Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan held detailed discussions with West Bengal's Minister for Higher and Technical Education Jagannath Chattopadhyay and School Education Minister Dipak Barman regarding the implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 in the state. The meeting, held on July 1, 2026, in New Delhi, focused on developing a roadmap for transformative reforms in both school and higher education sectors in West Bengal.
Minister Pradhan assured the state ministers that the Union Government would extend all necessary support for the effective implementation of NEP 2020, emphasizing the Ministry's commitment to reviving the education sector in West Bengal in alignment with the NEP vision. The discussions specifically addressed the implementation, expansion, and fund allocation for several central government schemes operating in the state, including the Samagra Shiksha programme, PM-USHA (Pradhan Mantri Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan), PM POSHAN (Pradhan Mantri Poshan Shakti Nirman), and ULLAS - Nav Bharat Saaksharta Karyakram.
A key decision emerged to expand the network of PM SHRI Schools to cover blocks that are currently not served, as well as to urban local bodies, indicating a broadening of the scheme's reach within West Bengal. The meeting was attended by Secretary of Departments of Higher Education and School Education and Literacy Dr. Vineet Joshi, along with senior officials from both the Union Ministry of Education and the West Bengal State Government, demonstrating the multi-level coordination efforts underway to implement the education reforms.