NITI Aayog praises Rajasthan's innovations, recognises 'Shala Swasthya Abhiyan' as 'National Best Practices'
Jaipur, May 20
Rajasthan's education sector has earned national recognition for its innovative initiatives focused on the holistic development of students, government officials said on Wednesday.
In its latest report, "School Education System in India: Temporal Analysis and Policy Roadmap for Quality Enhancement", NITI Aayog has acknowledged Rajasthan's Shala Swasthya Parikshan Abhiyan and the AI-based assessment system implemented under the Chief Minister Shikshit Rajasthan Abhiyan as exemplary "Good State Practices".
The report highlights Rajasthan's technology-driven approach toward student health monitoring, nutrition, fitness, and overall well-being.
Under the Shala Swasthya Parikshan Abhiyan, more than 7.5 million students across the state were screened on more than 70 health parameters.
The initiative included comprehensive examinations related to vision, hearing, nutrition, dental care, and physical fitness, supported by a mobile app-based follow-up system.
NITI Aayog described the model as a significant step toward integrating health and nutrition into the education ecosystem in line with the objectives of the National Education Policy (NEP), 2020.
The report also commended the OCR technology and AI-enabled assessment system introduced under the Chief Minister Shikshit Rajasthan Abhiyan.
According to the findings, the initiative helped more than 400,000 students overcome learning poverty while achieving an annual improvement of 8-10 per cent in learning outcomes.
Rajasthan also secured a position among the top 10 states in the country in the Rajasthan Parakh Report 2024, outperforming the national average.
Additionally, NITI Aayog appreciated the Padhai with AI initiative being implemented in Tonk district, noting substantial improvements in student performance, particularly in Mathematics and other core subjects.
"Under the leadership of Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma, Rajasthan's education sector is rapidly emerging as a national model of innovation, effectively integrating education, healthcare, and technology to enhance student learning and development," officials said.
— IANS
Reader Comments
Impressive numbers but I hope the follow-up care after the health screening is equally robust. It's one thing to identify issues, another to actually treat them. Still, a step in the right direction for sure.
Great to see technology like OCR and AI being used in Indian classrooms. The 8-10% annual improvement in learning outcomes is remarkable. This is the kind of innovation that can bridge the urban-rural education gap.
As a teacher from Rajasthan, I can vouch for the positive changes. The mobile app for health follow-ups has made our job easier. But we need more training on the AI tools - many teachers in rural areas are still struggling with basic tech. Hope the government invests in capacity building too.
Health and education going hand-in-hand - that's what we need across India. The NEP 2020 vision seems to be taking shape here. But 7.5 million is a huge number; I wonder about the quality of screening. Let's hope it's thorough and not just numbers.
"Padhai with AI" in Tonk district sounds interesting! My cousin teaches there and says kids are actually enjoying Math now. The combination of tech and traditional teaching could be a game-changer for rural education. Chalo, kuch toh accha ho raha hai Rajasthan mein! 😊
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