Principal Secretary, School Education and Skill Development Departments, Dr. Asgar Hassan Samoon today held a meeting to review the implementation of initiatives and schemes for enhancing technology and quality education under Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan.During the meeting, the Principal Secretary directed the concerned to project the requirements at an earliest for early access to funds and benefits. He directed them to examine and determine the additional quantum of benefit that can be obtained for the UT of J&K for each scheme.It is pertinent to mention that the government had constituted a task force for implementation of the initiatives, schemes and relief measures under Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan.During the meeting, he directed the officers to initiate and monitor steps to be taken by the departments on each initiative.During the meeting, the Principal Secretary was informed that several steps have already been initiated in this direction. Regarding the expansion of DIKSHA platform, it was given out that a dedicated task force of teachers with expertise in IT has been formed both in Jammu and Kashmir and DIKSHA portal is being downloaded by all the teachers.About the Manodarpan - an initiative for psychological support to students, the Principal Secretary was informed that a resource pool of psychological teachers has been working for the last two years where regular counselling sessions are going on.
It was also given out in the meeting that 100 certified counsellors are helping the student community on voluntary basis and an online career counselling will soon be started by the government.Dr Samoon said that schools are a priority of the government and various initiatives have been taken to ease the lockdown stress of the student community. He said that tablets are being distributed among the students so that they will be able to continue their studies. He also directed the officers to rope in universities for starting of online courses and said that there is a need to distribute more tablets among the students for increasing the use of e-paathshaala.During the meeting, the Principal Secretary also laid stress on PM eVIDYA- programme for multimode access to digital/online education consisting of DIKSHA, one class one channel, use of radio, community radio and podcasts and special e-content for visually and hearing impaired. He further directed them to reach out to those who don't have internet access through SWAYAM PRABHA DTH channels by telecasting of live interaction session on these channels with experts from home through Skype.Director Skill Development J&K, Mission Director Samagra Siksha J&K along with other officers were present in the meeting. Director School Education, Jammu/Kashmir attended the meeting through video conference.