Punjab Gives Nod To Government School Upgrade Plan Worth Almost Rs 3,000 Crore

Vini Mahajan, the chief secretary of Punjab gave approval for a plan worth Rs 2,941 which would aim at upgrading the government schools in the state.

The official statement from the state government read, "Punjab Chief Secretary Vini Mahajan today approved a proposal of Rs 2,941.83 crores for upgrading the infrastructure, modernisation, & strengthening allied facilities at government schools under the annual work plan and budget for the current fiscal."

Punjab Chief Secretary Vini Mahajan today approved a proposal of Rs 2,941.83 crores for upgrading the infrastructure, modernisation, & strengthening allied facilities at government schools under the annual work plan and budget for the current fiscal: State govt pic.twitter.com/iNzZAyQuP7

— ANI (@ANI) April 29, 2021

The announcement came after the third meeting of Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan's executive committee in Chandigarh. Mahajan asked the School Education Department to work on providing a qualitative and competitive education to students in order to equip them with the latest advancements in education modes. The Chief Secretary suggested that the up-gradation in the modes will bring about a sense of self-confidence among the children.

According to Vini Mahajan, Rs 591.25 of the total amount will be spent in upgrading the schools, Rs 250,84 will be used for ICT and digital initiatives and Rs 1296.14 has been given for some important components such as teacher training, vocational, providing uniforms and books to students, inclusive education, salary and pre-primary education.

During the meeting, School Education Secretary, Krishan Kumar informed Vini Mahajan that the work in 280 schools has been going in full swing. He mentioned the construction of 2,761 additional classrooms, 171 science laboratories, 531 libraries and 3,217 smart classrooms as part of the upgrade work. He also claimed that 2,666 solar panels were being installed on school campuses across Punjab. According to Kumar, 12,976 government schools in Punjab have been transformed into smart schools. He also said that the enrollment rate of students has increased by 15.07 per cent in the academic year 2020-2021.

What is Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan?

The government scheme Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan is an amalgamation of different literacy promotion schemes such as Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan(RMSA), Sarv Shiksha Abhiyan and Teacher Education (TE). The scheme focuses on secondary education with an aim to provide effective learning outcomes to children. It includes a special focus on children from weaker sections of society including persons with disability.