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ScooNews Webinar: Heritage Xperiential Learning School Reveals What Makes It No.1

Read all about The Heritage Schools and their one of a kind curriculum SEL, that helped them teach better and become the No.1 school in India.

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With more than 5,000 attendees eager to learn what makes The Heritage Schools triumphant, ScooNews hosted a webinar on May 1, 2020, with the administrational heads of Heritage Xperiential Learning School, Gurugram, India. 

Panellists:

  1. Manit Jain: Co-founder, The Heritage Schools (Panel Chair)
  2. Ariana Heifetz: Social Emotional Learning, Heritage Xperiential Learning School
  3. Ezette Grauf: Head Teaching & Learning, Heritage Xperiential Learning School
  4. Noora F. Noushad: Head Design & Technology, Heritage Xperiential Learning School
  5. Neena Kaul: Director& Principal, Heritage Xperiential Learning School
  6. Vishnu Karthik: Director, The Heritage Schools

During the 1.5-hour-long session, Ravi Santlani, CEO ScooNews, asked these ed-gurus what goes into the making of India’s no.1 school. Manit Jain and his team of experts explained about their personally-developed curriculum Social Emotional Learning (SEL), that single-handedly revolutionised the education sector. He began the session by sharing his school’s journey towards SEL and why he thought it was important to bring about a change in the ways of authentic teaching.

Excerpts are from the slides they shared, in their words:

Manit Jain, Co-founder, The Heritage Schools

For the change to happen in the education system, a more meaningful model was needed to be created. A kind of experiential education which remains relevant for decades to come. For us, this meant no uniforms, no textbooks, no subjects, no tests and a fully multidisciplinary project-based curriculum prepared by our teachers.

By 2013, the school started getting appreciation and acknowledgement as one of the best schools in the country. However, 2016 hit us with a wake-up call. Sadly, we had become too mechanical and were needed to rehumanise ourselves because of the following factors:

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Industrial Revolution

  1. In 2016, the 4th industrial revolution was announced by the World Economic Forum.
  2. It was coming together of the digital, the biological and the physical that made us reevaluate the learning model.
  3. The authentic ways needed a modern twist. 

Fewer Jobs For Humans

  1. The technology was constantly growing and repetitive tasks, which do not need creative touch, would be now done with the help of Artificial Intelligence.
  2. Jobs would decrease, forcing humans to develop social and creative intelligence.

We had to look into different ways of teaching that would develop those sought-after qualities in the coming generation, to avoid being obsolete in future. This included:

Social Intelligence

  1. Empathy Perceptiveness
  2. Negotiation Conflict Resolution
  3. Persuasion
  4. Assisting & Caring
  5. Sharing 

Creative Intelligence

  1. Originality
  2. Curiosity
  3. Deep Thinking

Preparedness

We figured out how we need to prepare and what we need to focus on to develop the qualities that make us more compassionate. This included:

  1. Self-ability to know and accept one’s SWABHAV (self).
  2. Ability to create deep meaningful and essential relationships.
  3. Feeling of citizenship (community).
  4. The actual meaning of livelihood:
  1. Meaning: Doing something that gives life meaning.
  2. Mastery: Learning something every day.
  3. Money: True happiness comes when one does something for others.

In the meantime, our SEL curriculum evolved. This consists of 5 major points:

1. Project-Based Learning. Example, The Bicycle Project

  1. 7th graders in their project-based learning classes developed a project to be presented to the city government for a bicycle path in the city.
  2. For this project to succeed, the students needed a purpose, relevance, and real problem-solving ability.
  3. Students went through several phases of learning while working on old bikes to refurbish them, donating to the helping staff, learning the history and development, researching bike-friendly cities, etc.
  4. Learning from projects helped in interdisciplinary education.
  5. This project-based learning gave them deeper agendas than just learning academics.

