SRINAGAR: As many as 711 government schools in the Jammu Lok Sabha constituency have been approved for Information and Communication Technology (ICT) laboratories, while 530 schools have been approved for smart classrooms, the Union Ministry of Education informed the Lok Sabha on Monday.
The figures were provided in response to a question by Jammu MP Jugal Kishore Sharma on steps being taken to promote digital education in the constituency.
The Ministry said digital education is being promoted through various initiatives under Samagra Shiksha, aligned with the objectives of the National Education Policy (NEP), 2020. Financial assistance is provided to States and Union Territories, including Jammu and Kashmir, based on their Annual Work Plan and Budget and approvals of the Project Approval Board.
The assistance covers strengthening ICT infrastructure, including ICT laboratories and smart classrooms, in government and government-aided schools with Classes VI to XII, including institutions in rural, remote and hilly areas.
To improve connectivity in remote and hilly regions, the Government has also announced broadband connectivity for all government secondary schools in rural areas under the BharatNet project, as part of the Union Budget 2025.
The Ministry said digital learning is further supported through platforms such as DIKSHA and PM eVidya. DIKSHA provides curriculum-aligned digital content, including QR-coded Energised Textbooks, teacher resources and other learning materials, with both online and offline access.
PM eVidya, launched in May 2020, integrates online, digital and on-air education initiatives to provide multi-mode access to learning. NCERT’s ePathshala also provides free access to textbooks for Classes I to XII, audio-visual material and teacher-training resources.
The Government said its long-term strategy is to modernise school education in line with NEP 2020, including the saturation of ICT laboratories, smart classrooms and science laboratories in government secondary schools under Samagra Shiksha.
