DH NEWS SERVICE
POONCH, Apr 22
The Vidya Pravesh program—a three-month, play-based preparatory module for Grade-I students—was formally launched across all primary and middle schools in Poonch district.
The initiative is being implemented on the direction of SCERT Jammu and under the guidance of Principal DIET Parkash Lal Thapa and Chief Education Officer (CEO) Iftikhar Ali Shah Kazmi, with the aim of bridging early learning gaps and strengthening foundational literacy and numeracy as outlined in the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.
To ensure the effective and uniform implementation of the program across the district, two major online programs were organized by the CEO Office and DIET Poonch.
The first was a district-level online panel discussion organised by the District Resource Group (DRG), in which over 500 School Nodal Officers (SNOs) participated. The session covered in-depth components of the Vidya Pravesh module and strategies for school-level execution.
Simultaneously, an online orientation meeting was held with Heads of Institutions (HOIs) of Higher Secondary and High Schools, along with Zonal Education Officers (ZEOs) by the Principal DIET Poonch. Prakash Lal Thapa. This session focused on building institutional understanding and readiness to support and monitor the program’s rollout in their respective schools.
As the module officially began at the school level, Ms. Sapna Sharma, School Nodal Officer of MS Dhant, launched Vidya Pravesh in her school and said,
“The Vidya Pravesh module is really practicable and well-structured. It will definitely bring fruitful results after three months. Through this, we will bridge the learning gaps of students entering Class 1.”
Key contributors in the online discussions included educationists and members of the District and State Resource Groups such as Anwar Khan (Principal HSS Mandi), Ajay Maini (SNO Kanuyian), Tariq Chugtai, Harish Sharma, and Darshan Kumar.
CEO Poonch, Mr. Iftikhar Ali Shah, addressed the participants and urged all school heads and SNOs to implement the module in true letter and spirit. He stressed the importance of this initiative in laying a strong educational foundation for young learners.
Principal DIET Poonch, Mr. Parkash Lal Thapa, played a key role in coordinating the rollout. He emphasized that the entire district team—teachers, ZEOs, and SNOs—has already been trained at DIET, and is now fully prepared to execute the module across schools. He encouraged HOIs to ensure that daily classroom activities remain aligned with the objectives of Vidya Pravesh.
