Government's "NISHTHA" To Train 42 Lakh Teachers

The Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) will launch the "world's biggest project" for teacher training on August 22 to train over 42 lakh teachers across the country, an official said on Saturday.

"On August 22, the MHRD will launch the world's biggest project for teacher training called NISHTHA (National Initiative on School Teachers Head Holistic Advancement), under which more than 42 lakh teachers will be trained," Rina Ray, Secretary, Department of School Education and Literacy, MHRD, said.

At the silver jubilee celebration of the National Council of Teacher Education (NCTE), HRD Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank said, "India has traditionally been known for leadership in education and teacher preparation. For thousands of years, Indian teachers were considered as vishwa guru."

The achievements of the ancient Indian education system were legendary, he said, adding that schools were the foundation of any progressive nation and teachers were the powerhouse of the society, who molded and shaped the future of students to become productive citizens of tomorrow.

Ms Ray said around 19,000 teacher-training institutes across the country were mapped and put on Google Earth. "Users can go online not only to see the geographical location of these institutes around the country, but also to check their report cards and give their feedback," she said.

"Today, there are 8.5 million teachers in India, which is more than the population of Finland. We need to take care of our teachers and solve their problems. We need to focus on their welfare," she added.

HRD Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank' on Saturday inaugurated the International Conference titled “Journey of Teacher Education: Local to Global” in New Delhi. The two-day event is being organized by the National Council of Teacher Education (NCTE) as part of silver jubilee celebration of its establishment in 1995.

Yaduvendra Mathur, Special Secretary, NITI Aayog, was also present on the occasion.

"Teachers are the pillars of the society, but it is important to upgrade their skills and ensure that they are trained in the best way. This is only possible in collaboration with teacher education institutions, which play a key role in their actual transformation," he said.

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