https://indianmasterminds.com

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

1500 Out-of-School Tribals Enrolled in Kishtwar Schools

Under the leadership of 2016 batch IAS Officer Devansh Yadav, Kishtwar administration started Back to School initiative This project did wonders in the district as many nomadic tribal students have been enrolled in the schools The administration also got over age children enrolled under adult education scheme
Indian Masterminds Stories

Five-years old Anjum hailing from Kashmir’s tribal Bakarwal community, is now studying in a primary school  in Kishtwar district of Jammu & Kashmir. A native of Marwah bloc, she had never seen a school till a year ago. She couldn’t even recognise alphabets. There are more than 1400 students, like Anjum, who got admission in more than 100 schools, under ‘Back to Schools’ initiative of Kishtwar administration.

It was kicked off in January, 2023. But, now, the second phase of this initiative has been started and another 200 out of school students – mostly tribals – have been identified for enrollment in the schools. Administration is ensuring that no child in 6-14 yrs age group is denied education. 

IAS Devansh Yadav above meeting with children at a school, children studying at a school at mountain peak

BACKGROUND

There is about 15 percent tribal population in the district mostly Gurjar and Bakarwal. They go out to graze cattle during Summers which is why their children miss their school.

A survey conducted by ‘Samagra Shiksha’ under ‘Operation Talaash’ across Jammu and Kashmir to find out the status of education in 2020-21revealed that 2000 Kishtwar children in the age group of 6 to 14 years and 14 to 18 years are not in the schools and colleges. There were two categories of children, one who never went to school and the other who were dropouts.

Teachers taking class at various schools in Kishtwar

IMPLEMENTATION

Following this, Kishtwar administration  in December, 2022 asked all government officer to hold Gram Sabha meetings in the schools of their area. People were told about importance of education. Resolutions were passed in these meetings to send children to schools. Almost 90 percent parents agreed.

But there were some people who had genuine problems like not having a birth certificate or a labour card and summer migration. Administration provided solution to do such issues. It issued birth certificates of 500 children, got labour card made for unskilled persons so that they could earn enough to afford their children’s education. It also opened more than 100 seasonal centres. Although there already are 50 such schools, and their numbers have increased.

ADMISSION

After their children were admitted, they were given a 3-month ‘bridge course’ so that they could learn the basics. Then baseline tests of the children were taken, and the District Institute of Education and Training (DIET) also trained the teachers.

Mr Yadav said “Bridge course is to prepare out of school children to enrol in the school.”

The administration conducted another survey in 2022-23 and found that out of those 2000 children, many were married and some had crossed 14 years, the upper age limit for primary education.

Mr Yadav told Indian Masterminds, “We didn’t restrict our intervention to 6 to 14 year age group. Children above 14 years are being provided education under the Adult Education Program. The Local NGOs and Individuals provided lot of support like donating bags, books and stationery to the students.”

MONITORING

After the enrolments, the administration also started monitoring their progress. Special attention is being paid to test results and attendance in monitoring with help of online data. The data of schools is filed online every 2 to 3 months.

It is also necessary to sustain this exercise. The administration has formed a ‘Tribal Social Reform Committee’ comprising influential people of tribal society, public leaders and parents of children.

Mr Yadav said, “This committee keeps telling them that their main focus should be children’s education. Parents are asked to join the school management committee so that they can monitor their children’s education and become their partners in this work.”

Teachers taking class at a school situated on mountain

Indian Masterminds Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Related Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
NEWS
SAIL resized
SAIL Bags 'Star Performer' Award from EEPC for Export Excellence During Pandemic Years - Check Here To Know More
NFL _ National Fertilizers Limited
National Fertilizers Ltd Faces Rs. 94.84 Crore Tax Demand Over GST Refunds
Screenshot 2025-05-31 204103
PM Modi Launches Major Thermal Power Projects in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh - Check All Details
IRCON
IRCON Bags Rs. 1,068 Crore Contract for Ganga Rail Bridge in Bihar - All Details Inside
retirement
3 Senior Executives to Retire from Key PSUs in India, P V Ravitej Concludes 38-year Long Journey With BPCL - All Details Inside
Rajiv Krishna IPS
Breaking: IPS Rajeev Krishna Appointed as Acting DGP of Uttar Pradesh, Becomes 5th Consecutive Officer in Acting Role - Know More About Him
Bihar Government-resized-IM
47 IAS Officers Reshuffled in Bihar Ahead of Polls, 17 Districts Get New DMs, 5 New Commissioners - Check Circular Here
PSUs
PSUs: IRS Anurag Prasad Repatriated Early for Promotion; IAS M Muthukumar Appointed Director (Finance) at BHAVINI
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
IAS Tushar G Nikhare
Modernising Governance: A Digital Transformation in Gangtok
IMG-20250523-WA0036
Abhishek Singh's SECRET: Vipassana, Anthropology & Smart Answer Writing | Video Interview 
Madhav Agarwal UPSC
From Gwalior to the Top 20: What Drove Finance Pro Madhav Agarwal to Crack UPSC CSE 2024 with AIR 16? | Exclusive
ADVERTISEMENT
UPSC Stories
ANUBHAV SINGH UPSC IFS 2024
9 Years, 8 Attempts, 7 Failures: How Anubhav Singh Cracked UPSC IFS 2024 with AIR 3 Against All Odds | Exclusive
Anubhav Singh’s inspiring journey to UPSC IFS Rank 3 showcases relentless perseverance, strategic preparation,...
Jogender Sihag
“I Cleared UPSC, But My Grandfather isn’t Here to Hear it,” Jogender Sihag, AIR 521, UPSC CSE 2024
"Life is short; make the most of it, whether in civil service or any other field. Just have a clear vision...
WhatsApp Image 2025-05-28 at 18.56
Didn’t Clear UPSC But Found Something Greater: A Story That Will Change How You See Success
She left a top finance job for UPSC, did not clear but built a thriving wellness brand instead. Veda's...
Social Media
parveen kaswan elephant
Elephant Outsmarts Electric Fence! IFS Parveen Kaswan Shares Incredible Video!
In the now-viral 51-second clip, the intelligent giant approaches a wooden pole supporting high-voltage...
UPSC Latest IAS IPS IFS
UPSC CSE Prelims 2025 Tomorrow: ICLS Officer Altap Shaikh Shares Last-Minute Motivation for Aspirants
His five-post thread offers encouragement, practical advice, and emotional support - not just for those...
Anupam Sharma IFS
#BoycottTurkey: IFS Officer Anupam Sharma Sparks Nationalist Call to Action
IFS Sharma urged citizens to avoid Turkish agricultural imports
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Latest
SAIL resized
SAIL Bags 'Star Performer' Award from EEPC for Export Excellence During Pandemic Years - Check Here To Know More
NFL _ National Fertilizers Limited
National Fertilizers Ltd Faces Rs. 94.84 Crore Tax Demand Over GST Refunds
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
IAS Tushar G Nikhare
IMG-20250523-WA0036
Madhav Agarwal UPSC
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT