CHANDIGARH: In a sweeping effort to reform government education and eliminate illiteracy, the Chandigarh Administration has launched Mission-100, a citywide initiative targeting full literacy and academic excellence in all 111 government schools.
The initiative was launched in line with the vision of Punjab Governor and Chandigarh Administrator Gulab Chand Kataria, who has called for raising the standard of education and ensuring that every resident of the joint capital becomes literate.
Currently, Chandigarh records an overall literacy rate of around 94 percent, with male literacy at 96 percent and female literacy at 91 percent, based on the population aged seven and above. Mission-100 aims to push these numbers to a full 100 percent by the end of the 2025–26 academic year.
Developed under the leadership of Education Secretary Prerna Puri, Mission-100 sets performance benchmarks in both academic and administrative areas. These include full student attendance, complete enrolment of eligible children, continuous comprehensive evaluation coverage, teacher accountability and training, and targeted adult education.
Director of School Education Harsuhinder Pal Brar said the programme is focused on measurable goals. “The mission will ensure full student attendance, teacher training, 100 percent enrolment, and improved board exam results. We aim to make Chandigarh a 100 percent literate city by the end of the current academic year,” he said.
The programme will also address underperformance in board classes. “Improving the pass percentage in Classes X and XII to 100 percent, providing remedial support, and ensuring timely syllabus completion and regular assessments are key to raising academic standards,” Brar added.
Academic progress of nearly 1.5 lakh students will be monitored under a centralised evaluation system. Monthly reviews and school-level performance tracking will be conducted using Vidya Samiksha Kendra, a national digital platform for real-time data analysis and school quality assessment.
The project also includes targeted adult education. In a house-to-house survey conducted by teachers in December 2024, around 8,000 adult learners were identified. These individuals will be provided instruction as part of the literacy component of the mission.
To increase teacher involvement, the education department plans to conduct regular training sessions and encourage ownership of student performance. In addition, schools will receive subject-specific support material prepared by committees led by principals with relevant expertise.
“This teaching and learning material will be given to each board student as a base document. They can build on it with their classroom notes over the year,” Puri said. She added that this material would be ready before the end of the summer break and will be institutionalised so that updated documents are distributed at the start of every academic year.
Parental engagement is another priority. The initiative seeks to strengthen school management committees and improve communication between the city’s 4,700 teachers and parents regarding student performance.
“Mission-100 is a performance-driven, data-based approach to governance and education reform,” Brar said. “It is designed to hold schools accountable while supporting students, teachers, and families in achieving academic success.”
The mission will be implemented across all government schools from the first day of the session following the summer vacation.