Ariana Heifetz: Social Emotional Learning, Heritage Xperiential Learning School

2. The Human Framework: Specific aspect to be nurtured and developed

  1. My Essence/My Swabhav: Exploring one’s emotions, reactions, yearnings to have an understanding and a healthier relationship with oneself.
  2. My Purpose/My Swadharm: To be able to connect with one’s passions, to be able to give meaning to life & set goals.
  3. My Relationship: Foster true connections that bring joy by practising empathy and learning conflict resolution.
  4. My Context/My Water: Acknowledging that we don’t exist in isolation. Acknowledge what nurtures and gives values, hopes and spirituality and what does not. 

Ezette Grauf: Head Teaching & Learning, Heritage Xperiential Learning School

3. Literacy

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  1. We reshaped what literacy meant so far and what it is supposed to do from now on.
  2. Changing its assessment to match the definition.
  3. Set a new target and bring in models to support it.
  4. Provide training, resources, etc. to move forward.
  5. Having a well-curated library to support the curriculum.

What Constitutes Literacy Crime?

  1. The very thought that ‘One book fits all’: Not all children are born with the same comprehension abilities and hence, the reading material provided must differ to meet the individual requirements.
  2. Killing their love for reading and writing: This happens when we give them only non-fiction-related assignments that in no way build their reading style.
  3. Not providing adequate time for literacy learning.
  4. To think that accurately reading out words is a kind of reading success.
  5. Focusing on the whole group at the expense of individuals.
  6. Holding on to a book snobbery and book-judgement, using abridged classics.
  7. Forbidding student choice in reading and writing.
  8. To be a literacy teacher who chooses not to read.

Noora F. Noushad: Head Design & Technology, Heritage Xperiential Learning School

4. Technology to Enhance Creative Intelligence

Unlike several other countries, India lacked a framework to prepare students progressively, so we researched the global standards. They are:

  1. To shift the focus of technology consumption to creation, a comprehensive framework was developed to promote integral creative intelligence skills.
  2. Contextualized into our curriculum to develop grade-wise learning targets in innovation and technology creation.
  3. We implemented real-world problem-solving teaching methods, unlike robotics and technology clubs, to provide equal learning opportunities.
  4. Our focus is to enhance concepts like design thinking, rapid prototyping, to instil virtues of collaboration & design failure.

Vishnu Karthik, Director, The Heritage Schools

5. Bringing It All Together

  1. Regardless of the board followed by the school, the SEL model can be fitted into one’s curriculum and be easily customized. 
  2. Curriculum standards shared above are as effective as they are implemented. What questions should be kept in mind while designing it is:
  3. Are these standards well-mapped into lesson plans?
  4. Do teachers do a good job of teaching that lesson in the class?
  5. Are students engaged enough in those lessons?
  6. Are the right assessments designed to measure those standards?
  7. Are feedbacks taken and provided to better the teaching and curriculum?
  8. Pairing all of this together is predominant.

Instructional Leadership Pedagogy & Protocols

We built a core pedagogy pyramid for all the teachers to follow by doing the following:

  1. Classroom Management: We use the pyramid as the lense to look at any practice in a classroom
  2. Training modules were developed.
  3. Pedagogical Practices: Student facing as well as teacher facing
  4. Analyzed the level of proficiency of teachers in a particular class
  5. Cognitive Coaching: We coached teachers to master their craft of teaching
  6. We brought in a culture of continuous improvement of teaching and learning practices
  7. We created a central team (panellists from today) whose core focus was to build capabilities in these discussed 5 domains
  8. Convincing the parent and teacher community for a complete change management process, workshops were held for the same.
  9. We created a system within the community to make this work. This was called a team of champions.
  10. We wanted teachers as well as students to have a product building mindset, a discipline to recreate what we built in the school to bring innovation to the market.

What is the journey forward?

