India and Russia Explore Educational Collaboration in High-Level Meeting

New Delhi: Sanjay Kumar, Secretary of the Department of School Education and Literacy (DoSEL), Ministry of Education, recently convened a significant meeting with H.E. Mr. Denis Gribov, Deputy Minister of Education of the Russian Federation, to discuss avenues for mutual collaboration in various fields of education between the two countries.

The meeting, which took place in New Delhi, saw the participation of additional Secretary Anandrao V. Patil, Joint Secretaries Archana Sharma Awasthi, Amarpreet Duggal, Neeta Prasad, Smt. Prachi Pandey, and other officials from the Ministry.

Sanjay Kumar underlined the vastness of the Indian education system, shedding light on the main features of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. He highlighted the introduction of skill education from Class VI onwards, experiential learning, new assessment procedures, and policies for gifted children, among other key aspects.

H.E. Mr. Denis Gribov provided insights into the Russian education system, emphasizing the importance placed on assessing students to guide them towards their preferred streams of education. He also discussed specific grading systems and expressed interest in teaching the Russian language in Indian institutions and exploring teacher exchange programs.

The Russian delegation sought guidance on implementing value education, as recommended in the NEP 2020, in their country. Sanjay Kumar shared invaluable insights, informing them about the role of the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) in developing appropriate content. Neeta Prasad highlighted mutual collaboration opportunities, particularly during the G20 Indian Presidency, and expressed interest in advancing them further.

The discussion also covered the role of technology in India’s education system, foundational literacy and numeracy initiatives, and skill education among students, providing a comprehensive overview of the educational landscape in both countries.