Let’s celebrate governance that turned one district into a fine example. The following case study is framed from a success story recognised at The Indian Express Excellence in Governance Awards. UPSC Essentials of The Indian Express takes you through some inspiring case studies every week from the area of Governance and Civil Services which not only highlight the problem but also focus on award-winning solutions.

Relevance: For Essays, Governance and Ethics section of Mains examination as case studies and example-fodder for answers. Candidates will find it useful for framing replies in interviews and personality tests. This particular case study is relevant to questions related to Education and Innovation. Moreover, to remain motivated, and inspired and create role models, such real-life stories should be read, noted, and applied.

When the COVID-19 virus raged in 2020, it pushed the entire country into lockdown and affected children the most. The country witnessed schools shut down indefinitely and children staying at home. “Learning loss” became a common term. According to Rukmini Banerji, the CEO of Pratham Education Foundation, an NGO working to provide quality education to youth and children of India — “In education literature, ‘learning loss’ usually refers to loss in children’s learning during the long summer vacations in western countries, especially in the US. There is not much research on ‘learning loss’ in India. However, experts argue that the prolonged absence from school meant a huge ‘learning loss’ for children in a country like India. Was “catch-up” possible through good governance? Is there any evidence that can guide the way forward for governments for future educational crises?

Technology by itself doesn’t provide a solution. It needs good implementation. With the country under lockdown to stop the spread of coronavirus, how would governance help students and schools rely on technology to keep the learning going?

Amid this looming learning crisis, the Raipur district administration launched Padhai Tuhar Dwar, Education at your Doorstep, an e-learning initiative. This unique initiative involved registering all teachers and students with the CGSchool portal and uploading study material that’s prepared at the district level.

The impact of this initiative can be well demonstrated through numbers. In 2020-21, around 8,000 teachers conducted more than 5 lakh online teaching classes for 20,000 students across the state.

While we know e-learning is an obvious solution, getting it implemented successfully by civil servants and district administration made this initiative the talk of the town.

IAS Sarveshwar Bhure and his team turned obstacles into opportunities and problems into possibilities. His idea made education accessible at the time of a crisis. In a conversation with Manas Srivastava of The Indian Express during the Excellence in Governance Award ceremony, Bhure said that cell phone/mobile phone penetration in India has increased tremendously in the past 10 years. But having a cell phone in hand doesn’t necessarily mean being well-versed with the technology or applications of the device. Making people aware of the technology and how they can make the best use of it was the biggest challenge. Bhure believes that the biggest role of a civil servant is to work for the benefit of the society and potential development of the country. COVID-19 crisis, with all its obstacles, allowed Bhure and his team to help students continue their education through an e-learning initiative, Padhai Tuhar Dwar. For applying technology to its best use in the field of education, IAS Sarveshwar Bhure was awarded The Indian Express Excellence in Governance Award in the ‘Innovative Education’ category.

Technology by itself doesn’t make leaders. Technology only amplifies true leadership. Discuss.

About The Indian Express Excellence in Governance Awards

The Indian Express Excellence in Governance Awards attempts to identify and recognise the excellence in innovations at the district level by rewarding the spirit of the district. The Indian Express started the Excellence in Governance Awards (EIGA) in 2019. The Indian Express launched its second edition in 2022. The Indian Express Excellence in Governance Awards celebrate best practices across a range of 18 categories: Healthcare to Gender & Inclusion; Skill Development to innovative education, energy to agriculture, Start ups and innovation to E-Governance.

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