Parliamentary Standing Committee reviews School Education in Leh, Ladakh
18/07/2025
Leh, July 18 (KIP)-The Department-related Parliamentary Standing Committee (PSC) on Education, Women, Children, Youth and Sports convened a meeting in Leh to assess and support the progress of school education in the Union Territory of Ladakh.
The meeting was chaired by Shri Digvijaya Singh, Hon’ble Chairman of the Committee and Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha.
In his opening remarks, Shri Singh welcomed all representatives and outlined the agenda focused on strengthening school education in Ladakh through enhanced infrastructure, promotion of local languages and culture in education, and improved connectivity in remote areas.
A detailed presentation was made by Ms. A. Sirja, Economic Advisor, Department of School Education & Literacy (DoSE&L), Ministry of Education, Government of India. She presented the current status of school education in the UT, drawing on data from UDISE+ 2023–24. This included enrolment figures, status of schools, teachers and infrastructure, performance grading index, and findings from the PARAKH RASHTRA survey.
Updates were also shared on elementary schools, residential school facilities, hostels, vocational education under SAMAGRA Shiksha, and budgetary details such as year-wise approved budgets, actual releases, and expenditures. Progress on flagship schemes like PM POSHAN, implementation of Vidya Samiksha Kendra and DIKSHA, and challenges in execution were also highlighted.
The second presentation was delivered by Ms. Bhanu Prabha, Secretary, School Education, UT Ladakh. She provided insights into Ladakh's educational ecosystem, including trends in enrolment, government school status, financial aspects of SAMAGRA Shiksha, and initiatives like the Ladakh Education Conclave and PM SHRI Schools. She also discussed progress in winter residential coaching, STEM education, digital transformation, improved resource management, and the newly introduced teacher award policy. Special attention was given to special education, co-location of Anganwadi centres, and integration of early childhood care into the school system.
Following the presentations, members of the PSC engaged in an interactive session with officials from the UT administration. They raised key concerns related to vacancies in schools, the enrolment process, gender disparity in sanitation facilities (especially toilets for girls), limited access to skill-based education, delays in fund allocation, and internet connectivity issues in remote areas. Additional queries were made regarding the teacher recruitment process, required qualifications, coordination among authorities, and the comparison between government and private schools in terms of fee structures and infrastructure. The impact of harsh weather and the status of implementation of the New Education Policy in the UT were also discussed.
Addressing these concerns, Dr. Pawan Kotwal, Chief Secretary of UT Ladakh, provided detailed responses and shared updates on upcoming recruitment drives, infrastructure improvements, and new projects aimed at strengthening the region’s education system. He reaffirmed the administration’s commitment to educational reform and assured the Committee that necessary steps are being taken to ensure equitable access to quality education throughout the UT.
The meeting was attended by members of the PSC on Education, Women, Children, Youth and Sports, chaired by Shri Digvijaya Singh. Also present were senior officials from the Ministry of Education and the UT administration, including Sh. Vimal Kumar, Joint Secretary; Dr. Pawan Kotwal, IAS, Chief Secretary, UT Ladakh; Shri Sanjeev Khirwar, IAS, Principal Secretary; Ms. A. Sirja, Economic Advisor, DoSE&L, Ministry of Education; Shri Vikram Singh Malik, IAS, Administrative Secretary; Shri Sanjit Rodrigues, IAS, Secretary, Industries & Commerce; Shri Rudra Gound P.T., IAS, Secretary, Housing & Urban Development; Ms. S. Venugopal, Ministry of Education; Ms. Bhanu Prabha, IAS, Secretary, School Education; and the Chief Education Officers of Leh and Kargil districts along with other senior officials from the education department.