Two years after Gujarat introduced the Vidya Samiksha Kendra (VSK), a school-monitoring control room, other states in India are following suit. Fourteen states and one Union Territory have begun the process of setting up similar units to collect and analyze data from various government schemes, according to sources. The VSK, considered a state-of-the-art control room, is responsible for gathering data to monitor key performance indicators in schools, including teacher and student attendance, as well as conducting assessments of students’ learning outcomes. To assist in this endeavor, the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT), the central government’s apex body for school education research, has established a centralized VSK to oversee state education data.
The NCERT now acts as the nodal agency, offering technical expertise to states in setting up their own VSKs. The council has provided a “starter pack” to 15 states and Union Territories, encompassing software, hardware, and human resource requirements. States such as Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Meghalaya, Haryana, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Bihar, Mizoram, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Uttarakhand, Andhra Pradesh, and Andaman & Nicobar are currently in the process of establishing their VSKs. Funding for the VSKs is primarily sourced from the Ministry of Education’s Samagra Shiksha Scheme. The allocated funds range from Rs 2-5 crore, and if necessary, states may request additional funding. In the future, a separate fund may be established for the maintenance and operations of the VSKs, depending on the success of the control centers.
The VSK initiative gained traction following its inauguration in June 2021 in Gujarat’s Gandhinagar, with then-Chief Minister Vijay Rupani and Prime Minister Narendra Modi in attendance. The Prime Minister’s Office highlighted the VSK’s ability to collect and analyze over 500 crore data sets annually using advanced technologies such as big data analytics, artificial intelligence, and machine learning, all aimed at enhancing students’ overall learning outcomes. In summary, the establishment of school-monitoring control rooms, inspired by Gujarat’s VSK, is expanding across India as multiple states and Union Territories recognize the importance of data-driven monitoring and analysis in the education sector.