Assam: DoNER considering proposal for smart classrooms in state’s 812 schools

Staff Reporter

Guwahati: The state government has submitted a proposal to the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) for setting up smart classrooms in 812 schools in the state. The move will enable schools to impart Smart Tech Enhancing Learning through technology integration in Assam. The total project cost is estimated at Rs 129.92 crore.

DoNER is known to be actively considering the proposal and has solicited comments from both NITI Aayog and the Department of School Education and Literacy (DoSEL) after examining the proposal by the state government.

According to an office memorandum of DoNER dated September 20, 2024, the state government has submitted three proposals separately for the setting of the smart classrooms. The first proposal pertains to smart classrooms in 275 schools with a project cost of Rs 44 crore. The second involves the same in 272 schools with a project cost of Rs 43.52 crore, and the third comprises such smart classrooms in 265 schools at a cost of Rs 42.4 crore.

The state government submitted the proposal under the North East Special Infrastructure Development Scheme—Other Than Road Infrastructure (NESIDS-OTRI) scheme of DoNER. Recently, a meeting of the Empowered Inter-Ministerial Committee (EIMC) of NESIDS-OTRI was held in New Delhi, where representatives of the Assam government participated. During the meeting, representatives of the state government stated that the proposed project pertains to setting up smart classrooms in schools in the state with Tele-Education facility, empowered with Interactive Touch Panel and student assessment devices, a virtual classroom solution, power backup, HTS connectivity, and other necessary hardware.

After receiving the comments of NITI Aayog and DoSEL, the matter will be placed at the next meeting of the EIMC by DoNER.

It is to be noted that, in the last EIMC meeting, several projects in the Northeast were either approved or recommended in principle.

The projects that were recommended for approval include strengthening of 120 high schools and higher secondary schools in Manipur, entailing a project cost of Rs 134.36 crore; development of allied infrastructure in Sainik School, Imphal, in Manipur with a project cost of Rs 22.80 crore; and establishment of a 100-bed Sepahijala District Hospital at Bishramganj at a cost of Rs 45.57 crore.

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