When IAS officer Vaishali Jain took charge as Chief Executive Officer of Ratlam Zila Panchayat and Additional Collector, she identified basic gaps affecting students in government schools, from a lack of benches to limited digital learning resources. Her efforts have since focused on improving classrooms, strengthening teaching, and creating better learning opportunities beyond school.
For years, many children in Ratlam’s government primary schools in Madhya Pradesh attended classes sitting on classroom floors due to insufficient furniture. At the same time, secondary schools had smart boards but lacked quality digital content.
Jain, a 2021-batch Madhya Pradesh cadre officer, responded with a 3-part education model covering infrastructure, technology, and access.
Under Gyanodaya – Shala Unnayan Abhiyan, the administration is installing more than 21,000 bench-desks across 1,011 government primary schools, benefiting more than 42,000 students. The initiative also involves villagers, CSR partners, and pooled MLA funds. Around 200 schools have received benches and nearly 100 have been repaired, with rainwater harvesting structures also added.
A transparent system using SOPs, Google Forms, authorised vendors, and a public helpline allows donors to directly select schools.
“No student in these schools sits on the floor anymore. They very respectfully sit on their benches,” Jain said.
The administration also launched E-Gyan Setu for Classes IX and X, using existing smart classrooms to provide video lectures, bridge courses, revision modules, worksheets, and AI-assisted learning content. A team of 16 subject experts has developed the material, while fortnightly assessments identify areas requiring additional support. The programme currently covers 100 government schools, with plans for a recording studio and content in local languages including Malvi and Bhili.
“We are bridging the knowledge gap,” Jain explained. “Conventional teaching has not been replaced completely, but we are supplementing teachers with additional learning material so students are more involved in classrooms.”
To support students preparing for competitive examinations, Ratlam has also launched a Public Rural Library Initiative, converting unused government buildings into study centres across the district’s 6 Janpad Panchayats. The libraries will provide seating, computers, internet access, and study spaces. Self-Help Group women will manage the centres alongside adjoining Didi Cafes.
Jain’s earlier work in Rewa included disposing of more than 9,000 revenue court cases and tracing nearly 200 inactive bank accounts holding land compensation. This helped recover nearly ₹100 crore for farmers, while the district identified almost ₹200 crore more in pending amounts.
Jain believes education requires sustained effort. “Education is something which needs consistent effort. You will be able to see the results after a year or two, maybe more than that,” she said.
Her approach remains focused on creating government schools that children want to attend and ensuring that individual problems can lead to broader improvements across the system.
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