25. MINISTRY OF HUMAN RESOURCE AND DEVELOPMENT

• 25.1. NATIONAL INITIATIVE FOR SCHOOL HEADS’ AND TEACHERS’ HOLISTIC ADVANCEMENT (NISHTHA)
• To motivate and equip teachers to encourage and foster critical thinking in students, handle diverse situations and act as first level counsellors.
• • All teachers and Heads of Schools at the elementary level in all Government schools
• • Faculty members of State Councils of Educational Research and Training (SCERTs), District Institutes of Education and Training (DIETs) as well as Block Resource Coordinators and Cluster Resource Coordinators in all States and UTs.
• • It was launched under the Centrally Sponsored Scheme of Samagra Shiksha and will train over 42 lakh teachers across the country.
• • Different modules under the programme include:
• o Standardized module: developed at national level for all States and UTs.
• o Activity-based modules: including educational games and quizzes, Social- emotional learning, motivational interactions, team building, preparation for school-based assessment, in-built continuous feedback mechanism, online
• o monitoring and support system, training need and impact analysis.
• o Post training module: this integrated training programme is embedded with post training interventions including provision of mentoring.
• • Use of technology: A Mobile App and Learning Management System (LMS) based on MOODLE (Modular Object-Oriented Dynamic Learning Environment) have been developed by NCERT to ensure smooth facilitation, availability of digital content and technology enabled teaching methods to support the teacher. 
• 25.2. PRADHAN MANTRI INNOVATIVE LEARNING PROGRAMME – DHRUV
• • To identify and encourage talented children to enrich their skills and knowledge and contribute to the society.
• • The programme is named after a pole star called DHRUV TARA.
• • The program aims to cover two areas namely Science and Arts and will be expanded gradually to other fields like creative writing etc.
• • The program was launched from Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).
• • It is a 14-day learning programme in which around 60 students are selected broadly from Class 9 to Class 12 all over the country and they will be mentored and nurtured by renowned experts in different areas. 
• 25.3. NATIONAL EDUCATIONAL ALLIANCE FOR TECHNOLOGY (NEAT)
• To use Artificial Intelligence to make learning more personalised and customised as per the requirements of the learner for better learning outcomes in higher education.
• • A number of start-up companies for developing technological solutions called as EdTech Companies would be recognised through a PPP model.
• • A National NEAT platform would be created and maintained that would provide one-stop access to these technological solutions.
• o The EdTech companies would manage registration of learners through the NEAT portal and would be free to charge fees as per their policy.
• • MHRD would act as a facilitator to ensure that the solutions are freely available to a large number of economically backward students
• o As their contribution towards the National cause, the companies would have to offer free coupons to the extent of 25% of the total registrations for their solution through NEAT portal.
• • MoUs will be signed with the shortlisted EdTech companies and awareness programs would be taken up by MHRD to create awareness of the NEAT solutions to teachers and students.
• • Independent Expert Committees would be constituted for evaluating and selecting the EdTech solutions.
• • All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) under MHRD, the national level regulator for technical education in the country, would be the implementing agency for NEAT programme. 
• 25.4. STRIDE
• • To identify young talent, strengthen research culture, build capacity, promote innovation and support trans-disciplinary research relevant to national development and to enhance the overall well-being of society.
• • To fund high impact national network projects in the identified thrust areas in Humanities and human sciences, and Indian knowledge systems.
• • It was announced by University Grants Commission (UGC).
• • It has 3 components:
• o Component 1: Research capacity building in diverse disciplines by mentoring, nurturing and supporting young talents to innovate pragmatic solutions for local, regional, national and global problems. Grant available is upto Rs. 1 crore.
• o Component 2: focused on enhancing problem solving skills with the help of inclusive innovation and action research to innovate pragmatic solutions for local, regional, national priorities to contribute to India’s developing economy. Grant upto Rs. 50 lakh to 1 crore is available for projects under this component.
• o Component 3: will fund high impact research projects in the identified thrust areas in humanities and human sciences through multi institutional network. Grant available under this component is upto Rs. 1 crore for one Higher Educational Institution and upto Rs. 5 crores for a multi institutional network. 
