Address unresolved issues with PMO: Prakash Javadekar directs HRD officials

NEW DELHI: Taking over HRD ministry from ministry from Smriti Irani, Prakash Javadekar’s first set of instructions to his officers were to work out ways to ensure geo-tagging of all educational institutes, have the PM to launch the Moocs initiative - one of the first announcements made in the Modi regime - Swayam on August 15, address all unresolved issues with the PMO and clear pending files related to vacancies and appointments.

In meetings held with the HRD ministry officials on Wednesday at his residence and Thursday in office soon after taking charge, Javadekar emphasised on the use of technology in education and asked his bureaucracy to ensure that institutional geo-tagging across schools and higher education departments is done at the earliest to identify most underserved areas in the country and action taken accordingly.

Javadekar is also learnt to have sought a status note on all the unresolved issues with the PMO. ET last week reported how the PMO and the ministry were on different pages on the issue of world-class institutes, the IIM bill, wifi for 38 central varsities and the IIIT bill.

The minister has also sought to know exactly how many vacancies are there across institutes, on selection and other panels where the HRD ministry requires to nominate members. It is gathered that hundreds of files pertaining to a range of appointment and nomination issues were pending with predecessor Irani’s office. Several IITs among other institutes await directors and chairpersons.

The first of launches by the minister will be of the new set of IITs announced by the government. Javadekar is likely to launch IITs at Jammu, Dharwad, Bhilai and Goa by the month-end.

Swayam is another project keenly tracked by the PMO and is likely to be launched by the PM on August 15. The Moocs initiative envisages uploading over 2,000 high quality virtual courses catering to over three lakh students on the government-backed platform.

Javadekar is of the view that Swayam Prabha — the proposed 32 DTH education channels — should be launched separately