The innovative ‘Shiksha Setu’ initiative has been awarded the prestigious Prime Minister’s Award for Excellence in Public Administration 2024, under the category of “Innovation in Education”. The award was presented by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Civil Services Day celebration in New Delhi, recognising the project’s transformative impact on school monitoring, accountability, and student performance across the state.
The ‘Shiksha Setu’ (Education Bridge) platform, developed by the Assam Education Department in collaboration with tech partners and local governance bodies, has been hailed as a game-changer in real-time school data management, improving classroom attendance, infrastructure reporting, teacher accountability, and learning outcomes—all through a smart digital dashboard.
A Bridge Between Policy and Classroom Reality
Launched in 2022, ‘Shiksha Setu’ was conceived as a digital governance solution to address persistent gaps in school education monitoring, especially in rural and remote regions of Assam. The state, home to over 44,000 government schools, had long struggled with issues such as teacher absenteeism, outdated records, and poor data transparency.
Under the leadership of Assam’s Chief Minister Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma and Education Minister Dr. Ranoj Pegu, the ‘Shiksha Setu’ project was implemented with the vision of establishing a single, integrated platform that connects state officials, school management committees, head teachers, and district education officers in real-time.
The platform enables digital inspections of schools via mobile apps, auto-generated performance reports, alerts for non-compliance, and student-centric metrics like attendance, learning outcomes, and midday meal tracking. Over 3 lakh school visits and evaluations have been logged since its launch, making it one of the most extensive educational monitoring systems in the country.
Award Recognition and National Praise
During the award ceremony, Prime Minister Modi praised Assam’s model as an excellent example of how technology and local leadership can solve long-standing public service delivery challenges. “The ‘Shiksha Setu’ project is not just about digitisation—it’s about empowering every child to access quality education and ensuring that no one is left behind. This is the future of governance,” the Prime Minister stated.
The selection for the PM’s Excellence in Public Administration award involved a rigorous evaluation process, including third-party assessments, field inspections, and performance reviews. Assam stood out among over 200 entries submitted by various states and Union Territories.
Measurable Impact on Education
According to the Assam Education Department, the implementation of ‘Shiksha Setu’ has led to several measurable improvements in a short span:
- Student attendance has improved by 12% across government schools.
- Teacher absenteeism has dropped by 30%, thanks to biometric tracking and regular evaluations.
- Infrastructure monitoring—such as classroom repairs, sanitation, and water facilities—has become streamlined with photo-tagged reports.
- Learning outcome tracking has enabled early intervention for slow learners, using monthly assessment tools built into the platform.
Districts like Barpeta, Goalpara, and Dhemaji, which had previously lagged in education indicators, have shown marked improvement, drawing appreciation from education experts across India.
Training, Empowerment, and Local Participation
One of the key strengths of ‘Shiksha Setu’ is its emphasis on capacity building. Over 20,000 education officials and school headmasters have been trained in using the dashboard and associated mobile apps. The project also encourages participation from parents through community surveys and school development plans, thereby creating a more inclusive education ecosystem.
“We’ve made sure the technology is not just for data collection, but also for decision-making,” said Dr. Ranoj Pegu. “From district officers to school-level functionaries, everyone is now part of a collaborative effort to uplift education in Assam.”
Setting a National Benchmark
The success of ‘Shiksha Setu’ has inspired other states to consider replicating the model. Officials from Bihar, Odisha, and Madhya Pradesh have reportedly reached out to the Assam government for technical briefings and possible partnerships.
As Assam celebrates this national recognition, the focus remains on further scaling and enhancing the project. Plans are already underway to integrate AI-driven learning diagnostics, expand e-content delivery in local languages, and add feedback loops from students themselves.
‘Shiksha Setu’ stands as a shining example of how innovation, accountability, and digital tools can together bridge the gap between policy and practice—ensuring that the promise of quality education reaches every child, in every corner of India.