• 25.5. SAMAGRA SIKSHA- AN INTEGRATED SCHEME FOR SCHOOL EDUCATION
• • provision of quality education and enhancing learning outcomes of students;
• • Bridging Social and Gender Gaps in School Education;
• • Ensuring equity and inclusion at all levels of school education;
• • Ensuring minimum standards in schooling provisions;
• • Promoting Vocationalisation of education;
• • Support States in implementation of Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act, 2009; and
• • Strengthening and up-gradation of SCERTs/State Institutes of Education and DIET as a nodal agencies for teacher training.
• • This scheme (from 1st April, 2018 to 31st March, 2020) was recently approved by the Cabinet. It subsumes the following three schemes-
• o Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan
• o Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan, and
• o Centrally Sponsored Scheme on Teacher Education-To create a sound institutional infrastructure for pre-service and in-service training of elementary & secondary school teachers and for provision of academic resource support to elementary and secondary schools.
• Samagra Shiksha envisages ‘school’ as a continuum from pre-school, primary, upper primary, secondary to senior secondary levels.
• • The Scheme will be implemented as a Centrally Sponsored Scheme by the Centre through a single State Implementation Society (SIS) at the State/UT level.
• • The major interventions, across all levels of school education, proposed under the scheme are: (i) Universal Access including Infrastructure Development and Retention; (ii) Gender and Equity; (iii) Inclusive Education; (iv) Quality; (v) Financial support for Teacher Salary; (vi) Digital initiatives; (vii) RTE Entitlements including uniforms, textbooks etc.;(viii) Pre-school Education; (ix) Vocational Education; (x) Sports and Physical Education; (xi) Strengthening of Teacher Education and Training; (xii) Monitoring; (xiii) Programme Management; and (xiii) National Component.
• • Focus on regional balance: It is proposed that preference in the interventions would be given to Educationally Backward Blocks (EBBs), LWEs affected districts, Special Focus Districts (SFDs), Border areas and the 115 Aspirational districts.
• • RAKSHA: it is self-defence training where the girls are taught to become psychologically, intellectually and physically strong enough to protect themselves in times of distress.
• 25.5.1. RASHTRIYA MADHYAMIK SHIKSHA ABHIYAN (RMSA)
• To enhance access to secondary education and to improve its quality through making all secondary schools conform to prescribed norms, removing gender, socio-economic and disability barriers, providing universal access to secondary level education
• • Important physical facilities provided under the scheme are: Additional class rooms, Laboratories, Toilet blocks, Residential Hostels for Teachers in remote areas etc.
• • The scheme envisages to enhance the enrolment by providing a secondary school with a reasonable distance (5-7 km) of habitation, with an aim to ensure GER of 100 per cent and universal retention by 2020.
• • Important quality interventions provided under the scheme are: appointment of additional teachers to reduce PTR to 30:1, focus on Science, Math and English education, training of teachers, etc.
• • Important equity interventions provided in the scheme are: preference to Ashram schools for upgradation, preference to areas with concentration of SC/ST/Minority for opening of schools etc.
• • Apart from focusing on the vulnerable groups (ST/SC groups, minority girls, etc.) it also aims at inclusive education for differently abled children.
• 25.5.2. SARVA SHIKSHA ABHIYAAN
• • Universal elementary education access and retention.
• • Bridging of gender and social category gaps in education and
• • Enhancement of learning levels of children.
• • Children between 6-14 years of age from all backgrounds.
• • A flagship programme which includes variety of interventions, like opening of new schools, construction of toilets (Swach Vidyalaya Campaign – separate toilets for girls and boys in all schools), periodic teacher training and academic resource support etc.
• • Sub-Programmes under SSA:
• o The 'Padhe Bharat Badhe Bharat' (PBBB)
• o The Rashtriya Avishkar Abhiyan (RAA)
• o Vidyanjali
• o Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalayas – in educationally backward blocks to promote girls’ education.
• 25.5.3. PADHE BHARAT BADHE BHARAT
• • Special focus on improving language development and to create interest in mathematics.
