Bhubaneswar, February 27: The School and Mass Education Department, in collaboration with the Department of School Education and Literacy (DoSEL), Ministry of Education, co-hosted a two-day National Conference on UDISE+ (Unified District Information System for Education Plus) here on Friday.

The conference brought together senior officials from Samagra Shiksha, various Education Boards across the country, and key education departments and organisations to deliberate on strengthening data-driven educational governance.

Inaugurating the conference, Dheeraj Sahu, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Education, emphasised the critical role of reliable and timely educational data in ensuring transparency, accountability, and effective policy implementation. He highlighted that robust data systems like UDISE+ are essential for informed decision-making at all levels.

Dr. Pankaj K.P. Shreyaskar, Deputy Director General, DoSEL, underlined the strategic importance of UDISE+ in supporting major national initiatives, including the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. He noted that accurate and validated data forms the backbone of effective educational planning and monitoring.

The conference was attended by Vikash Gupta, Commissioner, Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan; A. Srija, Economic Advisor, DoSEL; Dr. N. Thirumala Naik, Secretary, School and Mass Education Department, Odisha and Ananya Das, State Project Director, OSEPA, along with other senior officials from central and state education bodies.

Key discussions during the sessions focused on improving data quality, strengthening validation mechanisms, enhancing system integration, and promoting the effective utilisation of UDISE+ data for planning and monitoring at various administrative levels.

The conference will continue on February 28, with further technical sessions and deliberations scheduled.