New Delhi, July 28: Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan informed the Lok Sabha on Monday that as of May 31, 2025, a total of 1,46,040 smart classrooms have been approved across the country under the centrally sponsored Samagra Shiksha scheme.
Responding to a question regarding the promotion of smart classrooms in rural areas, Pradhan highlighted that Maharashtra has been allocated 5,155 smart classrooms, Madhya Pradesh 9,531, and the Union Territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli 192.
Detailing the financial aspects, he said that each school is eligible for a non-recurring grant of ₹2.40 lakh for two smart classrooms and a recurring annual grant of ₹38,000 for costs including e-content, digital tools, and electricity.
The Samagra Shiksha scheme, operational since 2018-19, is an integrated education initiative that spans pre-school to Grade 12 and aims to ensure inclusive, equitable, and quality education in alignment with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.
In a move to strengthen digital learning in rural areas, the Union Government, through Budget 2025, has committed to providing broadband connectivity to all government secondary schools under the BharatNet project.
The Education Minister noted that state and union territory governments have been urged to tailor digital access strategies based on local conditions to meet the learning needs of both students and teachers.
Under NEP 2020, emphasis is being placed on expanding digital infrastructure, virtual labs, online platforms, digital repositories, and tools for virtual teaching. Pradhan stated that digital literacy programs for students, educators, and stakeholders have been scaled up through Samagra Shiksha with adequate funding support across all states and UTs.
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