• • To recognise social perspective of home-school transition.
• • Focus on children in classes 1 and 2 to improve learning outcomes.
• • Reading Initiative: upto class 8
• • Launched in 2014, it is implemented countrywide.
• • The two tracks of the programme are: Early reading and writing with comprehension (ERWC) and Early mathematics (EM).
• • As a follow up, National Reading Initiative was launched to develop and promote the habit of reading among students in elementary schools, thereby extending the programme up to class 8.
• • An annual library grant has been provided in all Government schools
• 25.5.4. VIDYANJALI
• Creating an ecosystem, wherein education will be attached with imbibing knowledge and improving learning output.
• Children of Government school, Government Aided school etc. (Std 1st-8th)
• • Will enhance the community involvement (by involving volunteers like NRIs, retired teachers, government officials, defence personnel, professionals, etc.) in Government run elementary schools and effectively engage children in co-scholastic activities like- reading, creative writing, public speaking, play acting, preparing story books etc.
• • The programme has been piloted in 21 states.
• 25.5.5. RASHTRIYA AVISHKAR ABHIYAN
• • Students in the age group of 6 - 18 years in
• • Mentoring by institutes like IITs/ IIMs/ IISERs and other central universities and reputed mathematics and technology learning in non-classroom settings.
• • To encourage and nurture schools to be incubators of innovation.
• Government schools, KVs, special schools, special training centers etc.
• • school going students from classes I to XII in sciences
• organizations through innovative programmes, student exchanges, etc. to develop a natural sense of passion towards learning of science and maths.
• • It is a step to promote scientific temper and enquiry promoting the fundamental duty under Article 51(A).
• 25.6. MID-DAY MEAL SCHEME
• To enhance the enrollment, retention and attendance and simultaneously improve nutritional levels among school going children.
• • School children studying in Classes I to VIII of Government, Local body and Government - aided schools, Special Training centres (STC) and Madarasas and Maktabs supported under the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan
• • The Centres run under Education Guarantee Scheme (EGS)/Alternative & Innovative Education (AIE) and National Children Labour Project (NCLP) schools of all areas across the country are also included under the MDM.
• • It envisages to provide cooked mid-day meal with 450 calories and 12 g of protein to every child at primary level and 700 calories and 20 g of protein at upper primary level. 
• • It also involves providing nutritional support to children of elementary stage in drought-affected area during summer vacation. 
• • It is a Centrally-Sponsored Scheme and the cost of the MDMS is shared between the central and state governments.
• o The central government provides free food grains to the states. 
• o The cost of cooking, infrastructure development, transportation of food grains and payment of honorarium to cooks and helpers is shared by the centre with the state governments. The central government provides a greater share of funds. 
• o The contribution of state governments differs from state to state. 
• • At national level, an Empowered Committee, headed by Minister of Human Resource Development and also a National level Steering-cum-Monitoring Committee (NSMC) as well as Programme Approval Board (PAB) monitor the scheme and suggest measures for its smooth and effective implementation. 
• • At the State level, a State Level Steering–cum-Monitoring Committee headed by the State Chief Secretary and, at the District Level, a District Level Committee under the Chairpersonship of the senior-most Member of Parliament of Lok Sabha of the district monitors the implementation of the scheme
• Recent revised norms
• • Annual increase in Cooking cost linked to Inflation Index to offset the impact of inflation on the food items under Mid Day Meal Scheme.
• • Revision of the transportation rate from Rs 75 per quintal, for other than NE & Himalayan States to PDS rate (subject to maximum of Rs.150 per quintal).
• • Revision of Management Monitoring and Evaluation (MME) rate from 2% to 3% of the total admissible recurring Central Assistance. This would enable the States and UTs for better supervision and monitoring of the scheme.
• • The assistance for kitchen devices has been enhanced from Rs 5,000 per school to Rs 10,000 - Rs 25,000 based on enrolment to enable the schools for procuring/replacing adequate kitchen devices.
• • Two new components have also been approved
• o Repair of kitchen-cum stores: Assistance of Rs. 10,000 for the kitchen-cum-stores constructed ten years ago on sharing basis between Center and States
• o Fortification of food items in a systematic manner through Food Corporation of India (FCI) starting with rice Kitchen gardens in each school will be encouraged.
