What happened

The Ministry of Education launched the NISHTHA (National Initiative for School Heads' and Teachers' Holistic Advancement) training programme to enhance the professional competencies of teachers and school leaders in India. The stated aim of NISHTHA is to improve the overall quality of school education. NISHTHA is implemented across States and Union Territories, including Gujarat, through face-to-face, online, and blended training modes on the DIKSHA platform.

Background and earlier position

Teacher professional development and school leadership training are key elements of education governance because classroom teaching practices and school management affect learning conditions. For large-scale delivery across diverse States and Union Territories, training systems need delivery models that can fit varied access to classrooms, devices, and internet connectivity. DIKSHA is a digital education platform used to support learning and training delivery, including models that combine in-person and online learning.

What changed now

NISHTHA formalises a large-scale teacher and school-leader capacity-building effort. The programme design explicitly combines three training modes—face-to-face, online, and blended—and uses DIKSHA as the training platform. The Ministry of Education also names Gujarat among the States and Union Territories implementing the programme, indicating a multi-State/UT roll-out approach rather than a limited local pilot.

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