Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan today inaugurated the review meeting of the Department of School Education and Literacy (DoSE&L) with representatives from various States and Union Territories. The event was also addressed by Minister of State for Education, Shri Jayant Chaudhary, alongside senior officials from the Ministry, including Secretary Shri Sanjay Kumar and Additional Secretaries Shri Vipin Kumar and Shri Anandrao V. Patil. Attendees included Principal Secretaries, Secretaries, and SPD/Directors from multiple States/UTs, as well as heads and representatives from NCERT, SCERTs, Kendriya Vidyalaya, Navodaya Vidyalaya, and CBSE.
In his address, Shri Pradhan outlined a five-year roadmap aimed at the holistic development of school education across India, aligning with Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s vision of Viksit Bharat. He emphasized the significant progress made since the introduction of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and highlighted the policy’s role in transforming India into a knowledge superpower with equitable and inclusive access to quality education.
Shri Pradhan underscored the importance of education in Indian languages as emphasized in the NEP 2020 and called for the implementation of its core principles of Access, Equity, Quality, Affordability, and Accountability. He stressed the necessity of preparing students for the 21st century by fostering critical thinking and building technology readiness in schools.
Highlighting the collaborative effort needed between the States and the Centre, Shri Pradhan urged stakeholders to work cohesively to strengthen the education ecosystem, share best practices, and leverage education as a key pillar of Viksit Bharat. He also emphasized the importance of teacher capacity building and competency-based education to enhance employability.
Minister of State for Education, Jayant Chaudhary, praised the NEP 2020 as an ambitious and progressive policy. He stressed the importance of improving the Gross Enrollment Ratio (GER) and ensuring the inclusion of economically and socially disadvantaged students, including those from tribal communities, in the formal education system. Shri Chaudhary also invited states to participate in the Ministry’s ambitious PM SHRI program.
Secretary Shri Sanjay Kumar stated that the meeting’s primary aim was to review the NEP 2020 implementation and align flagship Ministry schemes such as Samagra Shiksha, PM SHRI, PM Poshan, and ULLAS with the policy. He emphasized that the discussions would help develop a roadmap for the next five years.
The meeting’s agenda includes discussions on a five-year action plan, a 100-day action plan, the progress of infrastructure and civil works, ICT and Smart classrooms under Samagra Shiksha, the setting up of VSK & 200 channels, the finalization of UDISE+ for 2023-24, Best Practices, the upgradation of DIET as Centers of Excellence, and the implementation of Tobacco Control and TOFEI guidelines in schools.