• • Delegation of power of implementing the scheme with minor modifications from the existing guidelines to District Level Committee Chaired by the District Magistrate.
• o Also, The States and UTs have been given flexibility to utilize, with the prior approval of MHRD, 5% of their Annual Work Plan & Budget for new interventions.
• • Other norms include:
• o Use of Pulses from buffer stock -The States and UTs may procure pulses as per their local taste for the Mid-Day Meal from the Central buffer stock created by the Government of India.
• o Monitoring of attendance – All States and UTs are required to ensure that daily data from 100% schools is uploaded through Automated Monitoring System (AMS).
• o Menu under MDM - States and UTs are required to adopt ways to develop a menu that reflects local taste and local produce that is different on different days.
• o Tithi Bhojan: to encourage people from the community to celebrate important days such as child birth, marriage, birthdays etc. by contributing to the MDM Scheme. Tithi Bhojan is not a substitute to MDM but it supplements or compliments MDM.
• o Usage of Jails, Temples, Gurudwaras etc. for MDM- All States and UTs are being advised to involve community and other agencies such as Jails, Temples, Gurudwaras etc. in the Mid Day Meal Scheme. 
• 25.7. RASHTRIYA UCHCHATAR SHIKSHA ABHIYAN (RUSA)
• • It aims to usher transformative reforms in the State Higher Education System by creating a facilitating institutional structure for planning and monitoring at the state level, promoting autonomy in State Universities and improving governance in institutions.
• • Correct regional imbalances in access to higher education.
• • Create an enabling atmosphere in the higher educational institutions to devote themselves to research and innovations.
• • Expand the institutional base by creating additional capacity in existing institutions and establishing new institutions
• • Improve equity in higher education by providing adequate opportunities of higher education to SC/STs and socially and educationally backward classes.
• • Launched in 2013, it is a centrally sponsored flagship scheme.
• • The central funding would be norm based and outcome dependent.
• • It is proposed to improve the gross enrolment ratio to 30% by 2020.
• • The scheme will give priority to the Aspirational Districts, identified by the NITI Aayog.
• • Transformative reforms in the state higher education system by:
• o Conforming to norms and standards and adoption of accreditation as a mandatory quality assurance framework.
• o Promoting autonomy in state universities.
• o Ensure reforms in the affiliation, academic and examination systems.
• o Ensure adequate availability of quality faculty 
• 25.8. STUDY IN INDIA
• • To encourage flow of inbound international students in India
• • To make India a preferred education destination/hub for foreign students;
• • To improve the soft power of India with focus on the neighbouring countries and use it as a tool in diplomacy;
• • To increase India’s market share of global education exports from less than 1 percent to 2 percent.
• • Improvement in overall quality of higher education;
• • To reduce the export-import imbalance in the number of international students;
• • Increase in global ranking of India as educational destination.
• • It is a joint initiative of Ministry of HRD, Ministry of External Affairs, Ministry of Home Affairs and Ministry
• of Commerce and Industry.
• • EdCIL (India) Limited, a Mini Ratna Category I CPSE is the implementing agency.
• • The programme focuses on attracting International students from select 30 plus countries across South-East Asia, Middle East and Africa.
• • The programme envisages participation of select reputed Indian institutes/universities by way of offering seats for the International students at affordable rates, along with fee waivers to meritorious foreign students ranging from 100% to 25%.
• • A centralised admission web-portal acts as a single window for the admission of foreign students.
• • The programme also envisages setting up of
• o call centres for support;
• o algorithm for allocation of seats to the meritorious candidates;
• o selection of top 100 partner institutions on the basis of National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) grading and National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) ranking;
• o branding activities in the target countries;
• o and close coordination with Indian missions abroad and foreign missions in India.
