India, April 23 -- The Government of India has issued a release:
Pune, 23 April 2026
The Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship and Minister of State for Education, Shri Jayant Chaudhary, visited the State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT), Maharashtra, Pune, today and reviewed key academic initiatives and progress on implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.
The Hon'ble Minister held detailed interactions with faculty and senior officials of SCERT Maharashtra and reviewed the progress of major educational programmes being implemented across the state, including the NIPUN Maharashtra Mission, the State Curriculum Framework, PM SHRI Schools, vocational education pathways, digital learning initiatives, and the School Quality Assessment and Assurance Framework (SQAAF).
Shri Chaudhary took note of Maharashtra's progress in leveraging technology in education through AI-enabled tools, digital content platforms, and real-time data systems. He appreciated initiatives such as AI Saathi for Educators, which is enabling teachers to use AI tools for lesson planning, assessment, and content creation.
The Hon'ble Minister reviewed the state's efforts towards integrating skill education within the school system through structured vocational pathways across multiple sectors and emphasised the need to strengthen skill-based learning at all stages of schooling.
Shri Chaudhary underscored the critical importance of scaling up innovative last-mile skill delivery models such as "Skills on Wheels", which bring vocational learning directly to learners at the grassroots level. He emphasised that such initiatives are essential for expanding access to skill-based education and advancing the vision of Viksit Bharat 2047.
The Hon'ble Minister further directed that best practices developed in Maharashtra, particularly in areas of digital pedagogy, skill integration, and classroom-level implementation, be documented and shared with other States for wider replication.
Shri Sachin Pratap Singh, Commissioner (Education), Government of Maharashtra; Dr. Nandkumar Bedse, Director In-Charge, SCERT Maharashtra; and other senior state education officials were present during the visit.
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PIB Pune | Harshal Akude/Darshana Rane
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Disclaimer: Curated by HT Syndication.
