Odisha Proposes IT-Enabled System to Track Students from Shishu Vatika to Class XII

Bhubaneswar, July 4 — Odisha Development Commissioner Anu Garg on Thursday suggested the development of an IT-enabled monitoring system to track the educational progress of every child from Shishu Vatika (pre-primary) to Class XII. The proposal was made during the Second State Task Force meeting on the implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.

Reviewing the coordinated efforts undertaken by various departments to implement NEP 2020, Garg underscored the need for outcome-based strategies, a robust IT monitoring framework, and the promotion of Multilingual Education (MLE) to ensure inclusive and quality education across the state.

She emphasized that tracking a child’s academic journey through digital systems would help enhance accountability, reduce dropout rates, and provide targeted interventions for children with special needs (CwSN) and school dropouts.

The meeting highlighted that collaborative training programmes for Shishu Vatika teachers had already been successfully conducted with support from NCERT and the Regional Institute of Education (RIE), Bhubaneswar. These trainings were further supported by the state-wide distribution of newly developed workbooks and teacher handbooks.

To strengthen the foundational learning ecosystem, the Directorate of Teacher Education and the State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT) are being empowered to lead curriculum development, textbook design, and teacher training from the pre-primary level to Class XII, in line with NCERT recommendations.

A house-to-house survey campaign launched in May 2025 was also discussed, with its focus on identifying out-of-school children, children with special needs, and multilingual education requirements — all crucial components under NEP 2020.

In a major assessment reform, the state plans to introduce the Holistic Progress Card (HPC) for students from Class I to VIII in the 2024–25 academic session. This new evaluation system will focus on creativity, critical thinking, and life skills alongside academic learning.

Odisha has already established over 45,000 Shishu Vatika classrooms as part of its foundational education strategy. Other key initiatives include the “Sikhayan Sopan” assessment register, the use of digital learning tools like the e-Jaadui Pitara app, and provision of quality teaching-learning materials to schools.

The state is also actively implementing flagship education schemes such as PM SHRI and the Godabarisha Mishra Adarsha Prathamik Vidyalaya model to further strengthen its commitment to equitable and holistic education.