• 25.9. EDUCATION QUALITY UPGRADATION AND INCLUSION PROGRAMME (EQUIP)
• • Double the Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) in higher education and resolve the geographically and socially skewed access to higher education institutions in India
• • Upgrade the quality of education to global standards
• • Position at least 50 Indian institutions among the top-1000 global universities
• • It is a vision plan aiming at ushering transformation in India’s higher education system by implementing strategic interventions in the sector over five years (2019-2024).
• • EQUIP has been prepared based on reports of Ten expert groups constituted to deliberate upon important aspects of Higher Education.
• • Strategies and Initiatives under it include:
• o Strategies for Expanding Access
• o Towards Global Best Teaching/Learning Processes
• o Promoting Excellence
• o Governance Reforms
• o Assessment, Accreditation and Ranking Systems
• o Promotion of Research and Innovation
• o Employability and Entrepreneurship:
• o Using Technology For Better Reach
• o Internationalization of Higher Education
• o Financing Higher Education 
• 25.10. MADHYAMIK AND UCHCHTAR SHIKSHA KOSH (MUSK)
• Utilization of Fund
• It would be utilized for schemes of secondary and higher education, all over the country.
• • All proceeds of "Secondary and Higher Education Cess" will be credited into it. A cess @ 1% on central taxes, called the "Secondary and Higher Education Cess" was levied through Finance Act, 2007.
• • The expenditure on schemes of the Department of School Education & Literacy and Department of Higher Education would be initially incurred from the gross budgetary support (GBS) and the expenditure would be financed from the MUSK only after the GBS is exhausted.
• • The fund would be operationalised as per the present arrangements under Prarambhik Shiksha Kosh (PSK) wherein the proceeds of cess are used for Sarv Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) and Mid-Day Meal (MDM) Schemes of the Department of School Education & Literacy.
• • The MUSK would be maintained as a Reserve Fund in the non-interest bearing section of the Public Accounts of India.
• For Secondary Education-
• • Rashtriya Madhyamik Shlksha Abhiyan Scheme
• • National Means-Cum-Merit Scholarship Scheme and
• • National Scheme for Incentives to Girls for Secondary Education.
• For Higher Education-
• • Schemes of Interest Subsidy and contribution for guarantee funds, Scholarship for College & University Students
• • Rashtriya Uchchtar Shiksha Abhiyaan
• • Scholarship (from Block Grant to the institutions) and National Mission on Teachers and Training. 
• 25.11. UDAAN- GIVING WINGS TO GIRLS
• • To address the challenge of low enrolment of girls in technical education institutes.
• • To minimize the gap between school education & engineering entrance examination.
• • To enrich and enhance teaching and learning of Science and Mathematics at senior secondary level by addressing the three dimensions of education - curriculum design, transaction and assessments.
• • Girls studying in classes XI only from KVs/ NVs/ Government Schools of any recognised Board/CBSE affiliated private schools in India.
• • The program is open to Indian citizens residing in India only.
• • Launched by CBSE under guidance of Ministry of HRD.
• • It trains girl students in entrance examinations to top institutions and provides them incentives and support through tutorials, video classes, etc.
• • Students are provided free offline / online resources through virtual weekend contact classes and study material on pre-loaded tablet while studying in Class XI and Class XII for preparation of admission test to various premier engineering colleges in the country.
• • The annual family income should be less than 6 lakh/annum
• • Supports 1,000 selected disadvantaged girls per year. 
• 25.12. UNNAT BHARAT ABHIYAN
• To enable higher educational institutions to work with the people of rural India in identifying development challenges and evolving appropriate solutions for accelerating sustainable growth.
• • Building institutional capacity in Institutes of higher education in research & training relevant to the national needs, especially of rural India.
• • IIT Delhi has been designated to be the Coordinating Institute (CI) for UBA.
• • Provide rural India with professional resource support from institutes of higher education, especially those which have acquired academic excellence in the fields of Science, Engineering and Technology, and Management.
• • The second edition of the Unnat Bharat Abhiyan (2.0) under which institutions have been selected on a Challenge Mode and the scheme has been extended to 750 reputed Higher Educational Institutes (both public and private) of the country.
• • Students from these educational institutions will adopt villages and visit them to get acquainted with lifestyle of people there and the problems faced by them. 
