Himachal to introduce CBSE curriculum in 151 govt schools: Education minister Rohit Thakur

Shimla: The Central Board of Secondary Education has granted affiliation to 151 government schools in Himachal Pradesh, which will adopt the CBSE curriculum from the coming academic session, Education Minister Rohit Thakur said on Friday. Chairing a meeting with senior officers of the education department here, Thakur reviewed digital education initiatives.

He was informed that 7,635 tablets will be distributed to meritorious students by the end of this month to strengthen digital learning and improve access to modern educational resources in government schools, according to an official statement.

Taking serious note of the difficulties faced by students due to school mergers, de-notifications and rationalisation, the minister directed the department to provide transport facilities for affected students, particularly in remote and tribal districts such as Kinnaur, Chamba and Lahaul-Spiti, to ensure that distance does not hinder education. He emphasised that all decisions regarding school re-notification and rationalisation must be taken in the interest of students and instructed the department to re-notify the schools at Nagrota and Jwalamukhi.

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Officials were also directed to identify schools for introducing horticulture as a vocational subject to promote skill-based education. The minister said the state has received dual category recognition from the National Council for Vocational Education and Training. The subject will be introduced in a phased manner with adequate teaching staff. Reviewing recruitment matters, the minister was informed that 1,427 teachers appeared in the Lecturer Direct Recruitment examination, and the results will be declared shortly.

Thakur said the Finance Department has approved the filling of 870 teacher posts. He directed the department to accelerate the recruitment process to address the shortage of teachers in science and commerce streams. He also asked officials to submit details of pending recruitment cases to ensure early appointments. While reviewing infrastructure, the minister said that Rs 13.91 crore have been released to 219 schools under the Post Disaster Needs Assessment.

Out of this, 782 repair and construction works have been completed. He directed the department to ensure the timely completion of the remaining works. To strengthen higher education, the ranking of colleges in the state will be finalised on March 17 to improve academic standards. He also directed officials to expedite the formalities for establishing new Kendriya Vidyalayas to make them functional from the next academic session.

The minister instructed the department to simplify admission procedures and ensure a transparent system for issuing certificates to prevent inconvenience to students and parents during institutional transfers.