New Delhi: The Department of School Education and Literacy (DoSEL) under the Ministry of Education organised a one-day interactive workshop with representatives from Union Territories on March 13, 2026, at the Dr. Ambedkar International Centre in New Delhi.
The workshop brought together senior officials from the Ministry of Education, representatives from various ministries and departments, and officials from all Union Territories to deliberate on key administrative, financial and legal issues related to school education.
Secretary, DoSEL, Sanjay Kumar inaugurated the workshop and emphasised the importance of regular engagement with Union Territories to strengthen coordination and improve the implementation of education programmes. He highlighted the need to fill vacancies in teaching and non-teaching positions in a timely manner, strengthen academic institutions such as State Councils of Educational Research and Training (SCERTs), District Institutes of Education and Training (DIETs) and State Institutes of Education (SIEs), and ensure prompt responses to parliamentary matters and financial proposals.
Economic Advisor, DoSEL, A. Srija outlined the context of the workshop and noted that the platform would enable Union Territories to exchange ideas and address operational challenges in the education sector.
During the inaugural session, Additional Secretary, DoSEL, Dheeraj Sahu spoke about the importance of strengthening institutional capacity and improving administrative efficiency across Union Territories. Ajay Gupta, Joint Secretary in the Department of Legal Affairs, addressed key issues related to handling litigation and court cases.
Prachi Pandey, Joint Secretary, DoSEL, emphasised that all schools in the Union Territories should be affiliated with the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE). Bhupal Nanda, Principal Chief Controller of Accounts in the Ministry of Education, highlighted matters related to financial management and accounting systems.
The technical sessions covered several important topics including the implementation of Section 12(1)(c) of the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009, educational indicators and data reporting for evidence-based policy formulation, onboarding of Union Territories with legislatures onto the SNA-SPARSH platform, and strengthening digital financial management systems.
The sessions also highlighted the role of the Legal Information Management and Briefing System (LIMBS) in monitoring court cases and addressed procurement-related issues on the Government e-Marketplace (GeM) portal to improve transparency and efficiency in government procurement.
Representatives from Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Puducherry, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Chandigarh, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu, Lakshadweep, and Delhi made presentations on issues including court cases, vacancies in teaching and non-teaching positions including special educators, vacancies in SCERTs, DIETs and SIEs, release of funds under Samagra Shiksha, submission of annual reports and audited accounts, parliamentary matters, and challenges faced while using the GeM portal.
The workshop concluded with an interactive discussion and a summary of key takeaways. The deliberations reaffirmed the commitment of the Ministry of Education and the Union Territories to strengthen coordination, enhance institutional capacity, and ensure effective implementation of school education initiatives to improve learning outcomes across the Union Territories.