To make sure that we, as an institute, keep evolving along with our curriculum, we revise the following points now and then:

  1. Center of Excellences (COEs): we get experts who help us reach out to more schools, help them implement SEL, and solve any issues they come across.
  2. Scale Up the Models: we do not want this model to be feasible for upscale private schools only, we are looking into cost moderation so to make it available to an average Indian kid across the nation. 
  3. Technology Platform: all the work created in the last five odd years have been moved to online now. Since technology is the way forward, it is better to embrace it than be afraid of it. 

Neena Kaul: Director& Principal, Heritage Xperiential Learning School

Operation & Culture of The Organisation

  1. The right kind of structures & effective robust processes increases the efficacy of any organisation.
  2. To sustain this culture, we need to be open to new ideas, develop an ability to take feedback, engage in reflective practices, and operate from trust and faith.
  3. Distribution of leadership should be converging as well as diverging at the right time in the right way.

Finally, for a deeper understanding of the SEL model, the team took to some crucial questions: 

How can SEL be woven into a school community?

  1. SEL teams are present on each program level
  2. Parent engagement is crucial
  3. SEL subject integration to happen in all subject fields
  4. Focused curriculum for Junior, Middle & Senior classes to be prepared
  5. SEL skills model to be introduced
  6. SEL data gathering to monitor quality and growth

What are the popular myths related to SEL?

  1. Myth: adults need to perfectly master SEL skills

 Fact: adults are also continuous learners

  1. Myth: Constant happiness, calm, and positivity is the goal of SEL

Fact: Social-emotional health does not equal being happy all the time

  1. Myth: Teachers must make students understand what values are good and which are bad

Fact: Values are not ‘taught’ by lecturing

CONCLUSION:

SEL or Social Emotional Learning is an empathetic education system that not just teaches the purpose of doing well in exams but also leads the way of life with every lesson. This learning model is necessary for children to be content in their lives and have a more meaningful existence while growing up. 

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Education

Delhi Government Launches Online First Aid Training Programme for Teachers

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Delhi government launches an online first aid training programme for teachers in schools. (Image Source- Pexels)

The Delhi government has introduced a new online training programme designed to equip teachers with essential first aid skills to respond effectively during health emergencies in schools.

According to a circular issued by the State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT), the course — titled “First Aid – To Improve Human Reaction in Challenging Health Situations” — will be conducted under the Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) format. The training is mandatory for all teachers and will run from October 9 to October 19, 2025.

The initiative aims to increase awareness about the importance of readiness in medical emergencies and the role of first aid in saving lives. It will also educate teachers on maintaining functional first aid kits in classrooms and demonstrate practical methods for administering care in real-life situations.

Teachers must achieve at least 70 per cent in each assessment to complete the course successfully. Upon completion, participants will receive certificates, which can be downloaded directly from the platform.

By introducing this online training, the Delhi government seeks to build a culture of preparedness and safety across schools. With thousands of teachers gaining basic emergency response skills, the initiative is expected to significantly improve the ability of schools to manage sudden health crises and ensure student well-being.

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Atal Innovation Mission and IFCCI Join Hands to Scale Up Atal Tinkering Labs Across India

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Atal Innovation Mission and IFCCI partner to expand Atal Tinkering Labs across India, promoting STEM education and youth innovation at the grassroot level

The Atal Innovation Mission (AIM), NITI Aayog, and the Indo-French Chamber of Commerce & Industry (IFCCI) have signed a Statement of Intent (SoI) to strengthen and expand the Atal Tinkering Labs (ATLs) network across India. The agreement, formalised at the French Embassy in New Delhi during IFCCI’s 3rd CSR Connect Day 2025, marks a significant step in fostering STEM education, digital literacy, and innovation among school students.

The event was attended by H.E. Thierry Mathou, Ambassador of France to India, who praised the partnership for deepening Indo-French collaboration in social development. He highlighted that 2026 will mark the India–France Year of Innovation, encouraging businesses from both nations to invest in sustainable, community-driven impact initiatives through Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).

