustainability Compact Agreement Nanritam began a movement of Education for
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Initiative (SSCI) of Alliance for Collaboration All (EFA), motivated by the opportunity
in the Exploration of Space - ACES Worldwide of wave of digital transformation during the
(ACES Worldwide), a non-profit organization recent pandemic to address the widespread
that aims to strengthen international alliances by inequality in receiving education in remote
supporting equitable space policies, laws, areas, that was further exposed by the pandemic.
regulations, sustainability, safety, education, Nanritam’s Filix school, located in Para,
training and capacity-building. Purulia, West Bengal, India was already
committed to providing quality education in
Relevance of space technology, often education to the young local children of
complemented with artificial intelligence, in surrounding rural and socio-economically
achieving sustainable development on earth is a backward area. However, the importance of
proven fact and has been recognized in several providing quality education in other remote and
UN documents. In fact, in 2015, when States rural areas of India was realized and thus was
adopted the Sustainable Development Goals to born the EFA project. While providing the
be achieved by 2030, they also noted importance quality education to underprivileged population
of earth observation and geo-spatial information in remote areas is a difficult task, this can be
in achieving such goals. Later in 2021, UN achieved through communications networks,
General Assembly adopted the Space2030 space systems and artificial intelligence.
Agenda which recognizes space as a driver for
sustainable development. Space technology can This EFA project is important and relevant as
be useful for remote sensing, navigation, according to World Bank 2022 data, only 76%
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broadcasting, communications, etc and can of the adult Indian population is literate.
provide useful solutions to developmental needs Though Nanritam’s EFA project aims to provide
on earth. Recognizing the role of partnerships in education to young children, the data on adult
implementing the use of space technology for literacy provides an idea about state of literacy
sustainable development on earth, ACES in the country. Further, studies published under
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Worldwide, a not-for-profit entity, created the Annual Status of Education Report , have
Space and Sustainability Compact Agreement indicated that in rural India, less than 50%
Initiative which provides for partnership students in grade 5 can read text of grade 2,
between space providers and end-users with while less than 30% children of grade 5 can do
certain specific goals realizing which would be simple mathematical division. In recent decades
taking steps towards sustainable development. though there has been rise in literacy rates, much
While space technology can be driver of more needs to be accomplished to ensure quality
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achievement of all the 17 UN Sustainable education for all. A study , published by a joint
Development Goals and ACES’s SSCI deals effort of UNESCO, World Bank, USAID,
with realization of all the 17 SDGs, in this paper UNICEF and Bill and Melinda Gates
we deal with SDG 4 (Quality Education), which foundation, reported that “even before COVID-
is an important goal for development. SDG 4 19, the world was facing a learning crisis, with
can be realized through a variety of approaches nearly 6 out of every 10 ten-year-olds in low-
– while the approach by APN of bringing and middle-income countries suffering from
meritorious students to institutions and facilities learning poverty—meaning they were unable to
providing quality education is an effective one; read and understand a simple story.”
another approach is to ensure educational
facilities reach the remotest corners of a country. Thereafter, the COVID-19 pandemic school
The second approach of bringing educational closures and disruptions have deepened the
facilities to young children in remote areas is the crisis, sharply increasing learning poverty and
one which has been adopted by Nanritam, a non- exacerbating the inequalities in education”.
profit organization incorporated in India. EFA project, essentially aims to alleviate this
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