Policy Update
Tanmyi Anthwal
Background:
Launched on 9 July 2015 by the late Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, former President of India, Rashtriya Avishkar Abhiyan (RAA) is still helping to advance inquiry-based Science, Mathematics & Technology (SMT) education in keeping with India’s goal of boosting foundational learning and innovation ecosystems. This initiative was started by the Ministry of Human Resource (Development Department of School Education and Literacy) to give directions to future innovations by encouraging exploration, discovery and creativity by teachers and students at school level. It encouraged children to have an enduring interest in both inside and outside the classroom.
The target groups primarily include the age of 6 to 18 years. The execution of RAA is carried out through coordinated interventions across key departments within the Ministry of Human Resource development. These incorporate:
- Department Of School Education and Literacy:
- Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) – Targets elementary education (Classes 1 to 8)
- Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA) – concentrates on secondary education (Classes 9 to 12)
- Department of Higher Education – Aiming at colleges and universities
Objectives:
The Rashtriya Avishkar Abhiyan (RAA) strives to:
- To enable children to become motivated and engaged in Science, Mathematics and Technology (SMT) through observation, experimentation, inference drawing, model building, rational reasoning, testability etc.
- To create curiosity, excitement and exploration among school children in Science, Mathematics and Technology.
- To create a culture of thinking, inventing, tinkering and doing to promote enquiry-based learning in Schools.
- To achieve learning levels appropriate to the class of study in Science and Mathematics.
- To encourage and nurture schools to be incubators of Innovation.
Functioning:
The Rashtriya Avishkar Abhiyan (RAA) operates through a layered structure of classroom-
level interventions, institutional support and national-state coordination, aspiring to
encourage scientific thinking, foundational learning and innovations.
- At the Classroom Level, RAA fosters scientific thinking and foundational learning by integrating inquiry-based pedagogy and hands-on experimentation.
- Institutional Support is provided through partnerships with premier higher education institutions, which mentor schools and facilitate exposure to advanced scientific concepts.
- National and State Coordination ensures the alignment of RAA’s objectives with educational policies, overseeing implementation and fostering collaboration among stakeholders. This integrated approach aims to cultivate a culture of innovation and scientific temper among students.
Specific initiatives planned under the Rashtriya Avishkar Abhiyan:
- Community Sensitisation & Engagement – Bringing Local communities into the learning process.
- School Science facility – Upgrading school infrastructure (e.g.- labs).
- Teachers Support System – Capacity building of the educators.
- Effective Classroom transaction & Assessment – Promoting comprehension-based teaching.
- Nurturing Students-Clubs & Competitions – Establishing platforms to explore and innovate beyond the curriculum.
RAA Scheme Components consists of two primary sections:
- Systemic improvements in the school system.
- Initiatives to encourage mathematics and science through alternative strategies.
Assessment under RAA intends to promote problem-solving and comprehension.
Stakeholders such as teachers, students, communities, and schools, are immersed in making
learning more interactive.
Figure 1: Assessment Redesign Framework
Funding and Implementation Mechanism:
At the National level –
- National Level Steering Committee- co chaired by Secretary (School Education & Literacy) and Secretary (Higher Education).
- To monitor implementation of activities every 6 months.
- Coordinate, converge and harmonize funds under GoI programmes, Industry Associations, civil society contributions.
At the State level –
- State level Steering Committee – chaired by the Education Secretary.
- To roll out and institutionalize the activities under Rashtriya Avishkar Abhiyan
- To monitor implementation of activities every 3 months.
- Expand coverage in a systematic manner to ensure participation of all government and
government aided schools. - Recognition to students, teachers, schools for encouragement • Documentation and
evaluation of different practices, models. - Funding of activities through SSA and RMSA and other collaborative activities with
Institutions of Higher Education, Industry, civil society.
Performance
The RAA is not budgeted as a standalone scheme. Its financial support is embedded within the broader umbrella of Samagra Siksha.
- In 2015-2016 during the initial launch phase money allocated to RAA for various factors such as Innovation in Science, Training of Math/Science Teachers, Development of Teaching-Learning Model and Strengthening Science/Mathematics was Rs.143.30 crore. (MHRD Presentation)
- In 2019-2020 the money allocated for RAA programs like Science and Mathematics Kit, Teacher Training and Science Fair was Rs.277.37 crore. (Ministry Of Education; IMPRI 2024)
The critical evaluation of RAA schemes suggests that there is a significant gap between policy ambitions and measurable impact. Whereas numerous activities and objectives were outlined at the time of its establishment, the scheme lacks robust mechanisms for tracking outcomes at the school and district levels. No official large-scale impact assessment or independent third-party evaluation is available for RAA. Figure 2 below illustrates the chronological roadmap of the milestone framework under RAA between 2015-2016 and 2019-2020.
Mainly for three key components of RAA:
- School mentoring,
- Teachers circles for science and mathematics and
- Science and mathematics club.
The school mentoring initiative linked government schools to higher education institutions
(like IITs, NITs etc.) to provide academic and infrastructural support. Teacher Circles aimed to foster peer collaborations among the teachers, while Science and Mathematics clubs
sought to enhance student engagement through co-curricular activities.
Impact:
- Despite interventions, National Academy of Science scores in science subjects didn’t
show any significant improvement, questioning the scheme’s long-term effectiveness. - Through outreach by institutions like NITs and IITs, students get access to mentorship,
better resources and academic motivation. - Many schools still lack basic infrastructure so execution of different activities becomes
obscure. - In a few pilot districts, schools have integrated low-cost activities like experiments, field
visits under RAA, showing potential to improve the conceptual understanding and
engagement among students.
Emerging Issues:
- The RAA suffers from underfunding, constituting less than 1% of the total Samagra Shiksha budget in states like Assam (0.96%) and Karnataka (0.68%), thus restraining its implementation capacity.
- Numerous schools under RAA still operate without functional labs, limiting children’s exposure to hands-on learning.
- RAA’s success is hindered by the lack of trained educators familiar with inquiry-based methods, especially in rural schools.
- Teachers still mainly follow the chalk and talk method.
- RAA’s progress is rarely tracked through measurable learning outcomes. Most evaluations focus on inputs like infrastructure and expenditure, rather than on improvement in student’s learning.
Way Forward:
A strategic increase in budgetary allocation lays the essential foundation by securing
the financial resources needed to support reform. With funding secured, schools can
invest in functional infrastructure, especially fully equipped laboratories in
underserved and rural areas, investments that have been shown to boost test scores
and engagement by closing achievement gaps over time. Once these facilities are
operational, defining clear performance indicators allows stakeholders to measure
how infrastructure upgrades affect students’ curiosity, critical thinking, and active
participation.
These data-driven insights then guide the development of continuous
teacher training modules, empowering educators to implement inquiry-based,
application-driven, and experimental pedagogies approaches supported by research
demonstrating higher levels of student engagement and learning gains. Together, this
creates a reinforcing cycle in which each component enhances the others, ensuring the
scheme delivers tangible benefits for student outcomes.
References:
About the Contributor: Tanmyi Anthwal is a Research Intern at IMPRI and is currently
pursuing a B.A. in Economics.
Acknowledgement: The author extends her sincere gratitude to the IMPRI team and Ms.
Asthana Jadeja for her invaluable guidance throughout the process.
Disclaimer: All views expressed in the article belong solely to the author and not
necessarily to the organisation.
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