A parliamentary panel on Monday recommended the use of satellite television to top officials of the education ministry and the CBSE for bridging the learning gap of students caused due to schools being closed in view of the COVID-19 pandemic, sources said.

The panel also decided to call officials from the ISRO at its next meeting. Top officials of the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT), the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) and the education ministry deposed before the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Education, chaired by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Vinay Sahasrabuddhe, on Monday.

The agenda of the meeting was 'plans for bridging the learning gap caused due to COVID-19 pandemic'. The members of the panel, including Sahasrabuddhe, underlined that all efforts should be made to bridge the learning gap of students and strongly suggested the use of satellite television such as Doordarshan DTH as it has more penetration than smartphones and does not require internet facility, the sources said.

Sahasrabuddhe emphasised that subject-wise classes can be broadcast on specific Doordarshan channels, also in regional languages, and it can be watched by many students in remote areas, the sources said. The members of the panel said this model has been adopted by Gujarat and Odisha and other states can also implement it.

It was decided at the meeting that besides the officials from the education ministry, officials of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and several states will be called at the next meeting of the panel to discuss the use of satellite television for bridging the learning gap of students.