Through this partnership, IFCCI and AIM aim to mobilise CSR contributions from French and Indian companies to improve infrastructure, enhance hands-on learning experiences, and bridge the gap between industry and education. IFCCI, which has already executed over 86 CSR projects benefiting more than 15,000 people across India, will leverage its network to support ATL expansion, particularly in underserved schools.

Mission Director of AIM, Deepak Bagla, noted that over 11 million students have already benefitted from the ATL initiative, which he called “one of the world’s largest grassroots innovation programs.” He said, “From the northernmost village school to the southernmost, innovation is thriving everywhere. The real story lies not in the scale, but in the creativity of the ideas students are building.”

A Shared Vision for Inclusive Innovation

The collaboration aims to make innovation accessible to all students by promoting digital tools, teacher training, and student challenges that inspire curiosity and problem-solving. IFCCI Director General Payal S. Kanwar added, “This partnership is a step forward in empowering youth with 21st-century skills. We aim to bridge the gap between industry and education and make innovation accessible to every student, especially in underserved regions.”

However, as the Atal Tinkering Labs expand, addressing operational challenges remains crucial. Reports by UNICEF and The New Indian Express underscore that access to digital tools alone cannot guarantee innovation without inclusive design, mentorship, and ethical technology use. UNICEF’s SPARK Labs model, which links creativity with social change, offers a useful reference — encouraging schools to blend innovation with empathy, inclusion, and purpose.

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Challenges and Areas for Improvement

Despite the ATL program’s remarkable reach, a 2023 assessment highlighted several gaps. Nearly 58% of ATL teachers lack a STEM background or structured training, resulting in inconsistent mentorship. In many schools, ATL sessions are not integrated into the timetable, limiting daily engagement. Moreover, less than 10% of schools report active student participation due to limited guidance and parental scepticism about its academic value.

Operational hurdles like irregular funding, defective equipment, and poor monitoring systems have also hindered consistent performance. Some schools struggle to maintain labs once initial grants are exhausted, while others lack a mechanism to track outcomes effectively.

The Way Forward

For the AIM–IFCCI partnership to achieve its full potential, a few key steps can strengthen impact:

  • Teacher Capacity Building: Introduce regular certification-based training programs, preferably in collaboration with universities and tech firms.

  • Curriculum Integration: Embed ATL projects within school timetables and link them with existing subjects like science and mathematics.

  • Mentorship Networks: Connect schools with local innovators, start-ups, and CSR professionals for year-round engagement.

  • Monitoring Systems: Deploy digital dashboards to track participation, tool usage, and project outcomes for better transparency.

  • Community Awareness: Conduct parent and community outreach sessions to showcase how tinkering enhances academic learning and future employability.

If executed effectively, this Indo-French collaboration can redefine India’s innovation ecosystem by turning every school into a space where curiosity meets creation. The challenge now lies in ensuring that every student, regardless of background, not only has access to a lab but also the guidance and confidence to build something meaningful within it.

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Ministry of Education to Promote Clean and Vibrant School Environments

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Ministry of Education launches Special Campaign 5.0 to execute Swachhata drives and school beautification (AI generated representational image)

The Ministry of Education’s Department of School Education and Literacy (DoSEL) has joined the Government of India’s Special Campaign 5.0, running from 2nd to 31st October 2025. The campaign focuses on institutionalising cleanliness (Swachhata), improving efficiency in governance, and enhancing the physical environment of schools across India.

A key goal of the campaign is to ensure that schools provide a clean, safe, and engaging atmosphere for students. States and Union Territories have been encouraged to carry out whitewashing, repainting, and minor repairs such as maintaining functional toilets, fixing flooring, and replastering walls. Refurbishing name boards, reclaiming unused spaces, and improving campus aesthetics are also part of the drive.

To make school environments more vibrant, schools are being encouraged to create murals and wall art inspired by traditional Indian art forms such as Madhubani, Kalamkari, and Warli. These creative efforts will not only beautify campuses but also serve as Building as Learning Aid (BaLA) resources, helping students connect with India’s cultural heritage.

