91.8% of India’s Schools Now Have Electricity, a Substantial Increase from 53% in 2013-14: Union Education Minister

Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan announced on Tuesday that a high-level committee formed to recommend reforms for the National Testing Agency (NTA) has submitted its report, which has been presented before the Supreme Court.

During a press conference, Pradhan highlighted significant progress in the electrification of schools across India, stating, “91.8% of India’s schools now have electricity.” He noted that this is a substantial increase from 53% in 2013-14, reflecting the government’s commitment to improving educational infrastructure.

NCERT to Publish 15 Crore Quality Books

In addition to the electrification update, Pradhan revealed that the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) plans to publish 15 crore quality and affordable textbooks to meet the needs of students in the upcoming academic year. He assured that there would be no financial burden on students, and in some cases, costs would be reduced.

To facilitate access to these books, NCERT has signed memorandums of understanding (MoUs) with major e-commerce platforms, Amazon and Flipkart, to sell the books at their maximum retail price (MRP).

National Achievement Survey to Assess Learning Outcomes

Pradhan also provided insights into the National Achievement Survey (NAS), stating that as of December 4, 2024, a sample size of 23 lakh students from over 87,000 schools has been surveyed. He announced plans for another district-level survey under NAS to better understand learning outcomes and academic performance.

In related news, the NEET UG 2024 examination, conducted on May 5, has faced controversy due to allegations of paper leaks and irregularities. The exam was held for over 24 lakh candidates across 4,750 centers in 571 cities, including 14 cities outside India. A re-examination was conducted on June 23, 2024, for 1,563 candidates who experienced time loss during the original exam.