The Commonwealth Educational Media Centre for Asia (COL-CEMCA), in collaboration with the National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS), hosted a three-day capacity-building workshop from 15 to 17 May 2025 in NOIDA, Uttar Pradesh. Bringing together over 70 vocational educators from Accredited Vocational Institutions (AVIs) across Delhi NCR, Chandigarh, Dehradun, Bhopal, Jaipur, and Prayagraj regions, the workshop focused on enhancing the quality and effectiveness of vocational education at the school level.

The key objectives of the workshop were to empower vocational educators with 21st century teaching methodologies; equip them with digital tools for blended learning; enhance instructional design and communication skills; improve learners' outcome and employability; and equip them with future-ready skills and pedagogical approaches to improve vocational training delivery at the school level. The workshop sessions, interspersed with group activities for hands-on training, equipped the participants with a deeper understanding of NEP 2020, their roles and responsibilities as educators, harnessing AI and ICT tools for vocational instructions, communication skills for effective teaching, and using innovative instructional methods and media effectively.

A transformative five-day Online Faculty Development Programme (FDP) on Technology-Enabled Learning (TEL) and Blended Learning was jointly organized by the Commonwealth Educational Media Centre for Asia (CEMCA), the Association of Indian Universities (AIU), and Dayalbagh Educational Institute (DEI), Agra, from April 21 to 25, 2025. Hosted by AIU’s Academic and Administrative Development Centre (AADC) at DEI, the programme equipped more than 150 faculty members with critical skills in digital pedagogy, aligned with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.

In his keynote address, Professor C. Patvardhan, Director of DEI, emphasised the urgency of adapting to rapid technological advancements, citing the recent unveiling of a 25-qubit quantum computer as a landmark in India's quantum mission. “We no longer plan for years—daily innovations demand continuous adaptation,” he noted, stressing the need for educators to reinvent themselves, embrace emerging technologies like quantum computing and AI, and remain indispensable through their uniquely human touch in teaching.