Community involvement forms a central part of Special Campaign 5.0. The Ministry is encouraging schools to involve alumni and local communities through the Vidyanjali platform — a DoSEL initiative that connects volunteers and supporters with government and aided schools. Panchayati Raj Institutions are also being engaged to help local schools upgrade and maintain their infrastructure.

Beyond school-level improvements, the campaign also aims to enhance efficiency in governance. Government offices are reviewing, categorising, and clearing obsolete physical and digital records, while systematically indexing and digitising important files. This process is expected to declutter offices, optimise space, and improve workflow management.

The Department of School Education and Literacy is coordinating with all stakeholders to make cleanliness, participation, and efficiency integral to school operations. The Ministry envisions the campaign as a step towards creating cleaner campuses, more efficient systems, and a stronger sense of ownership within the education ecosystem.

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NCERT Introduces ‘Swadeshi Module’ to Foster Self-Reliance and Indian Values in Schools

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NCERT launches the ‘Swadeshi Module’, linking India’s freedom struggle with modern initiatives like Make in India. (Image- Facebook/Sarat Chandra IAS Academy)

The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has launched a new educational module titled ‘Swadeshi’, aiming to instil the values of self-reliance and national pride among school students. The initiative aligns with the vision of building an Atmanirbhar Bharat and draws inspiration from Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s address on the 79th Independence Day.

The Swadeshi Module highlights the broader meaning of self-reliance, extending beyond trade and economics to include confidence, innovation, and national capability. It recalls the Prime Minister’s message that self-reliance is directly linked to a nation’s strength and ability to progress, emphasising that a decline in self-reliance can lead to a loss of capability and confidence.

Tracing its roots to India’s freedom struggle, the module revisits the 1905 Bengal Partition, when Indians boycotted British goods and turned towards indigenous products. It portrays the Swadeshi movement as both an act of resistance and a creative force that gave rise to Indian industries and enterprises.

According to NCERT, the new module encourages students to see Swadeshi not just as a historical concept but as a living philosophy that continues to shape India’s modern identity. It connects the values of the freedom movement with today’s national initiatives such as Make in India, Start-up India, Digital India, Vocal for Local, and Atmanirbhar Bharat. Each of these programmes, the module explains, reinforces India’s pursuit of self-reliance through innovation, entrepreneurship, and local production.

By introducing this module, NCERT aims to nurture a generation of students who understand the importance of creating, producing, and innovating within India, fostering both self-belief and collective national responsibility.

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Class 11 Student Navya Mrig on a Mission to Bust Myths About Organ Donation

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Navya Mrig is a student of The Ram School, Gurugram, and is creating awareness about organ donation. Image Source: Instagram/Saahas (@saahas_life)

Saahas, a Delhi-based non-profit organisation founded by Class 11 student Navya Mrig of The Ram School, Moulsari, Gurugram, is creating awareness about organ donation and working to counter myths that prevent families from giving timely consent.

Established in 2024, Saahas focuses on every aspect of organ donation, particularly deceased organ donation where family approval must be granted quickly. The organisation highlights that hesitation and misinformation often stop families from making decisions that could save lives.

To address this, Saahas conducts workshops, myth-busting talks, and seminars in schools, resident welfare associations, hospitals, and workplaces. These sessions explain processes such as brain-stem death certification and the role of family consent in simple, clear terms. Each session concludes with practical guidance, ensuring participants leave with both knowledge and actionable steps.

The initiative has also developed resource kits with slide decks, facilitator notes, QR-linked checklists, and referral contacts to make it easier for schools and institutions to host repeatable sessions. Saahas partners with community groups and healthcare institutions to co-host Q&A sessions with clinicians and transplant coordinators, and also honours donor and recipient families through small ceremonies that highlight the impact of organ donation.

