The Jharkhand Education Project Council has launched a comprehensive digital habitation mapping exercise across the state, marking a significant shift from traditional methods to modern technological solutions in education planning.
Digital Transformation in Education Mapping
For the first time in Jharkhand's history, habitation mapping is being conducted digitally through the newly developed DAHAR 2.0 portal and mobile application. This innovative approach represents a major step forward in the state's education management system.
JEPC Director Shashi Ranjan emphasized the critical importance of this initiative during an announcement on Wednesday. He stated that the mapping exercise is essential for multiple strategic purposes including improving school accessibility, planning new infrastructure, identifying children who have dropped out of the education system, and optimizing teacher deployment across the state.
Strict Deadlines and Accountability Measures
The education department has set ambitious targets for completing this massive exercise. All district education officials have been directed to ensure that habitation mapping for every school is completed by the end of this month.
Ranjan issued a stern warning against any negligence or indifference in this crucial work, emphasizing that unsatisfactory or delayed performance would result in disciplinary action against Block Education Officers and Headmasters. The mapping must be completed within one week, with continuous monitoring from state headquarters.
As part of the intensive survey process, officials are conducting house-to-house visits to document the number of children in each household and record instances of school dropouts. Survey teams have received specific instructions to record both ward names and ward numbers for every household covered to ensure comprehensive data collection.
Teacher Participation and Technological Requirements
The success of this initiative heavily depends on teacher participation. All school principals have been mandated to actively participate in the door-to-door survey, while teachers from government-aided schools will provide additional support, particularly in single-teacher schools.
JEPC has made it mandatory for all teachers to download the DAHAR 1.4 version of the application for habitation mapping. Access to the DAHAR portal and application is restricted to teachers registered on the e-Vidyavahini platform, ensuring data security and authenticity.
Another JEPC official, Binita Tirkey, highlighted important guidelines for the survey. She emphasized that no household should be surveyed twice and no two schools should be tagged to the same catchment area to maintain data integrity.
Tirkey clearly stated that the Shishu Panji Survey is the responsibility of every teacher, and those who do not participate will be required to submit written explanations. Headmasters have been instructed to conduct household surveys alongside teachers to ensure complete coverage.
Progress Report and Future Plans
The initiative has already shown promising results with 3,614 schools completing their habitation mapping. Ranchi district has emerged as the state leader in this effort, with an impressive 52% of its schools having achieved their mapping targets.
Weekly monitoring of both the habitation mapping and the upcoming Shishu Panji Survey will be conducted by the state headquarters. Officials have been instructed to expedite preparations to ensure the Shishu Panji Survey commences smoothly in December.
This comprehensive digital approach to education planning represents a significant milestone in Jharkhand's efforts to create a more efficient and effective education system that reaches every child in the state.
