Gandhinagar (Gujarat) [India] June 10 : The 23rd edition of Gujarat's innovative initiative, 'Shala Praveshotsav Kanya Kelavani Mahotsav,' which aims to achieve 100% enrollment of school-going children and promote girls' education in the state, will be held from June 26 to 28, 2025.
Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel presided over a guiding meeting held in Gandhinagar for the Ministers, dignitaries, and approximately 400 high-ranking officers, including IAS, IPS, and IFS (Class-1 officers) who will participate in this three-day statewide 'Shala Praveshotsav'
The Chief Minister, while referencing the inspiration provided by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the Shala Praveshotsav and Kanya Kelavani Mahotsav, stated that the Prime Minister has offered leadership to the nation characterised by the efficiency to accord significance to even the most minor details through new initiatives.
He added that in the 22 years of the Praveshotsav, much good work, including radical reforms in the state's education sector, has been accomplished. Let us make it more dynamic and work as a team, and based on the experiences and feedback of previous Praveshotsavs, let us work together for more result-oriented outcomes.
The Shala Praveshotsav, initiated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his tenure as the Chief Minister of Gujarat in 2002-03, has completed 22 years.
This year, the 23rd Shala Praveshotsav and Kanya Kelavani Mahotsav is set to be held with the theme "Come, let's make Shala Praveshotsav a social festival" in 1529 government secondary and higher secondary schools, 5134 grant-in-aid secondary and higher secondary schools, and 31,824 government primary schools across the state.
Under the leadership of Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, the Education Department has planned to enrol a total of 25.75 lakh students during this Shala Praveshotsav. This includes 8.75 lakh children eligible for admission to Balvatika, 10.50 lakh students eligible for admission from the 8th to the 9th standard, and 6.50 lakh students eligible for admission from the 10th to the 11th standard.
Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel urged the creation of an environment where more and more children enroll in government schools. Furthermore, he emphasized the need to inform SMC members and children during the Praveshotsav about the benefits of the 'Namo Lakshmi' scheme to encourage girls to pursue education from standards 9 to 12, and the 'Namo Saraswati' scheme to cultivate an interest in science stream education among children.
On this occasion, Education Minister Kuber Dindor said that in this year's Praveshotsav, the state government has also focused on admissions from the 8th to the 9th standard and from the 10th to the 11th standard. Through an AI-based tracking system, a list of potential dropouts will be prepared, and special attention will be focused on such students.
He added that we have tried to give a new direction to secondary education by adopting an approach of 'review, not examination' and 'performance, not presentation'.
Chief Secretary Pankaj Joshi said that this Shala Praveshotsav program is not limited to the Education Department alone but has become a 'mission mode' festival connecting all departments. In this joint program of the government and society, primary education has started receiving public support as a humanitarian task. He also advocated for a social audit by getting feedback through meetings with the SMC during school visits in the Shala Praveshotsav.
Principal Secretary for Education, Mukesh Kumar, gave a detailed overview of the entire Praveshotsav plan. State Cabinet Ministers, office-bearers, and senior secretaries also attended the meeting.