RAIPUR: Chhattisgarh has established a robust and exemplary model of good governance in education through the effective use of digital technology. The IIT Bhilai Innovation and Technology Foundation (IBITF) has identified the state’s Vidya Samiksha Kendra (VSK) as a leading national example of technology-enabled governance in the education sector, recognising it as a significant and scalable public innovation.
According to IBITF, the Vidya Samiksha Kendra reflects Chhattisgarh’s concrete achievements in transparency, accountability, and citizen-centric administration. Implemented by the School Education Department under the Department of Good Governance and Convergence, Government of Chhattisgarh, VSK represents an institutional shift toward data-driven decision-making and demonstrates the state’s commitment to governance reform through digital innovation.
Chhattisgarh administers one of the largest public education systems in India, comprising more than 48,500 government schools, serving over 3.9 million students, and supported by approximately 180,000 teaching and non-teaching personnel. Historically, the scale of this system posed challenges such as fragmented data, limited real-time monitoring, and delays in administrative decision-making, all of which affected overall efficiency and outcomes.
The Vidya Samiksha Kendra directly addresses these systemic challenges by functioning as a centralised, real-time digital monitoring and analytics platform. Through this integrated framework, the education department now has timely access to accurate, actionable data, enabling faster implementation of schemes and policies while ensuring outcomes are tracked with greater precision and accountability.
VSK integrates multiple critical databases, including UDISE, HRMIS, PM POSHAN, PGI, APAAR ID, Aadhaar, and GIS mapping. This unified data ecosystem enables continuous and comprehensive monitoring of school infrastructure, teacher deployment, student attendance, learning outcomes, and the implementation of welfare schemes across the state.
The use of AI-based analytics and predictive models within the Vidya Samiksha Kendra allows for early identification of potential school dropouts and learning gaps. This proactive approach aligns closely with the objectives of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, supporting the creation of an inclusive, equitable, and quality-focused education system.
The measurable outcomes of this digital initiative underscore its effectiveness. These include the generation of APAAR IDs for approximately 87 percent of students, Aadhaar verification for nearly 89 percent, and barcode-based tracking of more than 21.3 million textbooks, resulting in an estimated financial saving of ₹50 crore through improved efficiency and reduced leakages.
The Vidya Samiksha Kendra is further strengthened by a dedicated Command and Control Centre and an active Call Centre, which together support grievance redressal, data verification, field-level feedback, and sustained stakeholder engagement. These mechanisms have significantly enhanced trust, responsiveness, and participation between the administration and citizens.
IBITF has also noted that VSK is not merely a technological platform but a powerful instrument for institutionalising a data-driven governance culture. Through this system, education administration in Chhattisgarh has evolved into a more proactive, transparent, and results-oriented framework.
As a Technology Innovation Hub (TIH) established by the Government of India under the NM-ICPS Mission, IBITF has formally recognised the Vidya Samiksha Kendra as a national standard for data-led education reform and technology-enabled governance. This recognition positions Chhattisgarh among India’s leading states in the development of scalable, impactful, and citizen-centric public digital infrastructure.