Punjab spent one-third of digital education funds

Punjab has only used one-third of the funds provided by the central government for improving digital infrastructure in schools. The government allocated ₹198.62 crore from 2020 to 2025 for this effort. The money was meant to create 1,910 Information and Communication Technology (ICT) labs and 3,885 smart classrooms. So far, Punjab has spent only ₹66.80 crore of this amount. This information was shared by Union Minister of State for Education Jayant Chaudhary in the Lok Sabha. He emphasized that the funds were part of the Samagra Shiksha scheme, which is designed to enhance school education. The Samagra Shiksha scheme is funded jointly by the central and state governments. The financial structure allows for non-recurring grants for establishing labs and classrooms. For ICT labs, schools can receive up to ₹6.40 lakh, while ₹2.40 lakh is available for two smart classrooms. Despite the funds allocated for digital education, many projects are still pending. School education secretary Sanjay Kumar highlighted the need to prioritize the completion of these projects to fully benefit from digital education. Punjab received ₹102.62 crore for ICT labs over five years but has utilized just ₹66.80 crore, with the majority spent in the recent financial year. For smart classrooms, a total of ₹96 crore was allocated, but it remains unspent. A school education department officer mentioned that the process to set up smart classrooms is currently ongoing and they intend to use all the sanctioned funds.