At its core, Saahas is designed to bring organ donation discussions into everyday spaces rather than waiting for the urgency of hospital decisions. By focusing on conversations in classrooms, community meetings, and staff rooms, the organisation aims to gradually build a culture where organ donation is better understood and more widely accepted.

Navya’s initiative reflects how young people are increasingly taking up important social causes and contributing to public awareness campaigns with structured, replicable models.

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India Loves its Teachers, Just Not Enough to Pay Them: India Today Reports

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India Loves its Teachers, Just Not Enough to Pay Them: India Today Reports

A recent report by India Today has put the spotlight on the deep contradictions in how India treats its teachers. While the profession is revered in public discourse and celebrated in ceremonies, the reality of poor pay, massive vacancies, and crushing workloads threatens the future of quality education in the country.

The report, authored by Megha Chaturvedi, shares the story of a government school teacher in rural Bihar who manages five grades, multiple subjects, administrative duties, and a long commute — all for a monthly pay of just ₹12,000. It is a picture that repeats across India, where respect is high but reward is missing.

Respect vs Pay

According to UDISE+ 2024–25 data, India’s teaching workforce has crossed 1 crore, with women making up 54.2%. Yet, over 1 million teaching posts remain vacant, concentrated in states like Uttar Pradesh (3.2 lakh) and Bihar (2.2 lakh). More than 1 lakh schools still run with just a single teacher, and some rural institutions report zero enrolment.

Teacher salaries are shockingly unequal. Permanent government teachers may earn ₹35,000 to ₹60,000 per month with benefits, but guest or contractual teachers often earn between ₹6,500 and ₹12,500, with delays stretching into months. Even in metro private schools, where parents pay lakhs in annual fees, teachers may take home just 2–10% of that amount.

International comparisons highlight the gap further. India ranks among the top 10 nations for respect towards teachers, yet falls to the bottom when it comes to pay and working conditions.

The Consequences

Low pay and insecure contracts drive talented graduates away from teaching. Those who stay face burnout from handling multiple grades or excessive administrative duties. Morale suffers when salaries are delayed, creating inequality between well-paid urban private school teachers and struggling rural counterparts. The result is a two-tiered system where students’ learning is directly compromised.

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Policy Moves

Some states have taken steps. Karnataka recently raised guest teacher pay to ₹12,000–₹12,500, though teachers demand at least ₹30,000. Bihar and West Bengal have launched recruitment drives to fill thousands of vacancies. But reforms remain piecemeal. The India Today report makes it clear that modest hikes are not enough to match workload or cost of living, and insecurity continues to define contractual positions.

What Needs to Change

India may call its teachers “gurus” but without dignified salaries, stability, and recognition, the profession risks becoming even less attractive to young graduates. For education to thrive, teaching must be seen as a rewarding and respected career. ScooNews has been consistently working to spotlight teacher voices and celebrate educators who innovate against the odds. Yet change cannot come from media or policy alone. We need educators themselves to step up and demand better, and institutions to stop treating education as a business rather than a public service.

A practical way forward would include setting a national minimum pay scale of at least ₹30,000 per month for all full-time teachers, clearing the backlog of 1 million vacancies within the next three years, and ensuring strict timelines for salary disbursement. Governments and boards must invest at least 6% of GDP into education as repeatedly recommended, with a clear allocation for teacher training, well-being, and incentives. Schools must commit a fixed percentage of fee revenue directly to teacher salaries, while also offering pathways for career growth through research, leadership roles, and international exposure.

Teaching is perhaps the most undervalued profession in the nation today. If India is to build a future-ready generation, it must invest in its teachers with the same seriousness it reserves for infrastructure or defence. Respect in words is not enough. Teachers must be valued in pay, dignity, and opportunity.

You can read the full report here.

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NCERT to Grant Equivalence to Class 10 and 12 Certificates Across Boards for Admissions and Jobs

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NCERT will now grant equivalence to Class 10 and 12 certificates across Indian School Boards for higher education admissions and government jobs, replacing AIU’s earlier role.

