Horticulture to be Introduced as Vocational Subject in Himachal Pradesh Schools, Says Education Minister Rohit Thakur

Himachal Pradesh's Education Minister, Rohit Thakur, announced that horticulture will be introduced as a vocational subject in schools. This new subject will be limited to schools affiliated with the Himachal Pradesh Board of School Education. The decision was made during a review meeting with senior officers of the Education Department, which aimed to evaluate the progress of educational schemes and address important departmental issues.

The Board is tasked with developing an appropriate curriculum for the subject, with a proposal submission deadline of two weeks. Additionally, HPBOSE has been instructed to reintroduce key academic subjects like Public Administration in colleges to provide students with a wider array of disciplinary options.

During a recent comprehensive review, the State Education Minister conducted a thorough assessment of the ongoing progress of several pivotal educational initiatives. Key among these were the ambitious Rajiv Gandhi Model Day Boarding Schools project, designed to offer high-quality day boarding facilities, and the Atal Adarsh Vidyalayas, envisioned as exemplary educational institutions setting new benchmarks.

The Minister's evaluation highlighted the strategic importance of these initiatives in shaping the future of education within the state. A primary focus of the assessment was to identify any bottlenecks or challenges hindering their swift implementation. Following a detailed analysis of the current status, officials present were issued stringent directives. The most pressing of these was the urgent need to accelerate the hiring process. This directive aims to promptly fill all existing vacant positions across various educational institutions, from primary schools to higher education establishments. The timely recruitment of qualified teaching staff and administrative personnel is deemed critical for ensuring the unhindered operation and qualitative delivery of education services across the state, thereby maximizing the impact of these flagship programs.

Addressing recruitment-related issues, he said that all genuine demands of school management committee (SMC) teachers would be sympathetically considered and taken to the cabinet for appropriate action. He mentioned that the department has completed all formalities related to pending promotions and the matter of promotion of Principals has been forwarded to the Himachal Pradesh Public Service Commission for necessary steps.

The Minister also shared his experience of meeting with the Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan during his recent visit to Delhi. State Education Minister had apprised him of the damages caused to educational institutions in the State and urged the Centre to release the pending Rs 180 crore under the Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA) scheme.