- Vacant buildings of merged school to be repurposed as community learning centers
- CCTV surveillance made mandatory in all board exam centers
Education Minister Rohit Thakur today here chaired a comprehensive review meeting with Deputy Directors of School Education (Secondary, Elementary and Quality Wing) to assess academic standards, administrative efficiency and overall school performance across the State. He said that Deputy Directors carry direct responsibility for effective policy implementation and measurable improvement in learning outcomes at the district level.
He said that all funds released under Samagra Shiksha must be utilized in a strictly time-bound and outcome-oriented manner, with full expenditure by 31 March 2026. He said clear accountability has been fixed at the Deputy Director level to ensure that resources translate into visible classroom improvements. He asked to intensify the field visits and submit the reports frequently.
The Education Minister took a detailed review of school rationalization, particularly in merged schools. He directed that buildings made available after mergers must not remain idle and should be repurposed as digital learning centres, pre-primary sections, Mahila Mandals, skill development labs, sports facilities or community resource centers as per local needs. He further said that administrative barriers between primary and secondary schools must be removed so that laboratories, libraries, playgrounds and teaching staff can be shared efficiently.
The Education Minister also examined the rationalization of Science and Commerce streams in Government Senior Secondary Schools. Out of 1,970 schools, Science is functional in 818 and Commerce in 799. He directed Deputy Directors to ensure optimal deployment of faculty and infrastructure while safeguarding student’s access to quality education in all regions.
The Minister also reviewed the examination preparedness under the Himachal Pradesh Board of School Education. He said that merged Government schools would function as designated Board examination centres, with Principals appointed as Centre Coordinators and held directly accountable for smooth and fair conduct. He said CCTV cameras with live monitoring have been made mandatory in all examination halls and directed to placed previously identified black-spot centres under special surveillance. He directed the development of a robust digital mechanism enabling one-click access to departmental data for real-time monitoring by the department.
Taking serious note of delays by certain private schools in issuing School Leaving Certificates (SLCs) to students seeking admission in Government Central Board of Secondary Education-affiliated institutions, the Education Minister said that such cases must be resolved within a fixed timeframe so that no student’s academic future suffers and directed Deputy Directors to intervene and take necessary action. He also reviewed matters relating to post-CBSE affiliation, sub-cadre eligibility and pending recruitment issues for early resolution.
Rohit Thakur reviewed inspection performance from April 2025 to January 2026 and directed Deputy Directors to ensure timely submission of complete reports. He said that MIS reporting, student health check-ups, distribution of Iron Folic Acid and deworming tablets and monitoring of Mid-Day Meals under PM Poshan through the Automated Monitoring System must be strengthened to enhance grassroots accountability.
While emphasizing on holistic development, the Minister said that sports and co-curricular activities remain a priority. He said the state secured a historic 48 national medals in 2025-26 with 121 medal winners, including 14 medals in the Under-14 category.
The Education Minister said that Rs. 1,22,85,000 has been sanctioned as diet money for sportspersons and directed phased expansion and operationalisation of sports hostels with structured monitoring. He also said schools must actively promote cultural activities, debates, science exhibitions and other co-curricular programmes.
He said that the Holistic Progress Card framework developed by the National Council of Educational Research and Training was being analyzed on a pilot basis to support comprehensive assessment and reduce teacher’s workload. He directed for the conduction of induction training for newly promoted Principals to enhance leadership quality and administrative efficiency.
The Education Minister praised Vidya Samiksha Kendras for improving teacher attendance through digital monitoring and directed officials to strengthen data analytics for better academic outcomes. He also urged districts to boost participation in “Abhyaas” practice modules for Board exams and replicate successful preparation initiatives like those implemented in Chamba.
Secretary Education Rakesh Kanwar also shared his suggestions.
Presentations on PM SHRI Schools, digital attendance of teachers and students and the free JEE & NEET Coaching Programme was being given during the meeting.