• 25.13. EK BHARAT SHRESTHA BHARAT PROGRAMME
• To actively enhance interaction between people of diverse cultures living in different States and UTs in India to promote greater mutual understanding amongst them.
• • As per the programme, each year, every State/UT would be paired with another State/UT in India for reciprocal interaction between the people.
• • The paired States/ UTs are to enter into MoUs with each other to carry out common activities under Ek Bharat Shrestha Bharat
• • Rashtriya Ekta Shivir are organised under this programme by Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan. 
• 25.14. TECHNICAL EDUCATION QUALITY IMPROVEMENT PROGRAMME (TEQIP)
• • To overhaul the quality of technical education in the Low-Income States and Special Category States (SCS).
• • To employ graduates from premier colleges like IITs, NITs etc to teach in engineering colleges in backward districts for a period of 3 years as a part of TEQIP Phase 3.
• • The project, implemented as a Central sector Scheme, commenced with the World Bank assistance, as a long term programme of 10-12 years.
• • The present 3rd Phase of the schemes has central, eastern and north-eastern region and hill states as its focus states
• The measures under TEQIP include:
• • Institution based: accreditation of the courses through National Board of Accreditation, governance reforms, improving the processes, digital initiatives, securing autonomy for the colleges.
• • Student based: improving the quality of teaching, teacher training, equipping the class rooms, revision of syllabus, industry interaction, compulsory internships for students, training the students in industry relevant skills, preparing them for the GATE exam etc 
• 25.15. SCHEME FOR HIGHER EDUCATION YOUTH IN APPRENTICESHIP AND SKILLS (SHREYAS)
• • To improve employability of students by introducing employment relevance into the learning process of the higher education system.
• • To forge a close functional link between education and industry/service sectors on a sustainable basis
• • To provide skills which are in demand, to the students in a dynamic manner
• • To establish an ‘earn while you learn’ system into higher education
• • To help business/industry in securing good quality manpower
• • To link student community with employment facilitating efforts of the Government.
• • It is a programme basket comprising the initiatives of three Central Ministries, namely the
• o Ministry of Human Resource Development: introduction of BA/BSc/B.Com (Professional) courses in the higher educational institutions.
• o Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship: National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme (NAPS).
• o Ministry of Labour& Employment: National Career Service (NCS)
• • It will be implemented by the Sector Skill Councils (SSCs).
• • It aims to cover 50 lakh students by 2022.
• • The programme would witness simultaneous implementation along three tracks:
• o Add-on Apprenticeship: The students who are currently completing the degree programme would be invited to choose a job role of their choice from a selected list of apprenticeship job roles given by the Sector Skill Councils
• o Embedded Apprenticeship: The existing B.Voc programmes would be restructured to include a mandatory apprenticeship ranging from 6 to 10 months depending on the requirement of the skill.
• o Linking National Career Service with Colleges: National Career Service (NCS) portal of Ministry of Labour& Employment would be linked with the Higher Education institutions.
• • Financing: Under the NAPS scheme, Central Government shares 25% of the stipend per month subject to a maximum of Rs.1500 p.m during the period of the apprenticeship. Apart from that, an amount upto Rs.7500 will be met towards basic training cost, where needed. 
• 25.16. OTHER SCHEMES
• Vittiya Saksharata Abhiyan (VISAKA)
• • To encourage, create awareness and motivate all people to use a digitally enabled cashless economic system for transfer of fund.
• • Emphasize upon cashless economy and appeal to faculty of higher institutions to make their respective campus cashless.
• • NCC/NSS volunteers to spread awareness about these digital modes of transactions to shopkeepers, vendors in nearest market place.
• Impacting Research Innovation and Technology (IMPRINT) 2.0 India
• • It seeks to develop a road map for research to solve major engineering and technology challenges in 10 technology domains relevant for the country (like health care technology, nano technology, advance resources, sustainable habitat, etc.)
• • It is a joint initiative of Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) and Indian Institute of Science (IISc) under the ministry.
