Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan chaired a consultative meeting in Delhi on January 9, 2026 . The meeting discussed the next phase of the Centre’s Samagra Shiksha School Education Programme . Discussions focused on strengthening school governance, infrastructure, teacher training, and student entitlements across India.
About Samagra Shiksha
Samagra Shiksha is an integrated, centrally sponsored scheme for school education. It covers all levels from pre-primary to senior secondary. The initiative unifies three previous schemes: Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan, and Teacher Education Schemes. This merger aims for a holistic, unified approach to school education.
Key Reforms and Focus Areas
Minister Pradhan highlighted the need to “entrust schools to society.” This approach seeks to promote holistic student development and expand access to knowledge through technology. He also suggested increasing public participation in school management committees.
The meeting, co-chaired by Skills Development Minister Jayant Chaudhary, identified several priority interventions. These include:
- Strengthening school governance.
- Improving school infrastructure.
- Enhancing teacher training and capacity.
- Ensuring student entitlements.
State representatives requested additional support for teacher training and capacity building. They reported difficulties achieving current state objectives under the program’s second phase.
Responsibilities and Future Vision
Minister Pradhan clarified government and societal roles. He stated that teacher salaries and system structures are government responsibilities. School operations, however, should become society’s responsibility.
The new model for Samagra Shiksha will roll out in 2026-27 . This follows five years of implementing the National Education Policy 2020 (NEP 2020) . The primary challenge is to prepare an education system and human resources aligned with “Viksit Bharat” (Developed India).
The Minister outlined collective responsibilities for future improvements. These include:
- Reducing learning gaps.
- Decreasing student drop-out rates.
- Improving learning and nutrition outcomes.
- Building teacher capacity.
- Fostering design thinking and critical skills in every child.
- Developing human capital for Viksit Bharat.
Pradhan urged a shift beyond basic access to education. He called for Samagra Shiksha to transform into an outcome-driven, quality-focused framework. This new framework will align directly with NEP 2020 objectives. Academic experts, sectoral ministry officials, and participating states received an appeal to create a comprehensive annual plan for the 2026-27 academic year.