ShaGun

The Ministry of Human Resource Development launched the School Education Shagun (SE Shagun) initiative to improve the school education system in India. This initiative involves creating an integrated junction/platform for all central and state websites and portals of the Department of School Education and Literacy (Department). The word ‘Shagun’ is derived from two different words, i.e ‘Shala’, which means Schools and ‘Gunvatta’, which means Quality.

The Department launched the ‘ShaGun’ Repository and online monitoring websites for capturing and showcasing innovations in the elementary level of school education and continuous monitoring of the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA). From 2018-19, after the introduction of Samagra Shiksha, there is no discrimination between elementary, secondary and senior secondary levels.

The SE Shagun platform acts as single-point access to all websites and portals of the Department, in tune with the spirit of the Samagra Shiksha. The users can access the relevant information of more than 9 million teachers, 1.5 million schools and 250 million students through this platform.

The users can also learn about the various schemes and their comprehensive monitoring by browsing through this platform. They can also appreciate the best practices in schools in India and learn about the schemes’ outcomes based on an objective evaluation process.

Schemes Associated With Shagun Platform

The SE Shagun platform provides single-point access to many schemes launched by the government in the field of school education. The Shagun platform hosts the following schemes: 

• Samagra Shiksha. 
• Mid-Day Meal.
• National Means cum Merit Scholarship Scheme.
• Scheme for Providing Education in Madrasas and Minorities.
• National Awards to Teachers.
• National Scheme for Incentive to Girls for Secondary Education. 

Resources Available on Shagun Platform

SE Shagun platform provides information on digital knowledge resources. The following are the digital knowledge resources hosted on the Shagun platform:

• eLearning platforms – ePathshala, National Repository of Open Educational Resources (NROER) and National Initiative for School Heads and Teachers Holistic Advancement (NISHTHA) provided by NCERT. 
• Digital Infrastructure for Knowledge Sharing (DIKSHA) – a repository of eLearning content and is a joint initiative of the Central Government, UTs and State Governments. 

Institutions Associated with Shagun Platform

Autonomous Bodies in the area of education play an important role in regulating and implementing the government’s policies. The Shagun platform hosts and provides access to the various following institutions:

• Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan (KVS).
• Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE). 
• Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti (NVS).
• National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE).
• National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT). 
• National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS).
• Central Tibetan Schools Administration (CTSA).
• National Bal Bhavan (NBB).

Monitoring Mechanisms on the Shagun Platform

The Shagun online monitoring system gathers information on various macro parameters relating to school education of the states and UTs. For an adequate monitoring system, real-time data from every school is collected through the Unified District Information System for Education (UDISE+). 

A detailed topographical, geographical and other important information relating to the schools is given to the general public through the School GIS system. The Data Analytics site assembles the data in an organised manner for analysing and making evidence-based decisions. The PMS online monitoring system keeps track of the flow of funds, physical progress of the projects and expenditure incurred by the UTs and states. 

The Dashboard gives a snapshot of all India and state/UT level Key Performance Indicators in the education sector. It also shows a bird’s eye view of the implemented schemes and the features of the Institutions under the Department’s administrative control.

Community Participation Through Shagun Platform

The Shagun Repository contains testimonials, videos, images and case studies of the best practices of the Autonomous bodies, Central Government, State Government and UTs in the school education sector.

The Vidyanjali application available on the platform facilitates a virtual meeting place of the school authorities with those individuals/organisations/entities who want to help the schools through a donation in kind or cash or by sharing experiences with the school children.

Benefits of Shagun Platform

The Shagun Platform benefits various people. The following are the benefits of this platform:

• The general public and the parents will get comprehensive information on the schools. They can also give their feedback to the authorities through the ‘feedback’ mechanism of the School GIS application on any vital issue, thus enhancing accountability and credibility. 
• Students will have access to eLearning and eContent, and portals (DIKSHA, ePathshala, NROER) which help to enhance their learning.
• Heads of schools and teachers will be motivated to improve their classroom teaching by accessing the teaching techniques through DIKSHA and the websites of NCTE and NCERT. 
• Policymakers at the State/UT and Central will have access to necessary information through the UDISE+, Data Analytics and School GIS Application for making evidence-based decisions.