High-Powered Committee to look into the demands of Teachers
Shimla: Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur in the budget has proposed an outlay of Rs 8,024 on Education during 2021-22.
During his budget speech, welcoming the National Education Policy -2020, he said,
“This policy will bring comprehensive and far-reaching changes in the field of education right from early childhood care to higher education.”
School examination for the students studying in 3rd, 5th and 8th standards will be mandatory for assessment of the Teaching Learning Process as per the National Education Policy-2020, he added.
Proposing to expand the scope of previous scheme “Swaran Jayanti Super-100”, Chief Minister announced to start a new Scheme “Top-100 Scholarship Scheme”. Under the scheme, best 100 students from all Government schools will be selected by the SCERT after 5th standard.
Special courses in Science, Math’s and Spoken English will be started on a pilot basis to prepare young students for competitive examinations.
100 Math’s Labs will be established in Government Middle Schools in 2021-22.
Chess will be promoted to develop mental faculties of children stares the budget.
‘Him Darpan Shiksha Ekikrit Portal’ will be developed to deliver quality education to increase effectiveness of education system.
The Portal will enable uploading of information pertaining to teaching learning practices and personnel matters through mobile application.
Laying emphasis on the promotion of sports for the overall development of the students, Thakur proposed to double the diet money of the participants from Rs.50 to Rs.100 at the Block level, from Rs. 60 to Rs.120 at Zonal and District level and from Rs. 75 to Rs.150 at the State level for school sports tournaments they are organized at Block, District and State level.
To date 838 students have been given monetary help of Rs.2.19 crore, under ‘Medha Protsahan Yojna’ in 2018-19 which was aimed to provide financial assistance to meritorious students who aspired to take coaching for competitive exams outside the state informed the Chief Minister, adding that the State Government will continue to promote meritorious students in the state through all possible measures.
During COVID time the education department provided quality education by reaching out to the remotest parts of the State through ‘Har Ghar Pathshala’, the digital platform.
“Our Government will make a policy using available human resources and technology to coach Government school students for various competitive exams. The policy will also take into account the personality development and career counselling needs of the students. Both online and offline modes will be used for providing coaching to the students”, said Thakur and proposed an outlay of Rs. 5 crore for this purpose.
Under the ‘Sriniwas Ramanujam Scheme’, the meritorious students are given laptops and given the technological advances as alternatives to laptops are available, it is proposed to consider suitable modifications to the existing scheme for which an outlay of Rs.25 crore had been proposed, said he.
Under the Swaran Jayanti Gyanodaya Cluster Srestha Vidyalaya Yojana, Swaran Jayanti Utkrisht Vidyalaya Yojana and Utkrisht Yojana for the Colleges, 100 Cluster Schools, 68 Senior Secondary Schools and 9 Colleges will be covered under these schemes in the coming year, informed Thakur, adding that as these institutions will be equipped with essential modern facilities and will be adequately staffed, Rs. 63 crore for these three schemes in 2021-22 has been proposed.
Infrastructure up-gradation will be taken up in 100 other schools in convergence with the Rural Development Department, he stated.
Chief Minister announced to enhance the maximum limit of remuneration of all categories of teachers under SMC by Rs. 500 per month and also announced to raise remuneration of IT teachers deployed on an outsourced basis in different schools.
He also announced to set up a High-Powered Committee under the Chairmanship of Chief Secretary to look into the demands of Teachers of various categories.
“Keeping in view the health of school children our government will provide hygiene kits to the Mid-Day Meal workers in 2021-22. I am happy to announce that the honorarium of Mid-Day Meal Workers and Water Carriers will be enhanced by Rs.300 per month, “said Jai Ram Thakur.
To effectively regulate the higher Private Educational Institutions, HP Private Educational Institutions Regulatory Commission will launch an IT-based Management Information System.