The Government of India has entrusted the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) with the responsibility of granting equivalence to Secondary (Class 10) and Senior Secondary (Class 12) certificates issued by different School Education Boards in the country. This equivalence will apply for admissions to higher education institutions and eligibility for employment under the Central and State Governments as well as Union Territories.

The notification, published in the e-Gazette on 6 September 2025 by the Department of School Education and Literacy, Ministry of Education, supersedes the earlier order of 15 November 2021 which had assigned this responsibility to the Association of Indian Universities (AIU).

Under the new arrangement, NCERT will discharge this responsibility through its National Assessment Centre, Performance Assessment, Review and Analysis of Knowledge for Holistic Development (PARAKH). Established under the provisions of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, PARAKH has been tasked with creating a robust, academically rigorous framework for determining equivalence while upholding the highest educational standards.

The system will apply to all recognised Indian School Boards established by an Act of Parliament or State legislature, by executive orders of the Central or State Governments, or by statutory bodies with the mandate to run school education. By placing the responsibility with NCERT, the government aims to streamline equivalence and reduce complications for students moving between boards.

The notification further clarifies that once NCERT grants equivalence, it will automatically be considered as inter-se parity among all recognised boards in India. This will smoothen student mobility across boards, ensuring that certificates are universally recognised for both academic progression and employment opportunities at the national level.

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Government Plans to Introduce Skill-Based Learning in Class 11 and 12 Curriculum

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The Government plans to introduce skill-based learning in Class 11 and 12 as part of NEP 2020, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan announced.

The Government is working on incorporating skill-based learning into the curriculum of Classes 11 and 12, in line with the recommendations of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan announced the move during the Dakshinapatha Summit 2025 held at the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras.

Pradhan emphasised that India’s education system needs a paradigm shift, moving beyond degree and certificate-oriented models to competency-based approaches. “We are on the job to introduce skill-based curriculum of Class 11 and 12,” he said, underlining the importance of preparing students for a rapidly evolving world of work.

According to the Minister, one of the central recommendations of the NEP 2020 is skill-based education. While previously optional, skilling will now become a formal part of schooling, starting as early as Class 6. The new curriculum will integrate areas such as computer coding, drone technology, and artificial intelligence, alongside conventional subjects like mathematics and languages. “Now, we are planning to introduce skilling also. It is a new era. We have to train our youngsters and align them with the new curriculum structure,” Pradhan explained.

The Minister highlighted examples of innovation emerging from IIT Madras, including student-led startups. He thanked IIT-M Director Kamakoti and his team for promoting and facilitating young talent. He also noted how the NEP has enabled students excelling in fields such as sports and music to access IIT programmes, which were previously out of reach.

Pradhan reiterated that languages play a crucial role in communication, adding that knowledge of multiple languages, including Tamil, reflects India’s cultural and intellectual vibrancy. On the same occasion, he interacted with students from Tamil Nadu government schools who had joined IIT Madras through the ‘IITM for All’ initiative, particularly its four-year online BS Data Science programme.

With over 1.75 lakh startups in India, Pradhan noted that the education system must support a shift from job-seeking to job-creating. He described the NEP 2020 as a philosophical document guiding the country towards the vision of Viksit Bharat by 2047.

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Source: PTI

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Maharashtra Education Department Plans Students’ Tour to NASA

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Maharashtra’s education department proposes sending 51 science project finalists to NASA annually, alongside visits to ISRO and science centres.

The Maharashtra state education department has announced an ambitious plan to send 51 finalists of its school-level science project competitions on an educational tour to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) every year. The initiative, however, still awaits final approval despite having been cleared in principle by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis earlier this year.

Minister of State for School Education Pankaj Bhoyar explained that the move is designed to recognise the efforts of students beyond prize-winning entries. “The state education department organises science project competitions at various levels. While we extend prizes to the best projects, the efforts taken by students who do not win prizes should also be given their due recognition. Therefore, the plan to honour their efforts was formulated,” he said.

