In a significant move, the Central Government has encouraged the adoption of the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) in schools and other educational institutions for financial transactions. This initiative aims to promote ease of living and schooling through comprehensive legislative, policy, and institutional reforms across various sectors.
To facilitate this, the Department of School Education and Literacy under the Ministry of Education has sent a letter to states, Union Territories, and other stakeholders, emphasizing the need to adopt UPI. This effort aims to enhance the ease of schooling by modernizing administrative processes, particularly those related to financial transactions in schools.
Recognising the growing penetration of digital payment platforms such as UPI, mobile wallets, and net banking, the Department has urged all states, Union Territories, and autonomous bodies under the Ministry—including NCERT, CBSE, KVS, and NVS—to explore and implement mechanisms that allow schools to collect admission and examination fees through secure and transparent digital methods.
The letter highlights multiple advantages of transitioning from cash-based to digital payments. For parents and students, this transition ensures convenience, transparency, and the ability to make payments from home without needing to visit schools.
By encouraging states and Union Territories to take similar initiatives, the Department has stated that the shift towards digital payments in schools is a crucial step in aligning educational administration with the government’s broader goal of digital transformation.
In a statement, the Ministry remarked, “This initiative will also help all stakeholders become more financially literate, thereby opening up a larger world of digital transactions. This effort will significantly contribute towards realising the vision of a Viksit Bharat by 2047— a digitally empowered, inclusive, and citizen-centric education system.”