Shimla
Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu presents prestigious award at Peterhoff ceremony
Shimla: Samagra Shiksha Director Rajesh Sharma (IFS) has been honoured with the prestigious ‘Himachal Ratna Award’ for his outstanding contribution to the education sector in Himachal Pradesh.
Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu presented the award to Sharma at a ceremony organised by the Divya Himachal Group at Hotel Peterhoff in Shimla on Wednesday. The Chief Minister also honoured several other distinguished personalities for their contributions to society and the development of Himachal Pradesh.
As Director of Samagra Shiksha, Sharma has played a significant role in introducing innovative initiatives, strengthening school leadership, expanding global academic partnerships and promoting 21st-century skills among students in the state’s government schools.
Under his leadership, government school teachers from Himachal Pradesh were sent on an international educational exposure tour to Singapore for the first time. A partnership was also established with the Principals Academy, Singapore, for teacher training.
More than 33,000 school teachers in the state have also received training aligned with global standards through collaboration with the University of Cambridge.
UNESCO Partnership and 21st-Century Learning
Himachal Pradesh has also partnered with UNESCO to implement the HP FUTURES programme, focusing on Competency-Based Education, value education through sports and greening education to help students develop skills required for the 21st century.
Efforts have also been made to strengthen school leadership through training programmes for school heads and teachers at institutions such as IIM Sirmaur.
Himachal Improves National Education Rankings
These initiatives have also been reflected in the state’s performance in national education indicators. In the National Achievement Survey (NAS), Himachal Pradesh improved its position from 21st to fifth in the country.
The state also improved its ranking in the Performance Grading Index (PGI), moving from 21st to sixth place. Himachal has further been recognised among the country’s leading states in the ASER report.
The honour, awarded for Sharma’s visionary leadership and contribution to strengthening the state’s education system, is being seen as recognition of the wider efforts being made to transform school education in Himachal Pradesh.
Among those present at the ceremony were Deputy Chief Whip Kewal Singh Pathania, MLA Sanjay Awasthi, Shimla Mayor Surender Chauhan, Deputy Mayor Uma Kaushal, Deputy Commissioner Anupam Kashyap, SSP Gaurav Singh and other dignitaries.
