Excelsior Correspondent
NEW DELHI, Feb 9: Jammu and Kashmir has got a substantial budget worth Rs 1665 crore under Samagra Shiksha for 2024-25 with formal approval of the plan proposal by the Project Approval Board (PAB), constituted under Samagra Shiksha scheme.
The annual plan has been accorded approval by the PAB during its meeting, held here today under the chairmanship of Secretary, Department of School Education and Literacy (DSEL), Union Ministry of Education, Sanjay Kumar, at New Delhi, to review progress on Samagra Shiksha 2023-24 besides approval of budget for 2024-25.
The meeting was among others attended by Secretary, School Education, Dr. Piyush Singla, along with Additional Secretary, Vipin Kumar, (Economic Advisor), A Srija, Joint Secretary, Dr. Preeti Mania, JS Director Finance, MoE Shobit, team of MoE and officers from J&K administration including Project Director Samagra Shiksha, Deep Raj, Director Planning Parshotam Kumar, Deputy Director Planning Bilal Rashid, besides other Coordinator and stakeholders.
During the meeting, the Secretary emphasized improvement of basic indicators and asked for adopting a consolidated approach in providing quality education to the children. He asked the UT administration to expedite the pending approved projects, so that further flow of funds can be made easy. He asked to bridge the infrastructure gaps, at various levels, so that quality education can be ensured at all levels.
While interacting with the media, Dr Singla informed that the UT has improved the basic indicators of school education in the past 2-3 years and for the year 2024-25, it is the largest budget which has been recommended and approved in the PAB for various interventions since 2018-19.
For the financial year 2024-25, the Centre has approved a tentative outlay, of 1665 crore, for elementary, secondary and teacher education. The allocation approved for elementary education is Rs. 1165 crore, Rs. 487 crore for secondary followed by teacher education at Rs. 13.19 crore.
Dr. Singla said that with implementation of the approved interventions, a conducive environment shall be ensured for the students to enhance their learning outcomes under a robust education system.
Some key activities under ‘Quality Interventions’ component including assessment of learning levels, Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) and digital initiatives, Learning Enhancement Programmes (LEP), strengthening of libraries and support for pre-nursery level got highest allocation of the recommended budget. More than, 2000 Smart Class rooms, 600 ICT labs shall be established in various Schools across the UT. Virtual Reality Labs, Science Centres, Astro Physics Labs, English Language Labs shall be established under UT Innovations.
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