CS maps out modern makeover plan for schools to achieve excellence in education

JAMMU: Chief Secretary, Atal Dulloo, chaired a high level meeting to review the status of school education across the Union Territory, with a special focus on improving learning outcomes and implementation of different schemes aiming upgradation of the education system across J&K.
The meeting besides ACS, School Education Department was attended by MD, Samagra Shiksha; Director, School Education, Kashmir/Jammu; Special Secretary, SED, Secretary, JKBOSE; Director, SCERT along with other officers of the department.
The Chief Secretary emphasized the need for integrating Artificial Intelligence (AI) into the learning ecosystem. He directed the School Education Department to develop an AI-based learning module that would offer customized lessons to students based on their individual assessments, thereby addressing their weak areas more effectively. He suggested seeking technical assistance from the Bhaskaracharya National Institute for Space Applications and Geo-informatics (BISAG-N) for this initiative.
While taking stock of enrolment figures at the primary and middle school levels across the government and private institutions, Dulloo expressed concern over the stagnation in student enrolment in government schools. He noted that despite significant higher investments and nearly three times more government primary schools compared to private ones, enrolment figures remain nearly the same. He called for a comprehensive study to understand this trend and come up with actionable recommendations to reverse it.
To enhance governance and real-time monitoring, the Chief Secretary directed the department to create a comprehensive dashboard providing a bird’s eye view of each school. This digital platform should include data on class-wise student enrolment, availability of teachers, results from periodic assessments, and infrastructure status, enabling data-driven decision-making related to imparting of quality education in these schools.
Reviewing the basic amenities in schools, the Chief Secretary took note of the status on availability of essential utilities such as water supply, electricity, washrooms and other infrastructural facilities. He stressed that no school should be left without these fundamental amenities, as their absence hampers the delivery of quality education.
The Chief Secretary advised the department to explore mechanisms for deploying vocational and subject-specific teachers in schools with critical requirements. He recommended utilizing provisions under the Samagra Shiksha scheme or revisiting the freezing period associated with the recruitment of general line teachers to ensure adequate staffing.
On the occasion, ACS, SED, Shantmanu, detailed out a comprehensive progress report on implementation of education related schemes in the UT. He highlighted significant strides made across various dimensions of the education sector.
The review meeting focused on ongoing projects, civil infrastructure, digital transformation, NEP-2020 implementation and other reforms undertaken to elevate the quality of education across the districts of the UT.
About the implementation of PM SHRI scheme, the ACS informed that 396 schools have been designated as PM SHRI Schools, featuring advanced infrastructure and experiential learning facilities in these schools.
He also informed that establishment of 45 Atal Tinkering Labs, 159 STEM Labs and 188 Robotics Labs are underway. Additionally, sports equipment, green initiatives like vermicomposting and clean-up drives have been incorporated to make the school environment more amenable towards imparting inclusive education in these schools.
With respect to establishment of Vidya Samiksha Kendra and Digital Reforms, it was given out that state-of-the-art Vidya Samiksha Kendra has been established in Teachers Bgawan, Jammu modelled after the Gujarat initiative, enabling real-time data analysis for informed decision-making.
Moreover, innovations like the JK Attendance App (geo-tagged facial recognition), Parent Pulse Bot and Smart Attendance System have revolutionized the monitoring and feedback mechanisms. Notably, 74% of schools have adopted the Smart Attendance system across the districts.
As far as the civil works are concerned, it was revealed that out of 8,902 projects approved under Samagra Shiksha since 2018-19, around 4,691 works have been completed including buildings, toilets and boundary walls.
It is significant to mention that in 2024-25 alone, 980 works were completed with an expenditure of Rs. 94.8 crore.Under PM SHRI, 250 works are under execution and additional 316 smaller works have been entrusted to the Rural Development Department.
Regarding establishment of Girls Hostels and KGBVs, it was said that 89 Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalayas (KGBVs) are fully functional, enrolling 5,012 students. Out of 85 sanctioned girls hostels, 41 have been completed and 22 more are targeted for completion by August 2025. Besides, establishment of 25 additional hostels is underway with funds already released, the meeting was informed.
Similarly, skill education was imparted in 1,350 schools with over 1.41 lakh students enrolled in 15 vocational trades. The inclusive and skill-based education has enabled 17,901 Children with Special Needs (CWSN) to enrol themselves in schools besides assistive devices were provided to 4,990 students with special needs. Additionally, 1335 vocational labs were established and 1915 more to be set up by June 2025.
About implementation of NEP 2020, pre-primary classes started in 15,550 schools; “Phoolwari” activity books developed for the students enrolled there. For this purpose, 16,000 teachers were trained in FLN (Foundational Literacy and Numeracy) under the Vidya Pravesh module. It was divulged that SCERT J&K has developed comprehensive learning materials including Urdu and Dogri language content, toy-based pedagogy guides and non-academic books for the National Digital Library.
More than 1.14 lakh employees now mark attendance via the JK Attendance App. Under the NISHTHA program, nearly 1.5 lakh teachers have received training across various modules. Two DIETs (District Institutes of Education and Training) have been selected for transformation into Centres of Excellence with smart classrooms, research facilities, and ICT integration.
About the budgetary support & fund utilization, it was revealed that Rs. 411 crore under Samagra Shiksha, Rs. 43 crore under PM POSHAN, Rs. 2.51 crore under NILP and Rs. 51 crore under PM SHRI stands released. Moreover, Rs. 6.82 crore were utilized for green initiatives in PM SHRI schools and Rs3.15 crore annual school grant disbursed to 396 schools.
The department reaffirmed its commitment towards achieving 100% saturation of ICT Labs and Smart Classrooms in all higher secondary schools by FY 2025-26. Besides, introduction of vocational education in 550 more schools and establishment of additional innovative labs and digital infrastructure are also in pipeline, as was apprised in the meeting.