Over 1.27 lakh schools, 32,581 volunteers join Vidyanjali in a year: Education Ministry

According to the Ministry of Education, Vidyanjali is an initiative of the Department of School Education and Literacy aimed at facilitating community and volunteer participation by connecting them directly with Government and Government-aided schools through a dedicated portal to contribute resources and support.

The initiative is aligned with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, which envisages greater involvement of community members and alumni in volunteer efforts to enhance learning through one-to-one tutoring, literacy and remedial support, teaching support and guidance, career guidance and mentoring, and other activities. In this regard, Vidyanjali provides a structured platform for channelising such volunteer and community support to schools.

The ministry said that during the last one year, 1,27,884 schools, 32,581 volunteers and 1,126 CSR organisations/NGOs/institutions were newly registered on the Vidyanjali Portal.

It said key achievements under Vidyanjali during the period include the establishment of AI and Robotics Innovation Labs in Government schools in Delhi, creation of digital classrooms and capacity building of teachers in Dholpur, Rajasthan, strengthening of digital infrastructure in Mamit, Mizoram, support for digital learning through the contribution of desktop computers to Government schools in Baghpat, Uttar Pradesh by NICSI, and improvement of the school environment through BaLA painting in Government schools in Begusarai, Bihar.

According to the ministry, these interventions have enhanced technology-enabled learning, strengthened teacher capacity, improved school infrastructure and created more engaging learning environments for students.

The ministry said NGOs are onboarded on the Vidyanjali Portal through their NGO DARPAN Unique ID issued by NITI Aayog, which is verified through the DARPAN Portal. CSR organisations are required to submit valid registration documents, such as PAN, GST Registration Certificate or Udyam Registration Certificate, for verification.

It further said Vidyanjali provides two distinct engagement frameworks for CSR participation -- CSR Bulk Engagement and the Adopt-a-School Model. Under the CSR Bulk Engagement framework, CSR organisations can support identified requirements across multiple schools, while under the Adopt-a-School Model, an organisation can provide sustained support to an identified school based on its specific requirements. Registration of NGOs and CSR organisations is approved by the concerned State or Union Territory, while Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs) are approved at the Central level.

The ministry said implementation of Vidyanjali is monitored through its digital portal, which captures information on volunteer participation, institutional support, activities undertaken, assets created and beneficiary schools.

It added that the interventions supplement Government efforts by strengthening learning resources, promoting experiential and technology-enabled learning, and fostering community participation in school education. BaLA-related wall paintings, mural art and beautification activities undertaken during Special Campaign 5.0 (2025), with support from volunteers, School Management Committees and local communities, have also contributed to creating child-friendly and engaging learning environments.

According to the ministry, the Government is continuously strengthening and expanding these interventions, particularly in aspirational and educationally disadvantaged districts, through need-based community and institutional participation. Schools are enabled to identify and upload their requirements on the Vidyanjali Portal, facilitating support from volunteers, alumni, NGOs, CSR organisations and other institutions.

The ministry said orientation programmes, review meetings and CSR workshops with States and Union Territories further facilitate wider participation. CSR-supported interventions, including digital classrooms, STEM/AI laboratories and school infrastructure improvement, have been facilitated in aspirational districts such as Dholpur in Rajasthan and Mamit in Mizoram.

The ministry also said the PARAKH Rashtriya Sarvekshan 2024 (formerly National Achievement Survey) was undertaken by the National Assessment Centre, PARAKH, NCERT under the aegis of the Department of School Education and Literacy to understand the baseline performance with regard to learning competencies acquired by students at the end of the Foundational (Balvatika I to Grade II), Preparatory (Grades III to V) and Middle stages (Grades VI to VIII) of education by assessing them in Grades III, VI and IX, respectively.

It said the National, State and District-level report cards for PARAKH Rashtriya Sarvekshan 2024 are available on the PARAKH dashboard.

The information was given by Minister of State for Education Jayant Chaudhary in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday. (ANI)