Chief Secretary chairs Governing Body meeting under SAMAGRA (YOUNTAN Society)
09/05/2026
Leh, May 08(kip)-Chief Secretary of the Union Territory of Ladakh, Ashish Kundra, chaired a meeting of the Governing Body under SAMAGRA (Yountan Society) to review the progress, achievements, and future roadmap of the School Education Department in the Union Territory.
Secretary, School Education Department, Bhanu Prabha, gave a detailed presentation on the overall school ecosystem in UT Ladakh. The presentation covered the number of schools, student enrolment across different categories, utilisation and expenditure under Samagra Shiksha, PM SHRI Schools, and PM POSHAN schemes. She also highlighted several initiatives introduced by the department, including winter coaching programmes, the New India Literacy Programme, teacher award policy, STEM education, and digital learning initiatives.
The Secretary informed the meeting that educational platform Physics Wallah has been onboarded to support Ladakh students in strengthening conceptual understanding and enhancing academic learning outcomes. She further stated that the ongoing recruitment process for teachers is expected to be completed by July this year.
It was also informed that several primary schools are being transformed and merged into model institutions to ensure improved facilities and better academic environments for students. The transition of schools from JKBOSE to CBSE affiliation was discussed, with encouraging Class 10 examination results reported this year. The presentation also highlighted various academic challenges being faced in implementation and outlined new initiatives proposed by the department, including a school ranking matrix, assessment cell, teacher assessment framework, and skill development programmes in schools.
During the deliberations, the Chief Secretary reviewed issues related to Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya (JNV) schools and initiatives involving Akshaya Patra Foundation. Stressing the importance of quality education in monastic institutions, he observed that monastery schools should also explore affiliation with CBSE or similar educational boards so that students can gain modern academic exposure alongside religious studies, thereby improving their employability and knowledge base.
The Chief Secretary further emphasised the need for collaboration with the Army and Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) for organising sports competitions and educational support activities, particularly in remote schools. He noted that stronger partnerships with such institutions would contribute significantly to the holistic development and effective learning of students in far-flung areas.
He also suggested creating performance clusters to identify both high-performing and low-performing students and schools, enabling focused interventions by district administrations for improvement. He directed that such monitoring mechanisms should cover both government and private schools to ensure timely identification of gaps and corrective measures.
The meeting also discussed innovative teaching methodologies, including activity-based learning and simplified teaching techniques to address issues such as mathematics phobia and conceptual learning gaps among students. Matters related to district cadre posts and rational allocation of teachers were also deliberated upon.
Emphasising the importance of the social sectors, the Chief Secretary stated that health and education are key departments for the overall development of the region and must be accorded the highest priority by the administration.
The meeting was attended by Commissioner Secretary Lalinthakhuma Franklin, Secretary School Education Bhanu Prabha, and other concerned officers. Deputy Commissioner Kargil and retired IAS officer Kacho Isfandyar Khan, along with S. Gergan, also joined the meeting virtually.