• • Recently, IMPRINT-2 has been approved by Government with a revised strategy under which, this national initiative will be jointly funded and steered by MHRD and Department of Science and Technology (DST). Key features of IMPRINT-II include–
• o Principle objective is to translate knowledge into viable technology
• o MHRD and DST will be equal partners in the scheme
• o It will be open to all MHRD funded Higher Education Institute (HEI)/Centrally Funded Technical Institution (CFTI). Its scope has been extended to private institutions as well.
• o Projects with industry support will be preferred.
• • The erstwhile Uchhatar Avishkar Yojana scheme will also be subsumed with IMPRINT-2.
• Institute of Eminence scheme
• • Each public Institution selected as ‘Institution of Eminence’ will get financial assistance up to Rs. 1000 Crore over the period of five years under this scheme.
• • IOE is a tag given to institutions which are either
• o among Top 50 in the National institution Ranking Framework (in their category) or among Top 500 in internationally recognised rankings like the Times Higher Education World University Rankings;
• o have a good mix of foreign and domestic students as well as faculty;
• o have international standard infrastructure and are multi-disciplinary in their approach.
• Digital Gender Atlas for Advancing Girl’s Education in India
• Help identify low performing geographic pockets for girls, particularly from marginalized groups such as scheduled castes, schedule tribes and Muslim minorities, including girls with disabilities, on specific gender related education indicators.
• • The main components of the gender atlas are:
• (i) Composite gender ranking
• (ii) Trend analysis of gender indicators
• (iii) Vulnerabilities based on educational indicators.
• • It enables a trend analysis and tracking of performance of individual gender related parameters across periods of time.
• • It has been developed in collaboration with UNICEF.
• Shala Gunvatta (Shagun) Portal
• It is a twin track approach to monitor progress of implementation of the various components of SSA while also capturing and sharing of best practices from States and UTs.
• The portal has two parts
• • Online Monitoring will capture the progress in implementation.
• • SSA Repository is a repository of innovative practices, success stories, evaluation reports, and interventions initiated across all the States and Union Territories in the area of Elementary Education.
• Vidwan portal
• • VIDWAN is the premier database of profiles of scientists / researchers and other faculty members working at leading academic institutions and other R & D organisation involved in teaching and research in India.
• • The database developed and maintained by Information and Library Network Centre (INFLIBNET) with financial support from the National Mission on Education through ICT (NME-ICT).
• DIKSHA (Digital Infrastructure for Knowledge Sharing) Portal
• • It will serve as National Digital Infrastructure for Teachers.
• • It will enable, accelerate and amplify solutions in realm of teacher education. It will aid teachers to learn and train themselves for which assessment resources will be available.
• • It will help teachers to create training content, profile, in-class resources, assessment aids, news and announcement and connect with teacher community.
• Ishan Vikas
• • Gives exposure to students in premier institutes such as- [IITs, National Institutes of Technology (NITs) and Indian Institutes of Science Education and Research (IISERs)]
• • A Special Scholarship Scheme for school students from northeast (8 states) to Premier institutes for general degree course, technical and professional courses including medical and para-medical courses.
• Ishan Uday Scholarship Scheme
• • To promote higher education and increase GER ratio in the North East region of the country
• • The scheme has 10,000 slots for fresh scholarships every year for students from North Eastern Region (8 states) whose parental income is below Rs. 4.5 lakhs per annum.
• • It is administered by University Grants Commission (UGC).
• Shala ASMITA (All School Monitoring Individual Tracing Analysis) Yojana
• • To track the educational journey of school students from Class I to Class XII across the private and government schools.
• • It will be an online database which will carry information of student attendance and enrolment, learning outcomes, mid-day meal service and infrastructural facilities among others.
• • It will carry information about student attendance and enrolment, mid-day meal service, learning outcomes and infrastructural facilities, among other things, on one platform for both private and government schools.
• • Students will be tracked through their Aadhaar numbers.
• SWAYAM
• • To bridge the digital divide for students who have hitherto remained untouched by the digital revolution and have not been able to join the mainstream of the knowledge economy.
• • An indigenous developed IT platform that facilitates hosting of all the courses, taught in classrooms from 9th class till post-graduation to be accessed by anyone, anywhere at any time, free of cost.
