Himachal govt boosts education with digital push

Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu today inaugurated state-of-the-art facilities at the Directorate of Samagra Shiksha, including the Vidya Samiksha Kendra (VSK), Education Gallery, Programme Management Studio Conference Area, new conference hall and a modern central heating system.

Speaking on the occasion, the Chief Minister said these advance facilities would not only enhance administrative and academic efficiency but would also mark the beginning of a new era of digital education governance in the state. He said this initiative reflects the visionary approach of the present state government and it would place education at the core of overall development.

Sukhu said during the last three years the state government had accorded top priority to the education sector and implemented several decisive reforms, the positive outcomes of which were now clearly visible. He highlighted that the state has made remarkable progress at the national level by improving its ranking in education quality assessment from 21st to 5th position. “This achievement is the result of the collective efforts of teachers, students and parents, coupled with the firm commitment of the government to educational excellence,” he said.

The CM said the Vidya Samiksha Kendra represents an important milestone in this transformative journey. “Himachal has emerged as one of the leading states to adopt an integrated digital platform that provides real-time data related to teaching, learning outcomes, student assessment, attendance, resource management and school administration,” he said. Innovative initiatives such as ‘Abhyas Himachal’, geo-spatial technology-based smart attendance systems and ‘Nipun Pragati’ were ensuring scientific analysis of the learning levels of the children. “The learning gaps are now being identified through data-driven insights rather than assumptions, making the education system more transparent, accountable and outcome-oriented.

The CM further said the ‘Shikshak Sahayak ’ digital tool has emerged as a powerful support platform for teachers, enabling them to access teaching material, guidelines and academic resources swiftly. This has significantly improved teaching quality while also reducing the administrative burden on educators.

He said the state government was planning large-scale recruitments in the Education Department, including both temporary and regular appointments. “Temporary appointments would be made for a period of five years, while regular appointments would be carried out batch-wise through a competitive process,” he said. Recruitment of multi-utility workers would also be undertaken.

Education Minister Rohit Thakur said the state had achieved unprecedented progress in the education sector, with the state’s literacy rate reaching 99.30 per cent. He said the government had undertaken qualitative reforms with a positive approach, which were being widely appreciated at the national level and now yielding positive results. He said that state has also shown significant improvement in the Performance Grading Index (PGI). Project Director Samagra Shiksha Rajesh Sharma highlighted the achievements of the Samagra Shiksha.