The Himachal Pradesh government has requested the central government to increase the non-recurring grant in the education sector. During a meeting held in New Delhi on Tuesday, Education Secretary Rakesh Kanwar argued for the increase, citing the higher construction costs in the hilly region of the state. A non-recurring grant is a one-time or irregular expense that is not expected to be paid in the future. The Education Secretary stated that whether it is for ICT labs or building construction, the expenses are significant, and the allocated budget is insufficient. Therefore, an increase in this grant is necessary.
On the first day of the two-day review meeting of centrally sponsored schemes in the education sector held in New Delhi, extensive discussions were held on ICT labs, U-DISE, best practices, and DIET centers. State officials mentioned that the work of setting up ICT labs is ongoing. Many schools have already established these labs. Delays occurred due to various reasons, such as lack of land in some places, but these issues have now been resolved. Tenders have been issued for the creation of ICT labs, and soon every school in the state will have an ICT lab. Officials also mentioned that DIET centers are being upgraded. The DIET center located near Ghanahatti in the capital Shimla is being upgraded at a cost of approximately 9 crore rupees.
DIET centers are being upgraded to centers of excellence. The budget allocated under the Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan and STAR project for the financial year 2023-24 has been spent. The state also raised the issue of releasing additional budget for the salaries of BRCs, CRCs, and other teachers involved in project work during the meeting. On the second day of the review meeting on Wednesday, discussions will be held on several other schemes, including the mid-day meal scheme and the New India Literacy Campaign. The meeting was attended by the State Project Director of the Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan, Rajesh Sharma, along with several other officials.
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