Uttar Pradesh: Framework to rank state's education institutions on horizon

LUCKNOW: Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Wednesday asked officials to start a state-level ranking framework for education institutes on the lines of NIRF for a "healthy competition". He also asked the officials to prepare the state's new sports policy with the help of sportspersons.

"On the lines of NIRF, an SIRF should be started. It will help foster a healthy competition among institutes and make everyone strive for improvement. It will also help students in securing admissions, and also the placement agencies in selecting institutions," the CM said.

NIRF was launched by the union education ministry (then called the Union Human Resource development) in 2015 as a framework to rank education institutions across the country. Adityanath gave his directives while presenting an action plan for education before the state ministers.

"A new sports policy for the state should be prepared at the earliest. The help of sports professionals should be sought for this," the CM said. He said that the education sector remained in the grip of the "education mafia" for a long time but his government ensured "cheating-free" examinations. New subjects like drone technology, internet, cyber security, and data science should be added to the syllabus, he said, emphasising preparing "skilled youths" in line with the needs of the market. The CM asked officials to speed up work on Major Dhyanchand Sports University in Meerut and appoint an “eminent sportsperson” as its vice-chancellor. He directed the officials to set up a career counselling cell at every institute, a cashless treatment facility for government school teachers, and ensure money for uniforms and other items to the students in the form of direct cash transfer in the next six months.

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He asked them to prepare a plan for the establishment of an international pharmacy, a bio-engineering research institute, and a school of planning and urban management. Adityanath also mooted the idea of a new pattern for the Class 12 exam under the state board by 2025, and for class 10 by 2023. He advocated for the introduction of internships for Class 9 and Class 11 students under skilled professionals.

The CM said that within two years a Sanskrit Education Directorate should be constituted. He called for a programme for online teaching of Sanskrit at the Sampurnanand Sanskrit University in Varanasi, that should include also the “tradition Sanskrit” concepts of 'Karmkand', 'Vastu Shastra', and astrology. He also asked officials to recruit teachers including those for Yoga at all levels, and ensure Wifi facilities in all government schools. He also directed that each school should have a website of its own, and they should have on record email ids of all its students, and employ a biometric attendance system.

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The CM directed officials to finish the first phase of three new universities- Ma Shakumbari University, Saharanpur, Raja Mahendra Pratap Singh State University, Aligarh, and Maharaja Suheldev state university, Azamgarh -- by 2023. He also asked them to ensure the teaching of the Japanese language to the students citing demand for manpower in Japan.