Punjab Launches ‘Mission Samrath 4.0’: Daily Attendance Tracking, Strong Push for Global Education Standards
DPB, Chandigarh, April 9
Taking Punjab’s education reforms to the next level, Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains, along with former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, on Thursday launched Mission Samrath 4.0—a major initiative aimed at achieving global excellence in school education.
A key highlight of the program is the introduction of a statewide attendance tracking system. Under this, parents will receive daily SMS updates about their child’s attendance, including alerts for absences. The move is designed to ensure real-time accountability and strengthen student participation in classrooms.
Calling it a “major leap in Punjab’s education revolution,” Bains said the state, which has already secured the top position in the PARAKH national survey, is now focusing on improving classroom accountability and learning outcomes. He emphasized, “Funds should not remain stuck in files but must reach classrooms,” highlighting that the education budget has been increased to ₹19,279 crore under Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann.
Explaining the system, Bains said, “Parents will receive daily SMS updates about attendance. If a child remains absent for seven days, district-level follow-up will begin, and beyond 15 days, the matter will be escalated to the state headquarters.” He added that the initiative aims to ensure both continuity in learning and student safety.
The minister also highlighted major structural improvements, noting that every senior secondary school with over 500 students now has a dedicated campus manager, while schools with more than 100 students have been provided with security guards and sanitation staff—facilities that were previously lacking.
On academic reforms, Bains pointed out timely delivery of textbooks, stating, “Earlier, students received books as late as September or October. This year, every child got complete textbooks by April 1, free of cost.”
Mission Samrath 4.0 focuses on strengthening foundational learning for students from Classes 3 to 8, ensuring proficiency in reading, writing, and mathematics. Sharing a success story, Bains said, “A Class 8 student from Ropar told us, ‘I had passed Class 5 but knew nothing. Thanks to Samrath, I can now speak confidently.’”
A compendium of 38 best classroom practices developed by teachers was also released to scale effective teaching methods across government schools.
Manish Sisodia underscored the broader vision, stating, “Punjab has proven that government schools can lead the nation. With Mission Samrath 4.0, we aim to ensure every child attends school daily and learns meaningfully.” He added, “If even one child falls behind, the system has failed. Children represent hope, not statistics.”
The initiative, already covering around 12 lakh students and involving over 70,000 teachers annually, reinforces Punjab’s shift from national leadership towards global educational excellence.
