Private educational institutions dreading red-tapism to interfere with their no objection certificates from being issued by the State Government can breathe easy now for they now have an online solution to their woes.
The School Education and literacy Department launched its official website and two online services to better education standards even in far-flung areas of the State and minimise the time and effort required for it. The web portal, hrd.jharkhand.gov.in, brings together all schemes and services offered by the Department on a common online platform, whereas the services digitise the process involved in issuing NOCs to private schools and grants to schools.
“We intend to deliver better services to the public with use of information technology. The online services will limit the troubles associated with paperwork in Government processes. Work will now be executed in a time-bound and transparent manner,” stated Chief Minister Raghubar Das.
“Private schools from distant districts of the state had to run from pillar to post for getting their NOCs issued. Delays raised concerns among students regarding their future. Similarly, delay in grants was troublesome for teachers. Making these services online will be a great help to both students and teachers,” stated Education Minister Neera Yadav.
Applicants will be kept in loop about the status of their applications, pointed out Secretary Aradhna Patnaik. “As the application is received by the School education Directorate, a SMS will be sent to the applicant about this development, which will be followed up by more SMSs about its locations in the future. Once it is approved by all necessary officials, the NOC will be e-mailed to the applicant within one month,” she said.
The website was developed using in-house resources by the Department which is a first in the state, informed IT Secretary Sunil Kumar Barnwal. “For similar projects, we had to rely on non-government consultancies for preparing their frameworks as the government resources were often engaged in other projects. This will make it easy for us to add any more features in the future to the web portal or online services,” he said.
“This is a step towards eradicating manual process in the education system. The change from manual to digital might not be smooth, owing to habits of the masses, but we have to change this habit. A system should be put into place that only online NOC applications will be accepted in the future,” added Barnwal.
“In the budget for the upcoming financial year, we are making provisions for bettering the standard of education even in Government schools located in remote areas of state, equipping them with laboratories and other teaching aids. I also request private schools to take in under-privileged children so that poverty does not become the reason for illiteracy,” Das said.
“Ranchi was the education hub in the past. We intend to restore it to its former glory in the field of education. Talent is abundant in the state, we will promote them, making Jharkhand a knowledge-centric state,” he said.