Uttarakhand Expands Sampark TV Smart Schools Programme To 4,337 Govt Schools

The Uttarakhand government expands the Sampark TV Smart Schools program to 4,337 schools for the 2024-25 academic year, benefiting 2.5 lakh students with tech-driven learning environments.

Uttarakhand Expands Sampark TV Smart Schools, Benefiting 2.5 Lakh Students. (Representative Image)

Source : ABPLIVE AI

In a significant step toward improving education in Uttarakhand, the state government has announced the expansion of the Sampark TV Smart Schools program to 4,337 government schools under the SAMPARK Programme for the 2024-25 academic year, as reported by PTI. This initiative aims to revolutionize traditional classrooms by incorporating engaging, technology-driven learning environments, benefiting over 2.5 lakh children throughout the state.

Hon’ble Chief Minister Sh. Pushkar Singh Dhami expressed his gratitude to Sampark Foundation for its pivotal role in advancing education in Uttarakhand. He emphasized the government's focus on leveraging modern technology in education and commended Sampark Foundation for offering high-quality content to government school children through educational videos aligned with the National Education Policy (NEP). He reaffirmed the state’s ongoing commitment to improving the quality of education.

The program’s expansion follows the success of the Sampark TV pilot program in Champawat, launched in May 2023, which resulted in a 40% improvement in learning outcomes. The initiative will now be scaled to schools across all districts. During the official launch, Shri Ravinath Raman, Secretary of Education, Uttarakhand, Shri Vineet Nayar, Founder-Chairman of Sampark Foundation, Dr. K. Rajeswara Rao, President of Sampark Foundation, and other senior education officials joined the Chief Minister.

Since 2014, Sampark Foundation has been working with Uttarakhand's education department and has now pledged INR 75 crore to support the expanded program. Vineet Nayar and Mrs. Anupama Nayar, both hailing from Uttarakhand, expressed their strong connection to their home state and their dedication to contributing to its development.

Vineet Nayar stated, "Anupama and I feel immensely privileged to be able to give back to Uttarakhand, our home state. We deeply appreciate the efforts of teachers and educational leaders who have partnered with us to ensure that no child is left behind in Uttarakhand. Their hard work motivates us, and together, we aim to make a lasting impact on thousands of children’s lives across the state."

As part of the program, Sampark Foundation will provide 43-inch TV sets and Sampark TV devices (Android set-top boxes) to schools free of cost. These devices are preloaded with 1,000 hours of interactive educational content, including 500 lesson plans, gamified assessments, and engaging videos for classes 1 to 8, all aligned with the state curriculum. Importantly, the system functions offline and only requires an internet connection for periodic updates.

The Sampark TV Smart Schools program is in line with the NEP and aims to foster critical thinking and creativity among students. By offering globally-inspired teaching resources customized to local needs, Sampark Foundation seeks to create more engaging and effective classrooms for both teachers and students.

Vineet Nayar added, "Our mission is to empower teachers with global pedagogical techniques adapted to the local context, making education more accessible and impactful. We are dedicated to ensuring that every child in Uttarakhand has the opportunity to learn, grow, and succeed."

The district administration will play a key role in the program’s success, ensuring teacher training, monitoring progress, and assessing the impact of the Sampark TV initiative across the state’s schools.