On 30th July 2023, the Akhil Bhartiya Shiksha Samagam (ABSS) 2023, an educational event was concluded with a resolution collectively made by the education leaders to transform India into an equitable and vibrant knowledge society. The event’s valedictory address was delivered by Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, Ministry of Education (MoE).
- Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan informed that capacity building of teachers is a priority and around 300 institutions including 100 from school education, 100 from higher education, and 100 from skill will be developed as centres of excellence during this academic year.
Key People:
Ministers of State (MoS) Annpurna Devi; Dr. Subhas Sarkar, and Dr. Rajkumar Ranjan Singh, MoE; K Sanjay Murthy, Secretary, Department of Higher Education, Sanjay Kumar, Secretary, Department of School Education and Literacy, Ministry of Education and Atul Kumar Tiwari, Secretary, Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship (MoSDE).
Inauguration:
i.On 29th July 2023, Prime Minister (PM), Narendra Modi inaugurated the ABSS (‘Shiksha Mahakumbh’, a 2-days event), jointly organized by the MoE and the MoSDE at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi, Delhi.
- The PM also released the 1st installment of funds under the (PM Schools for Rising India (PM SHRI) Scheme.
- He also released education and skill curriculum books translated into 12 Indian languages.
Note: This was the first event at the Bharat Mandapam after its formal inauguration.
Significance of ABSS 2023:
This event coincided with the 3rd anniversary of the National Education Policy, (NEP) 2020, which was implemented on 29th July 2020.
- As per NEP 2020, students should be taught in their mother tongue or regional language until Class 5.
About PM SHRI Scheme:
Under the scheme, there is the provision of setting up more than 14500 PM SHRI Schools by strengthening the existing schools from amongst schools managed by Central Government/State/UT Government/local bodies.
- 6207 schools received the 1st installment with a total amounting to Rs.630 crore.
Highlights of ABSS:
i.The Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, on the 2nd day of the event, urged the education fraternity to convert this education Mahakumbh into an All India Institution and strengthen the school ecosystem.
ii.The event was an initiative to emphasise the importance of capacity building for teachers will be developed this academic year, to develop 300 institutions as centers of excellence.
- Those institutions will be divided into 100 each for school education, higher education, and skill development.
ii.He also stressed all the educational and skilled institutions convert National Curriculum Framework (NCF) guidelines into textbooks.
- NCF is a document that prescribes the broad policy framework and objectives for education in India.
ABSS 2023:
Sessions: The two-day event also witnessed the participation of academicians in the 16 thematic sessions on various themes of School Education, Higher Education, and Skill Education including:
- Access to Quality Education and Governance (Higher Education);
- Equitable and Inclusive Education: Issues of Socio-Economically Disadvantaged Groups (SEDGs);
- National Institute Ranking Framework (NIRF);
- Internationalisation of Education, among others.
Objective:
- To encourage brainstorming sessions to identify various approaches and methodologies to implement NEP 2020;
- To effectively articulate the roadmap and implementation strategies, fostering knowledge exchange, discussing challenges;
- To provide a common platform for all stakeholders to come together and network for effective, smooth, and timely implementation of the NEP 2020; and
- To deliberate, and share best practices for the implementation of NEP, 2020.
v.The Union Minister also released some books on the 10 major projects of the Central Institute for Classical Tamil (CICT), which included Definitive Editions of Ancient Tamil Works, Translation of Ancient Tamil Works, and Historical Grammar of Tamil.
Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan launched the Mobile App ‘ULLAS’
Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, introduced the logo, slogan – “Jan Jan Sakshar“, and mobile application of the Understanding Lifelong Learning for All in Society (ULLAS): Nav Bharat Saksharta Karyakram during the Akhil Bharatiya Shiksha Samagam 2023.
- The new logo and slogan, “ULLAS: Nav Bharat Saksharta Karyakram,” reflect the enthusiasm and vigour of the campaign.
- It symbolises the light of knowledge spreading across every corner of the country, empowering citizens with the power of education, and igniting the flame of curiosity and learning in every individual making Jan Jan Sakshar.
