Centre, states to work jointly for Viksit Bharat 2047 through school education: Pradhan

Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Wednesday said the Centre and states are equal partners in strengthening school education and called for greater collaboration to build a future-ready education system aligned with the vision of Viksit Bharat 2047.

He made the remarks while chairing the two-day conclave of State and Union Territory (UT) education ministers to review Centrally Sponsored Schemes of the Department of School Education and Literacy (DoSEL) in New Delhi.

Addressing the conclave, Pradhan said the meeting provides a platform for the Centre, states and UTs to strengthen cooperation, exchange best practices and improve the implementation of school education schemes in line with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.

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He said, “The deliberations would further reinforce the collective commitment towards building a future-ready, inclusive and high-quality school education system and contribute to the upcoming PRAGATI review chaired by the Prime Minister, Narendra Modi.”

Minister urges states to strengthen school education

He highlighted "the progress made under flagship initiatives such as Samagra Shiksha, PM SHRI, NIPUN Bharat, PM POSHAN and ULLAS, and called upon the states and UTs to continue working together to strengthen foundational literacy and numeracy, empower teachers, leverage technology and artificial intelligence (AI), promote innovation and ensure the holistic development of every learner towards the vision of Viksit Bharat 2047.”

The minister also stressed the need to promote children's mother tongue and multilingualism to strengthen foundational learning and improve learning outcomes.

Pradhan said, "Our collective success will be measured by the learning outcomes we achieve and the opportunities we create for every child.”

Minister of State for Education and Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Jayant Chaudhary also addressed the conclave and underscored the importance of collaborative efforts between the Centre, states and UTs to strengthen school education and improve educational outcomes.

Conclave focuses on quality school education

According to the Ministry of Education, the two-day conclave aims to advance the shared vision of an equitable, inclusive and quality school education system while supporting the goal of Viksit Bharat 2047. The sessions are focused on improving the implementation of centrally sponsored schemes and enhancing educational outcomes across states and UTs.

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On the first day, Additional Secretary, DoSEL, Dheeraj Sahu, presented the progress of Samagra Shiksha and key issues under the PRAGATI framework, while Deputy Director General, DoSEL, Pankaj K P Shreyaskar, shared the status of educational indicators across states and UTs. Joint Secretary Amarpreet Duggal, Economic Advisor A. Srija, senior officials from the Ministry of Education and representatives from states and UTs also participated in the discussions.