Commissioner Secretary School Education Reviews Functioning of Vidya Samiksha Kendra Jammu
Jammu, May 14 (PTK): Commissioner Secretary School Education Ram Niwas Sharma on Wednesday visited Vidya Samiksha Kendra Jammu to review the functioning of the integrated educational monitoring and governance system established under the School Education Department.
During the visit, the Commissioner Secretary took a comprehensive review of the real-time monitoring mechanisms being implemented through the VSK platform to improve governance, transparency and efficiency in the education sector across Jammu and Kashmir.
Officials and technical teams briefed him about various digital dashboards, data analytics tools and monitoring modules being used for tracking key educational indicators including student attendance, teacher attendance, infrastructure status, learning outcomes and implementation of schemes under Samagra Shiksha.
Ram Niwas Sharma reviewed the school attendance scenario across the Union Territory and directed officers to ensure that attendance is marked daily and on time by all teachers. He also instructed officials to closely monitor low-attendance schools and improve compliance.
The Project Director Samagra Shiksha and technical teams briefed the Commissioner Secretary about various digital initiatives including Shikshak Sahayak, DigiLearn, Smart Attendance, Study Buddy Chatbot and the recently launched J&K Sarvekshan ChatBot.
The Director Samagra Shiksha also presented the Data Monitoring Framework, dashboard platforms and the CRM-based tele-calling setup established at the VSK.
Emphasizing technology-driven governance, Ram Niwas Sharma directed officials to ensure effective utilisation of digital platforms for evidence-based decision making and timely grievance redressal. He stressed the importance of data accuracy and regular updation, saying that Vidya Samiksha Kendra would play a key role in improving accountability and the overall quality of education in schools across J&K.
The Commissioner Secretary appreciated the efforts of officials and staff in establishing a robust digital monitoring ecosystem and called for strengthening coordination with field functionaries for effective implementation of educational initiatives and flagship programmes.
Reviewing low-performing districts, he directed the technical team to undertake regular follow-ups and asked the VSK team to utilise the organisation’s manpower to improve outreach and engagement at the grassroots level.
He also instructed officials to convene review meetings with Chief Education Officers regarding the performance of VSK Bots and cautioned that CEOs of low-performing districts would be held accountable.
While reviewing the JK Sarvekshan initiative, the Commissioner Secretary directed the Samagra Shiksha team to create a dedicated WhatsApp group and ensure timely survey filling by concerned officials.
He also reviewed the Parent Pulse Bot and stressed improving its outreach, responsiveness and parent engagement for better user satisfaction.
During the review of the AI-powered Shikshak Sahayak Chatbot, Ram Niwas Sharma instructed the VSK team to enhance the digital tools available on the platform and appreciated the fact that over 50 percent of school teachers had already registered on the bot within two weeks of its launch.
The Commissioner Secretary further emphasized expanding the VSK initiative to all districts of the Union Territory during the upcoming implementation phase this year.
He also visited two digital studios established at VSK Jammu which support the J&K e-Pathshala TV Channel launched under Samagra Shiksha earlier this year. He directed officials to involve teachers from across the UT in creating interactive educational videos in local languages including Kashmiri, Urdu and Dogri, besides English and Hindi.
Project Director Samagra Shiksha Bhawani Rakwal and senior officers of the School Education Department were present during the visit.(PTK)