• • SWAYAM Prabha: It is an initiative to provide 32 High Quality Educational Channels through DTH (Direct to Home) across the length and breadth of the country on 24X7 basis.
• Saakshar Bharat Programme
• Its 4 broad objectives are-
• • Impart functional literacy and numeracy to non-literate and non-numerate adults
• • Enable the neo-literate adults to continue their learning beyond basic literacy and acquire equivalency to formal educational system
• • Impart non and neo-literates relevant skill development programmes to improve their earning and living conditions and
• • Promote a learning society by providing opportunities to neo literate adults for continuing education.
• Eligibility criteria: A district, including a new district carved out of an erstwhile district that had adult female literacy rate of 50 per cent or below, as per 2001 census.
• In addition, all left wing extremism-affected districts, irrespective of their literacy rate, are also eligible for coverage under the programme.
• • Intended Beneficiaries- Non-literate adults in the age group of 15 years and beyond
• Global Initiative of Academic Networks (GIAN)
• • It is to foster greater collaboration and exchange of knowledge between local students/ faculty and international scholars.
• • The lectures under GIAN would be made available to the students across the country through the SWAYAM, the MOOCs platform and the National Digital Library.
• National Academic Depository (NAD)
• • It is a 24X7 online store house of all academic awards viz. certificates, diplomas, degrees, mark-sheets etc. duly digitised and lodged by academic institutions / boards / eligibility assessment bodies.
• • It ensures easy access to and retrieval of an academic award and also validates and guarantees its authenticity and safe storage.
• National Institution Ranking Framework (NIRF)
• • This framework outlines a methodology to rank institutions across the country, launched in 2015.
• • The parameters broadly cover “Teaching, Learning and Resources,” “Research and Professional Practices,” “Graduation Outcomes,” “Outreach and Inclusivity,” and “Perception”.
• Impactful Policy Research in Social Sciences (IMPRESS)
• • Under the Scheme, 1500 research projects will be awarded for 2 years to support the social science research in the higher educational institutions and to enable research to guide policy making.
• • The Indian Council of Social Science and Research (ICSSR) will be the project implementing agency.
• SPARC — Scheme for Promotion of Academic and Research Collaboration
• • Aim: To boost joint research with global universities from 28 countries and get international expertise to solve major national problems, train Indian students in the best laboratories, deepen academic engagement and improve the international ranking of Indian Institutes.
• • Eligibility: All Indian institutions ranked in top 100 of National Institutional Ranking Framework will be eligible for this scheme that targets PhD and postdoctoral researchers. Foreign institutions in top 100 to top 200 of global academic rankings from the 28 target countries will be eligible.
• • A set of Nodal Institutions (NI), from India, for each participating foreign country has been identified to help, handhold and coordinate with willing Participating Indian (PI) Institutions to forge alliance with the Institutions of concerned participating foreign country, for academic and research collaboration.
• • Implementing Agency: IIT Kharagpur will be the National Coordinating (NC) Institution.
• Operation Digital Board
• • It aims to set up one digital and interactive board per classroom in government and government-aided schools by 2022.
• • It will be introduced in schools from class 9th onwards as well as in higher education institutions.
• • It aims to make the learning as well as the teaching process interactive and popularize flipped learning as a pedagogical approach.
• • University Grant Commission will be the implementing agency of ODB for higher education.
• STARS Scheme (Scheme for Translational and Advanced Research in Science)
• • Under this, 500 science projects would be funded.
• • The project will be coordinated by the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bangalore.
• • It seeks to promote interdisciplinary and translational research and with the key objective of supporting socially relevant research, the following 6 basic thrust areas have been identified: Physics, Chemistry, Biological Sciences, Nanosciences, Data Sciences & Mathematics, and Earth Sciences
• Integrated National School Education Treasury (INSET)
• • INSET is envisaged as a fully integrated, instantly accessible and seamless information network for all parameters relating to the students, teachers, and schools in the country.
• • The aim is to create an easily accessible multi-layered eco-system of information – school wise, block-wise, district-wise, constituency-wise, state-wise and region-wise.