By OUR STAFF REPORTER
DEHRADUN, 9 Apr: Education Minister, Dhan Singh Rawat, today had a detailed discussion with Union Education Minister, Dharmendra Pradhan, on many issues relating to promotion of education and skill development in the state, and implementation of new education policy. He also apprised the Union Education Minister about the progress of various schemes being run under the Department of School and Higher Education in the state. Union Education Minister Pradhan directed the officials of the primary, secondary and higher education departments to prepare a fiveyear plan and send the proposal to the central government for education and skill development in the state. State’s Cooperative, School Education, Sanskrit Education, Higher Education, Medical Health and Medical Education Minister, Dr Dhan Singh Rawat along with the high officials of the School and Higher Education Department, called on Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan at the ONGC auditorium today in Dehradun. Rawat said that the state lacked physical resources at primary and secondary level, to conduct vocational courses at secondary level, to establish smart class rooms, to provide smart TVs in schools, to appoint teachers of English language and computers, and to construct Navodaya Schools buildings. Demands were made for Centre’s help in construction, opening of residential schools in each block, setting up of infrastructure in schools as per the new education policy. Along with this, a request was also made to the Union Education Minister to give early consent on the proposal of 35 Central Schools and 9 Sainik Schools given by the State Government to the Government of India. Pradhan also discussed with Rawat about holding a review meeting with the departmental officers in the month of June, in which the Secretaries of the Central Government would also be present. On this occasion, Additional Chief Secretary Radha Raturi, Secretary School Education R Meenakshi Sundaram, Secretary Higher Education Deependra Chaudhary, Additional Secretary School Education Deepti Singh, Director General Secondary Education Banshidhar Tiwari, Joint Director Higher Education Dr A Uniyal, Adviser Rusa, Prof MSM Rawat, Prof KD Purohit and other officers were present.