Zirakpur, Chandigarh | January 22, 2026:
The Great India School Summit (GISS) 2026, hosted by ETEducation at Holiday Inn Zirakpur, commenced today with a high-impact Inaugural Ceremony featuring Government Leaders and Education Dignitaries. Held under the Summit theme “Tech-enabled Schools for a Rising India,” the inaugural session was centred on “Shaping India’s School Education Through Technology: NEP 2020 in Action.”
The opening session set the tone for the day by spotlighting how policy frameworks, digital-first strategies are translating NEP 2020 from vision to classroom practice, with a strong emphasis on learner-centricity, equity, and measurable learning outcomes.
Punjab’s NEP 2020 journey: From policy vision to classroom practice
Speaking during the Inaugural Ceremony, Kalpana K, Project Director, World Bank Project, Department of School Education-cum-Additional Secretary, School Education, Government of Punjab, outlined how the State has progressively aligned its education reforms with the vision and recommendations of NEP 2020, with a clear focus on outcomes rather than intent.
She shared that Punjab’s reform efforts are anchored around four key pillars – competency-based education, digital and blended learning, continuous teacher professional development, and data-driven decision-making.
At the core of this approach is the strengthening of Foundational Literacy and Numeracy, which Punjab has translated into action through Mission Samrath, a state-wide initiative for students from Grades 3 to 8. Based on Teaching at the Right Level, the programme aligns instruction with students’ actual learning levels, enabling early identification of gaps and targeted academic support.
She noted that nearly 25 per cent of student assessments are now competency-based, reflecting a deliberate shift away from rote learning towards conceptual understanding and application. Technology is being used to support classroom instruction through projectors, listening labs, and curriculum-aligned digital content delivered via platforms such as PM e-Vidya, EDUSAT, and NISHTHA.
Emphasising the central role of teachers, she highlighted continuous professional development aligned with NEP 2020, including national and international exposure programmes. She also underlined the importance of data-led governance through the e-Punjab MIS, which enables real-time tracking of student learning outcomes using unique child IDs.
Placing these efforts in a broader context, she said the World Bank-supported POISE Project is strengthening pre-primary and primary education by building system-level capacity in teacher training, assessment systems, and academic institutions. She also referenced initiatives such as Business Blasters and Hunar Sikhiya, which promote entrepreneurship and market-relevant skills among senior secondary students.
Concluding, she said Punjab’s reform journey reflects a practical and classroom-focused implementation of NEP 2020, aimed at delivering sustainable improvements in learning outcomes.
Positioning Punjab as India’s education, talent, and innovation hub
Addressing the gathering next during the Inaugural Ceremony, Amit Dhaka, Chief Executive Officer, Invest Punjab, highlighted the State Government’s commitment to transforming Punjab into a global Knowledge and Human Capital Hub, moving beyond its traditional identity as the Food Bowl of India.
He noted that Punjab backs this vision with a ₹17,000+ crore education budget, accounting for nearly 12 per cent of total state expenditure, and a deep, multi-tier education ecosystem comprising 40+ universities, over 28,000 schools, 1,050+ colleges, 250+ engineering and technical institutions, 130+ medical institutions, 350+ ITIs, and 1,000+ skill development centres.
With a literacy rate of 83.3 per cent, strong school retention and transition outcomes, and consistent top-tier performance in the Ministry of Education’s Performance Grading Index, he said Punjab offers a fertile ecosystem for education pilots, R&D collaborations, and large-scale rollouts.
Mr Dhaka highlighted Punjab’s growing network of anchor institutions, including IIT Ropar, IISER Mohali, ISB Mohali, IIM Amritsar, AIIMS Bathinda, and NIPER, alongside private and international players such as Amity, Plaksha, Bedford UK, DPS, and British Laureate School, which together create an integrated ecosystem spanning management, technology, healthcare, and research.
He pointed out that Punjab’s strong school-to-university transition rates, high acceptance of English-medium and blended learning, and its role as a regional education hub for neighbouring states significantly de-risk education investment. Importantly, international-benchmark programmes can be delivered at 30–60 per cent lower cost than overseas campuses, improving ROI for EdTech firms and global education providers.
Highlighting entrepreneurship and employability, he said Punjab is the first state in India to make Entrepreneurship a compulsory subject across higher education and Classes XI–XII. Initiatives such as Hunar Sikhiya, the Entrepreneurship Mindset Course, and the Punjab Startup App – Learn, Build, Earn already connect over 8 lakh students, creating strong demand for project-based learning, assessments, and venture labs.
Dhaka also underlined Punjab’s Teacher-First approach, ongoing leadership training, and growing focus on AI-enabled pedagogy, competency-based assessments, and teacher upskilling in emerging technologies. He described Mohali–Tri-City as a flagship education node with strong infrastructure, global connectivity, and investor-friendly policies supported by Invest Punjab’s single-window clearance system.
Concluding, he invited national and global partners to collaborate with Punjab across smart classrooms, STEM and AI labs, premium K–12 schools, international branch campuses, skill centres, and EdTech platforms, reaffirming the State’s commitment to policy certainty, speed, and proactive handholding.
Reimagining school education: Learner-centric, inclusive, and future-oriented
Also addressing the gathering during the Inaugural Ceremony, Dr Amarpal Singh, Chairman, Punjab School Education Board (PSEB), spoke about Punjab’s ongoing transition in school education, aligned with national priorities, NEP 2020, and the Summit theme “Tech-enabled Schools for a Rising India.”
Quoting Dr A P J Abdul Kalam, “Education gives you wings to fly,” Dr Singh said education must move beyond marks, certificates, and degrees to focus on confidence, capability, character, and the courage to face the future.
He shared that for many years the system remained largely exam-driven. At PSEB, he said, there has been a conscious shift from exam-centric to learner-centric education, from rote learning to real learning, and from information delivery to capability building.
Highlighting the Third Punjabi Olympiad, he noted that over 2.25 lakh students from CBSE, ICSE, and PSEB schools participated, reinforcing inclusion through language and shared cultural identity.
He also spoke about the introduction of Entrepreneurship as a subject at the Senior Secondary level, reforms through the Punjab PARAKH Centre, the rollout of Career Counselling Labs, and the introduction of an AI curriculum focused on ethical and responsible technology use.
Reinforcing the role of educators, Dr. Singh shared that 50 hours of compulsory annual teacher training, including AI training, has been mandated, alongside teacher well-being initiatives.
Concluding his address, he said Punjab is redefining school education to ensure students emerge confident, capable, and socially responsible, prepared not just to face the future, but to lead it.
A strong opening for a day of insight and action
The Inaugural Ceremony at the Great India School Summit 2026 set a strong foundation for the day’s discussions, reinforcing a shared commitment to technology-enabled, inclusive, and future-ready school education.
The Summit continues today with expert talks and panel discussions on AI-enabled schools, curriculum transformation, ethical technology adoption, future skills, and student wellbeing, bringing together policymakers, school leaders, and education innovators from across India.
