Nagaland gears up for Viksit Bharat goals with education-centric workshop for district officials

A two-day intensive workshop for district officials and DIET functionaries on education reform and national benchmarks began today in Kohima, under the aegis of Samagra Shiksha Nagaland. 

The programme is part of the state’s alignment with the 5th Chief Secretaries’ Conference and the central vision of achieving a "Viksit Bharat" (Developed India) by 2047.

Held at the capital, the workshop focused on strengthening educational planning and data systems, performance metrics, and grassroots accountability. Key sessions revolved around the Human Capital pillar of Viksit Bharat, the Performance Grading Index (PGI), National Achievement Survey (PARAKH), UDISE+, PM SHRI Schools, Vocational Education, Inclusive Education (for CwSN), Out of School Children (OoSC), Vidyanjali, and the Vidya Samiksha Kendra platform.

L. Jamithung Lotha, State Mission Director of Samagra Shiksha and Project Director, set the tone by highlighting India’s push toward becoming a developed nation by 2047. He underscored the centrality of education in this journey and pointed out that education is the most favoured department in terms of state salary expenditure, consuming over 26% of the total salary budget.

Urging better outcomes from this investment, he said, “If our output is good, then there will be real change.” He shared data showing that Nagaland has 2,734 schools, of which 1,915 are government-run. The total teacher strength stands at 32,801 with enrolment at 4,10,389.

Also Read: Nagaland govt schools in crisis: Low enrolment, high dropouts, poor results trigger alarm

The performance data raised concerns: while private schools recorded 88% pass rate in HSLC exams, government schools lagged behind at 48%. Similarly, in HSSLC results, private schools outperformed government ones across arts, science, and commerce streams.

Stressing the importance of robust data systems, Lotha said, “If your primary data is healthy, the whole thing will be healthy.” He called on district officials to ensure clean, accurate data collection and urged them to own their responsibilities: “Until and unless we do this, we are killing the next generation.”

Principal Director of School Education, Shashank Pratap Singh, IAS, flagged serious concerns with the SMILE App-based teacher attendance system. He revealed that 34 of the state’s 49 district establishments reported less than 50% digital attendance, and 10 offices recorded almost zero.

“This means nearly two-thirds of our district offices are not regularly updating attendance on the SMILE App,” Singh said, warning that such negligence undermines transparency and efficiency. He urged immediate rectification and stressed the importance of digital systems in governance.

On the PM POSHAN scheme, Singh reminded officials that implementation and monitoring must remain a top priority. “Let us ensure that no child is deprived due to administrative oversight,” he asserted.

Commissioner and Secretary for School Education, Kevileno Angami, framed the broader purpose of the workshop. “Human capital is one of the pillars for the state and the nation to be developed. Quality education is the foundation,” she said. She challenged participants to introspect whether they were fulfilling their responsibilities or failing the next generation.

“You have been placed in this position for a purpose,” she said, urging all officials not to underestimate their roles.

Other speakers included Kelhikha Kenye, Deputy Mission Director of Samagra Shiksha, Benjung Yaden of SCERT, Dr. Bijano Murry, Joint Mission Director, and James Kikon, IT Consultant for NIPUN PMU, who presented on PGI Nagaland and digital assessments, respectively.

The introductory session was chaired by Dr. Kevizakie Rio, Joint Mission Director of Samagra Shiksha. The workshop will continue until July 25.