Chandigarh, 09 April (H.S.):

Taking its “Sikhya Kranti” (education revolution) to the next level, the Punjab government on Thursday launched Mission Samrath 4.0, a flagship programme aimed at strengthening foundational learning and ensuring global standards in education. The initiative was launched by Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains along with former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia.

A key highlight of this new phase is the introduction of a state-wide attendance tracking system, under which parents will receive daily SMS alerts about their child’s attendance. This move is being seen as a major step towards real-time accountability, improved classroom engagement, and ensuring continuity in learning.

Addressing the gathering, Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains described Mission Samrath 4.0 as the “next big leap” in Punjab’s education reforms. He said the state, which has already secured the top rank in the PARAKH Rashtriya Sarvekshan 2024, is now focusing on translating recognition into measurable results by strengthening classroom monitoring and scaling effective teaching practices.

He further highlighted that under Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, the education budget has been significantly increased from ₹12,657 crore in 2021–22 to ₹19,279 crore in 2026–27, making it the largest sectoral allocation in the state. According to him, the funds are directly benefiting schools, improving infrastructure as well as learning outcomes.

Explaining the attendance system, Bains said parents will be notified daily about their child’s presence or absence. If a student remains absent for seven days, district-level authorities will contact parents, while prolonged absence beyond 15 days will be escalated to the state headquarters. This system is aimed at ensuring both student safety and consistent academic engagement.

On infrastructure improvements, the minister said that senior secondary schools with more than 500 students now have dedicated campus managers, while schools with over 100 students have been provided with security guards and sanitation staff. He also noted that, unlike earlier years, textbooks were delivered to all students on April 1 this year, free of cost, ensuring no disruption in studies.

Mission Samrath 4.0 primarily focuses on students from classes 3 to 8, ensuring they master essential skills such as reading, writing, and mathematics. The programme follows a level-based teaching approach, grouping students according to their learning levels rather than grades, which has shown significant improvement in outcomes.

Sharing data, the minister said Punjab has surpassed the national average in foundational learning by 18% in Class 3 and 26–28% in Class 6. Currently, the programme covers nearly 12 lakh students and involves over 70,000 teachers annually.

Former Deputy CM Manish Sisodia said Punjab’s achievement of topping the PARAKH survey proves that government schools can lead the country. He added that Mission Samrath 4.0 will ensure that every child attends school regularly and receives quality education, moving the state towards global excellence.

The event also saw the release of the Mission Samrath Compendium, documenting 38 best classroom practices developed by teachers, which will now be implemented across schools to further improve learning outcomes.

Hindusthan Samachar / GURSHARAN SINGH