According to the proposal, students with the top 21 projects from the tehsil-level competition will be taken to visit a science centre at the division level. Winners of the top 51 projects at the district level will be taken to the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) headquarters in Bengaluru. The final 51 students selected at the state-level competition will be taken on a study tour to NASA. The programme has been named the Chief Minister Vidyarthi Vigyan Vari.

Officials within the department have confirmed that the proposal requires an annual budget of around Rs 3 crore for the NASA trip. While the costs for tehsil and district-level visits will be met through District Planning and Development Council (DPDC) funds, the NASA tour requires state-level approval. “We hope to get clearance soon,” an official said.

The initiative aims to encourage students to pursue scientific research beyond one-off projects and to inspire them through exposure to advanced scientific institutions. “The aim is to encourage students not to stop at one science project but to push them further into the world of scientific research,” Bhoyar said.

In a related move, the state government has recently increased the prize money for the winner of the state-level science project competition from Rs 5,000 to Rs 51,000, underlining its commitment to promoting innovation among young learners.

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Ministry of Education launches Viksit Bharat Buildathon 2025 to Ignite Innovation among School Students

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Ministry of Education launches Viksit Bharat Buildathon 2025 to foster innovation among school students with nationwide participation and synchronized events.

The Ministry of Education today launched the Viksit Bharat Buildathon 2025, a nationwide innovation movement aimed at engaging school students across India. Organised by the Department of School Education & Literacy (DoSEL) in collaboration with Atal Innovation Mission, NITI Aayog, and AICTE, the initiative was formally unveiled with the release of its jingle and logo.

The event was attended by Secretary, Department of School Education & Literacy, Sanjay Kumar; Principal Director General, Press Information Bureau, Dhirendra Ojha; Chairman, AICTE, Prof. T. G. Sitharam; Vice Chairman, AICTE, Abhay Jere; Mission Director, AIM, NITI Aayog, Deepak Bagla; Additional Secretary, DoSEL, Dhiraj Sahu; along with senior officials of the Ministry, Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan, and Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti.

Speaking on the occasion, the Education Minister said that the Viksit Bharat Buildathon, the largest-ever school hackathon, would further strengthen grassroots innovation by encouraging students to ideate and develop products around four themes: Vocal for Local, Atmanirbhar Bharat, Swadeshi, and Samriddhi. The initiative is expected to celebrate student-led innovations, drive a new wave of creativity in schools, and position the younger generation as key contributors to a self-reliant and developed India.

Sanjay Kumar, Secretary, DoSEL, presented a detailed overview of the Buildathon, outlining its potential to nurture innovation at scale across the country.

The Viksit Bharat Buildathon 2025 aims to inspire creative thinking for national development, foster self-reliance and sustainable growth, engage schools in synchronized innovation, and showcase India’s innovation capabilities globally. The event also aspires to set a potential world record while celebrating young problem-solvers at both national and international platforms. The initiative builds on the success of the School Innovation Marathon 2024, which resulted in programmes such as the Student Innovator Programme (SIP) and the Student Entrepreneurship Programme (SEP), along with patents and startups emerging from Atal Tinkering Labs.

The journey of the Buildathon begins today, September 23, with registrations open until October 6 on the Viksit Bharat Buildathon portal (https://vbb.mic.gov.in/). Schools will then undergo a preparation period from October 6 to October 13, during which teachers will guide student teams through the portal process. Students will subsequently submit their ideas and prototypes online. The highlight of the initiative, the Live Synchronized Innovation Event, will be held on October 13. Final entries will be accepted until October 31, followed by a two-month evaluation period from November 1 to December 31. The results and felicitation of the top 1,000 winners will be announced in January 2026.

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A video on the Viksit Bharat Buildathon 2025 was screened during the launch, showcasing its themes and objectives.

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