Key Features of the Mobile App:
i.The ULLAS mobile application marks a significant milestone in utitlising the potential of technology to facilitate widespread access to basic literacy.
ii.This user-friendly and interactive app is accessible on both the Android and iPhone Operating Systems (ios).
iii.It will act as a digital portal to connect learners to a variety of educational resources through the Digital Infrastructure for Knowledge Sharing (DIKSHA) portal of the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT).
iv.The learners and volunteers can register in the app, on their own, or through surveyors.
v.It will focus on promoting functional literacy, vocational skills, and many important life skills like financial literacy, legal literacy, digital literacy, and empowerment of citizens to involve in the nation-building of India.
vi.It also fosters a culture of continuous learning and knowledge-sharing in communities across India.
vii.It primarily targets citizens aged 15 and above who missed the opportunity to attend formal schooling. It operates through volunteerism, encouraging volunteers to participate as DUTY or Kartavya Bodh towards nation-building.
Akhil Bhartiya Shiksha Samagam 2023: 106 MoUs signed during the event
On 30th July 2023, the MoE and the MoSDE, signed 106 Memorandum of Understanding (MoUs) with various organizations and institutions on the occasion of the Akhil Bhartiya Shiksha Samagam (ABSS) 2023.
- The objective is to foster innovation, research, and knowledge exchange across multiple domains, strengthening collaboration between education and industry.
Key People:
The MoUs were signed in the presence of Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, MoE and MoSDE; and 3 MoS of MoE Subhas Sarkar, Annapurna Devi, and Rajkumar Ranjan Singh.
MoU’s in School Education:
i.Under the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), 15 MoUs were signed with Institutes and sector skill providers to focus on skill development and education, promoting skill assessment and capacity building.
ii.These MoUs were signed in association with the Atal Innovation Mission, IBM, Intel, Microsoft, and various sector skill councils.
iii.The National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS) signed 3 MoUs:
- The first MoU is with the Indian Sign Language Research and Training Centre (ISLRTC) in New Delhi, Delhi, to promote Indian Sign Language and collaborate on standardisation and development of quality learning resources.
- The second MoU is with the Common Service Centres (CSC), Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, to facilitate the admission of Out of School Children (OoSC) in NIOS, increase enrolment, and provide e-services.
- The third MoU is with Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University (GGSIPU), Delhi for academic advancements.
iv.Additionally, an MoU has been signed between Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti (NVS) and IBM to accelerate the activities conducted for effective implementation of Vigyan Jyoti Program in Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas (JNVs).
v.Under the eVidya initiative, the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has signed 20 MoUs with Departments of School Education from various states.
- These MoUs aim to develop high-quality e-Content and distribute it through PM e-VIDYA DTH TV channels in different languages, serving to various stakeholders in the education sector.
MoUs in Higher Education:
i.6 MoUs were established to promote the Indian Knowledge System.
ii.14 MoUs under the National Educational Technology Forum (NETF) and All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) were also signed in partnership with: SkillDzire Technologies Pvt Limited, MathWorks India Private Limited, TimesPro, Google India, and various other institutions.
iii.2 SAMARTH MoUs with different states were also inked, alongside an MoU with SAMARTH DU and Educational Consultants India Limited (EdCIL).
iv.6 MoUs have been signed between the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT)-Madras Zanzibar campus (Tanzania), IIT Tirupati (Andhra Pradesh), and others to offer training courses on ‘Digital Manufacturing and Automation for Foundry Industry’.
v.The Pradhan Mantri Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (PM-USHA) initiative also resulted in 15 MoUs with various states.
viFurthermore, The University Grants Commission (UGC) entered into 5 MoUs involving educational institutions across the globe, including the partnerships between the University of Mumbai and the University of Illinois in the United States of America (USA), and so on.
vii.The University of Lucknow also inked a MoU with Universidade Federal do Ceara in Brazil, paving the way for international academic cooperation and exchange.
viii.Another 14 MoUs were signed to equip the youth with cutting-edge skills and knowledge, fostering innovation, and nurturing academic excellence in India including the MoUs of Directorate General of Training (DGT) with AWS India Pvt Ltd. and so on.
Recent Related News:
On 11th April 2023, Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, Ministry of Education and Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) unveiled the digital version of the Employability Skills Curriculum (ES) for students enrolled in India’s Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) at the Future Skills Forum in New Delhi, Delhi.
About the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MoSDE):
Union Minister– Dharmendra Pradhan (Rajya Sabha, Madhya Pradesh)
Minister of State (MoS)– Rajeev Chandrasekhar (Rajya Sabha, Karnataka)
