What is SARTHAQ?

By : Neha Dhyani

Updated : Mar 7, 2023, 11:28

In line with its objectives to make the education policy more inclusive, seamless, and progressive, the Department of School Education and Literacy initiated an implementation plan for school-level education. Students and Teachers Holistic Advancement through Quality Education or SARTHAQ aims at creating a conducive learning environment for school students at the primary and secondary levels. It also focuses on bringing teachers to the forefront of the education process and giving them a safe, secure, and reliable platform to impart education.

SARTHAQ was launched on 29th July 2020 by Education Minister Shri Ramesh Pokhriyal to pursue the objectives of the National Education Policy (NEP), 2020. The official statement of the education ministry presented this plan as a part of the Amrit Mahotsav, celebrating 75 years of Indian independence.

A lot of intensive deliberation, consultation, and reviews went into the process of developing SARTHAQ. Suggestions, inputs, and contributions from states and UTs, autonomous bodies, and other stakeholders were all considered before finalizing the concept plan of SARTHAQ. Concerted efforts were made to build a more impactful program by retaining the best elements of all existing programs. Currently, the plan is set to be launched in a phased manner, and it will be closely reviewed at every level to assess its effectiveness.

The flexible SARTHAQ plan assists states and UTs in adapting and customizing the plan as per the local context and modifying it to make it more impactful. This adaptability is made possible because the plan is made as per the demands of concurrent education and abides by the spirit of federalism.

SARTHAQ is set to achieve the following essential activities:

  • Reform the curriculum and present a New National and State Frameworks for School Education, Early Childhood Care and Education, Teacher Education, and Adult Education in sync with the spirit of NEP 2020
  • Boost the Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER), Net Enrolment Ratio (NER), transition rate, and retention rate at all levels
  • Reduce the dropout rate and number of out of school children
  • Increase accessibility to the ECCE and Universal Acquisition of Foundational Literacy and Numeracy by Grade 3.
  • Transform the board exams and other critical entrance exams
  • Transform the curriculum to include vocational training, sports and arts, and 21st-century skills for students of all grades
  • Develop more effective and relevant teacher education programs to equip the teachers better
  • Improve the recruitment quality of new teachers and work on building the capacity of teachers through effective and continuous professional development
  • Adopt innovative pedagogy methods and introduce experiential learning during classroom interactions
  • Emphasize and encourage learning through mother tongue or regional languages in the early stages of school education. Make the textbooks and other learning material available in regional languages
  • Develop new and reformed teaching/learning material
  • Improve basic infrastructure
  • Introduce the concept of barrier-free access and sharing resources across different schools
  • Uniformity in learning outcomes and governance across public and private schools creates a transparent and accessible public disclosure system through SSSA in states
  • Reform the overall education system by integrating technology in education planning and implementation
  • Create a safe, secure, conducive, and more inclusive environment for students and teachers and benefit from the synergies of efforts

SARTHAQ is an essential step toward the Government's vision to help students prepare for future challenges and give them ample opportunities to harness their potential. It is set to equip the students not only with 21st-century skills but also help them appreciate India's culture, values, and traditions, as proposed in the National Education Policy (2020). It brings together 25 crore students, 15 lakh schools, 94 lakh teachers, education administrators, parents, and community members as essential stakeholders in building a just and equitable society.

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FAQs on SARTHAQ

Q.1) What is the full form of SARTHAQ?

SARTHAQ stands for Students and Teachers Holistic Advancement through Quality Education.

Q.2) What is the objective of SARTHAQ?

SARTHAQ creates a roadmap for implementing the National Education Policy (2020) for the next 10 years.

Q.3) SARTHAQ comes under which ministry of the Government?

SARTHAQ comes under the Department of School Education and Literacy.

Q.4) SARTHAQ focuses on which type of education?

SARTHAQ focuses on improving school education at the primary and secondary levels.