The digital transformation of school education in Uttar Pradesh has gained significant momentum with the expanding use of DIKSHA (Digital Infrastructure for Knowledge Sharing), the national digital platform for school education. Under the Yogi Adityanath government, the platform is being used not merely as an online repository of lessons but as an additional learning and teaching ecosystem connecting students, teachers, textbooks, smart classrooms and digital content. The scale of adoption in Uttar Pradesh is significant. The state has 27.01 lakh registered DIKSHA users, accounting for around 12 percent of the country’s total registered users. During 2025–26, an average of 17,597 users accessed the platform every day, while 49,789 new users joined during the year. These figures indicate that DIKSHA has moved beyond being a supplementary technology platform and is increasingly becoming part of the state’s regular educational infrastructure.What is DIKSHA?DIKSHA, or Digital Infrastructure for Knowledge Sharing, is a national platform created to support school education through digital technology. It provides learning and teaching resources for students, teachers and other stakeholders. One of its most important features is the integration of QR codes with textbooks and learning material. A student or teacher can scan a QR code printed alongside a lesson and access related digital resources such as videos, explanations, exercises and other learning material. This creates a bridge between the traditional classroom and digital education. Instead of treating textbooks and technology as separate systems, DIKSHA connects the two. The platform can therefore serve several purposes: providing supplementary learning material to students helping teachers explain difficult concepts through videos and multimedia supporting self-learning outside the classroom enabling access to educational material in multiple languages providing digital assessment and practice resources supporting inclusive education through specialised content strengthening smart-classroom and technology-enabled teachingUttar Pradesh’s Expanding DIKSHA FootprintThe most visible achievement of Uttar Pradesh is the size of its DIKSHA user base. With 27.01 lakh registered users, the state accounts for approximately 12 percent of all registered DIKSHA users nationally. The figure assumes greater significance because Uttar Pradesh has one of India’s largest school education systems, with a vast geographical spread extending from major cities to remote rural and semi-rural areas. Reaching such a large and diverse education network requires digital resources that can operate alongside conventional classroom teaching. The state recorded an average of 17,597 active users every day during 2025–26. In addition, 49,789 new users joined the platform during the same period. These figures should be interpreted carefully. Registered users represent the cumulative reach of the platform, while daily active users provide an indication of regular engagement. The two numbers therefore measure different dimensions of success. Together, however, they demonstrate both the breadth of adoption and continuing utilisation of DIKSHA.More Than 16,000 QR-Linked Educational VideosOne of the most important components of Uttar Pradesh’s DIKSHA strategy is the creation and use of more than 16,000 QR-linked educational videos. The QR-code model is particularly useful because it makes digital learning accessible without requiring students to search independently for appropriate material. A learner studying a particular lesson can scan the QR code associated with it and immediately reach the relevant digital resource. In fact, this can improve the classroom experience in several ways. A teacher explaining science, mathematics, geography or another subject can supplement the textbook with visual material. A student who has not fully understood a lesson can revisit the digital explanation. Teachers can also use such resources for revision and reinforcement. For rural schools, the model has another important advantage: it allows existing textbooks and school infrastructure to become gateways to a much larger digital knowledge base.From Videos to Interactive Learning The digital education programme is not restricted to video lessons. Uttar Pradesh has also incorporated game-based assessments, smart-class content and other interactive resources into the learning ecosystem. Game-based assessments can make practice and evaluation more engaging, particularly for younger learners. Instead of relying exclusively on conventional written exercises, students can receive opportunities for interactive practice and assessment. Smart-class content, meanwhile, enables teachers to use multimedia resources during classroom instruction. This is particularly valuable for subjects where visualisation can improve understanding. The broader objective is to make technology a teaching aid rather than a substitute for teachers. The teacher remains central to the learning process, while digital resources provide additional tools for explanation, demonstration, practice and assessment.Multilingual and Inclusive Digital EducationAnother important dimension of the DIKSHA initiative is accessibility. Educational content in multiple Indian languages can help students learn in a language that is familiar to them. This is particularly relevant in a state as geographically and socially diverse as Uttar Pradesh. The inclusion of Indian Sign Language content is an important step towards making digital educationmore inclusive for children with hearing-related disabilities and other special learning requirements. This reflects a broader principle: digital transformation is meaningful only when technology expands access rather than creating another barrier. Initiatives such as DIKSHA Pocket Booklets are also intended to make digital resources easier to use at the school level. Such interventions can help teachers and schools navigate and incorporate digital resources into everyday teaching.Bringing Digital Resources to Rural and Remote SchoolsThe real test of digital education in Uttar Pradesh lies not only in Lucknow, Noida, Kanpur or other major urban centres but in villages and remote schools. The state’s large rural school network makes the combination of physical textbooks, QR codes, smart classrooms and digital content particularly relevant. A textbook can reach a student through the conventional education system, while the QR code can potentially connect that same student to supplementary digital material. In this manner, the digital platform can extend the educational resources available to schools without requiring every school to maintain a large physical library of supplementary material. Where internet connectivity and appropriate devices are available, students and teachers can access resources beyond the conventional classroom timetable.Strengthening Teachers Alongside StudentsA major strength of DIKSHA is that it is not designed only for students. Teachers are also important users of the platform. Digital resources can help teachers prepare lessons, find supplementary material, explain concepts visually and provide additional exercises. This becomes particularly useful for teachers handling subjects or topics where additional multimedia material can improve classroom engagement. For the government, therefore, digital education is simultaneously a student-support programme and a teacher-support system. The expanding user base suggests that this ecosystem is gradually becoming part of the wider educational environment in Uttar Pradesh.What the Success Figures MeanThe achievement of 27.01 lakh registered users should not be viewed merely as a numerical milestone. First, it represents the creation of a large digital education user base in one of India’s most populous states. Second, Uttar Pradesh’s approximately 12 percent share of India’s registered DIKSHA users demonstrates the scale at which the platform has been adopted in the state. Third, the 17,597 average daily active users in 2025–26 indicate that the platform is being accessed regularly rather than functioning solely as a registration-based system. Fourth, the addition of 49,789 new users during the year points to continued expansion. Fifth, the availability of more than 16,000 QR-linked educational videos shows that adoption is being supported by a substantial body of locally relevant digital learning material. Finally, multilingual resources, Indian Sign Language content, game-based assessments and smart-class resources indicate that the programme is attempting to address not just access but also quality, engagement and inclusion.A New Model of Blended LearningThe most significant long-term impact of DIKSHA could be the emergence of a blended education model in Uttar Pradesh. Traditional classroom teaching remains the foundation. Digital resources add another layer to it. A lesson can begin with a teacher’s explanation, continue with a QR-linked video, be reinforced through interactive exercises and subsequently be revised by a student at home. This creates a learning cycle that is not confined to the forty or fifty minutes spent inside a classroom. The model is especially valuable for students who require repetition. Digital content allows learners to revisit concepts at their own pace, while teachers can use classroom time for explanation, interaction and problem-solving.Future ThinkingDespite the impressive scale of adoption, the next phase of digital education will depend on ensuring that usage translates into measurable improvements in learning outcomes. The priorities ahead include strengthening internet and device access, improving teacher digital capacity, continuously updating content, expanding regional-language resources and increasing the availability of accessible material for children with special needs. It will also be important to distinguish between registration, regular engagement and actual learning outcomes. The growth of users is an important indicator of reach, but the ultimate measure of success will be whether digital resources help children read better, understand mathematics and science more effectively, acquire foundational skills and perform better academically. Uttar Pradesh’s experience with DIKSHA demonstrates how digital technology can supplement a massive school education system. With 27.01 lakh registered users, around 12 percent of the national user base, an average of 17,597 daily active users in 2025–26 and 49,789 new users joining during the year, the platform has achieved considerable reach in the state. The availability of more than 16,000 QR-linked educational videos, together with game-based assessments, smart-class content, multilingual resources, Indian Sign Language material and DIKSHA Pocket Booklets, indicates an effort to build a broader and more inclusive digital learning ecosystem. The larger significance of the initiative is that digital education is gradually being integrated with the existing school system rather than being treated as a separate experiment. Textbooks, teachers, classrooms, smartphones, smart classes and online resources can increasingly work together. For a state as large and diverse as Uttar Pradesh, this integration can potentially reduce disparities in access to quality educational resources. The objective expressed by the state government—to make digital education accessible to every child and teacher—therefore represents not simply a technology initiative but an attempt to reshape how learning resources are delivered across the state.
