Reviewed textbooks being introduced in schools in Nov
Largest single addition of 20,000 seats in colleges in 70 yrs
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Aug 6: Jammu and Kashmir has witnessed many ‘firsts’ on education and social security fronts after getting the status of Union Territory on August 5, 2019 with sharp increase in number of beneficiaries of different schemes and largest single addition of 20,000 seats in Government colleges. Moreover, reviewed textbooks will be introduced in the schools from November this year.
As per the document of the Government, J&K has started 50 new Degree Colleges and added 20,000 additional seats in one year alone and this is the largest single addition in last 70 years, which is not less than an achievement of its own kind.
Moreover, for the first time 12 lakh cards were issued under Student Health Care Scheme across the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, which was launched on March 5, 2020 to check malnutrition in the school going children and to ensure their good health. Under this Scheme, regular health check-up facilities are being established at the school-level and measures are being taken to create awareness about its benefits to the parents.
Further, 38,000 teachers were regularized and transparent transfers and postings ordered via online applications for the first time with the satisfaction of more than 95%, the Government has mentioned in the document, adding “first ever rationalization exercise was carried out in 142 Higher Education Institutions to bring teacher-student ratio in accordance with the University Grants Commission (UGC) norms. Even 607 vocational labs were established and 4000 schools were provided solar power”.
Moreover, promotions of 1700 lecturers were ordered after eight years and 1200 Principals after around 15 years. “The process of review/revision of history textbooks for Class 6 to 10th by adopting integrated approach-linking history of J&K with history of India and world to make it more integrated, has been initiated by forming a group of experts”, the Government said.
The review of contents of all JKBOSE textbooks from Class Ist to Class 10 has been initiated by allocating different subjects of different classes to DIETs and SIE and these reviewed contents will be introduced in schools in the session from November 2021.
“A total of 14 projects costing Rs 93.4 crore at different Degree Colleges and 16 projects costing Rs 57.12 crore at Universities/Colleges under languishing scheme have been completed”, the Government has further mentioned in the document, adding “in higher education and school education, deliverables and timelines for implementation of major components of National Education Policy (NEP)-2020 have been finalized”.
Under CSR initiative, J&K has entered into joint venture with Tata Trust to train 2000 teachers and another joint venture for road to school programme with Ashoka Leyland for improving learning in 36 primary schools.
With an aim to provide welfare benefits to every deserving person, the Government has, for the first time, ensured 59% increase in beneficiaries of social security and pension schemes. This can be gauged from the figures, which reveal that 8,88,359 beneficiaries were provided pension benefit at the rate of Rs 1000 per month under ISSS and NSAP.
Additional 2,72,465 persons have been added to extend benefits of social security among J&K population since 2018-19 and transgender people have been for the first time included for pensionary benefits under ISSS.
“Pre-matric minority scholarship has been increased by 391% from 114856 to 449424. Similarly post-matric minority scholarship has been increased by 287% from 18629 to 53403”, the Government said, adding “merit-cum-means minority scholarship has been increased by 391% from 2235 to 8753, the post-matric SS scholarship increased by 211% from 4662 to 9856. Likewise, post matric OBC scholarship increased by 132% from 4095 to 5391”.
“The Government is initiating all the steps to ensure 100% coverage of 55 individual beneficiary schemes with special focus on border areas”, the document said, adding “exclusive police recruitment and construction of bunkers along International Border and LoC are special initiatives in this regard”.
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