  What are the major interventions
made under the Sarva Shiksha
Abhiyan (SSA) programme in
Uttaranchal so far?
We are implementing computer
added learning programme in
partnership with Azim Premji
Foundation and it has worked out
very well. We are doing it with upper
primary school level where CD based
content is being provided to students.
Now the most positive effect of this
programme that has happened that
we are not going to just use the
content or CD based content in
teaching process in the class room
and the additional part like how to
operate the computer, what are the
issues related to hardware and even
ensuring electricity supply and
electricity backup, all these
important issues are also not
bothering anymore.
Apart from that if you are asking use
of technology in education
programme, then we have made very
novel initiative in this in a way using
 video conferencing to disseminate our
instructions which is not just
happening at the district level but
also at block and village level. We
conduct monthly meetings via video
conferencing for VRC’s and CRC’s and also do meetings at the
village level.
How much support do you
get from Panchyati Raj
institutions in your state
while implementing your
programmes?
One cannot rule out the role
of Panchyati raj Institutons
here, SSA has this as a base
line factor. We have village
education committee (VEC).
At present these VECs which we
created under SSA with the Panchyati
Raj institutions will be the sub
committees of the education
committee. Every Panchyat has
education committee and these
VECs will be the sub-committees of
these committees.
Do the state of Uttaranchal need
any state specific vision or the
guideline given by the centre is
adequate enough?
The government of India provides the
guidelines for all the states but unless
the state having its own vision I do
 not think that they can be
outstanding. If you really want to do
something outstanding then you
really need to have your vision. I take proud in saying that every body from
top to bottom is well informed about
elementary education and providing
all kind of support from whichever
source is possible. What I mean is
that our education minister, chief
secretary, education secretary and
every body is into it. The state wants
to be performing above the guidelines
stated in SSA and Government of
India gives it.
What are the major challenges you
face in the state while implementing
the programmes?
Uttaranchal is a small state. One
may think that in a small state it is
easy to manage and implement the
programmes. But it is not so, because
it is one of the hill states where we
do face problems in reaching to the
remotest areas. Another area,
which is not difficult but
challenging. In Uttaranchal,
industralisation is happening
very rapidly so we are getting huge
number of children form other
states. Their migration pattern
varies from months to months,
year to year. We are trying to
overcome that by having a database
of every child. We are conducting
night service and worksite service
to capture other child coming from
other states and to capture interdistance
migration and to take the
benefit of SSA to every child. Hilly
area also brings out a limitation of
expanding the technology at the
speed we want.
What are the strategies you adopt
to make ICTs as part of the education
process in Uttaranchal?
ICT will play an important role like
I said we are into video conferencing
to disseminate instructions and
training inputs. So in that manner
if we have the proper convergence
of all information technologies
like satellites, computers and
even mobile set and if we integrate
these technologies together then
we will be able to bring out solutions
at very fast speed.
How much support do you get from
civil society organizations and private
sector organizations in the SSA
programme?
Uttaranchal is going at a pace very
proactive for progress. Everybody is
into it, not only government but
NGO’s and private sector
organizations are also involved in this
process very much. For integrating
ICT, we are having a tie up with
Microsoft and Intel not just for
elementary education but for
secondary education also. Most of
the elementary education has been
covered by the Microsoft tools for the
hardware, in fact, most of them are
hardware. The teachers have sought
that training with Microsoft. This
training part is being expanded to
elementary education teachers
training also. We have the computer
network till the block level and this
year we are planning to expand it to
cluster also and we will provide
training which will be done by
multiple agencies that include private
sector organizations.
Please elaborate the steps taken in
improving teacher’s training
programme(s)?
We already have a teacher’s training
programme. Now we are talking about
specific training needs, for migrating,
girls and SC/ST students. We are
giving a fully conscious approach to
revive the teacher’s training
programme. Also we have school
grading and school performancemapping
system where we have the
endurance system by devising smaller
modules for remedial teachings. This
happens thrice in a year.
Any comments you would like to
give on our publication?
It is good and not only updates us
about happenings in ICT and
education sector but also we know,
what is happening in other states/
countries. Sometimes distance is also
time bound and this magazine is very
helpful in bridging the gap.
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