Bhubaneswar hosts National UDISE+ conference; Odisha highlights data-driven education reforms

Odisha emerged as the focal point of national discussions on data-driven educational governance as the Department of School Education & Literacy (DoSEL), Ministry of Education, in collaboration with the Department of School and Mass Education, Government of Odisha, organised a two-day National Conference on Unified District Information System for Education Plus (UDISE+) in Bhubaneswar from February 27 to 28, 2026.

The workshop brought together senior officials from the Ministry of Education, Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan (KVS), Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti (NVS), national boards, and School Education Departments from across States and Union Territories to deliberate on strengthening the country’s school data ecosystem.

Odisha at the Centre of Data Governance Dialogue

Inaugurating the conference, Dheeraj Sahu, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Education, underlined the importance of reliable and timely educational data in ensuring transparency, accountability, and effective policymaking. He called for expanding the scope of UDISE+ to track student learning outcomes and monitor dropout cases through APAAR ID integration, urging States and districts to undertake deeper analysis of dropout trends.

Welcoming the delegates, Dr. Pankaj K.P. Shreyaskar, Deputy Director General, DoSEL, highlighted UDISE+ as a critical pillar supporting the implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. He stressed the need for data harmonisation, improved data quality and security, and integration of multiple educational portals with UDISE+ through APIs to reduce the reporting burden on schools.

Odisha’s participation was led by Dr. N. Thirumala Naik, Secretary, Department of School and Mass Education, and Ms. Ananya Das, State Project Director, OSEPA. In his closing remarks, Dr. Naik emphasized the growing significance of UDISE+ in shaping evidence-based policy interventions in Odisha and called for further enrichment of the database to support better planning and governance.

Odisha Showcases Best Practices

During the technical sessions, Odisha, along with Haryana and Andhra Pradesh, demonstrated its best practices in strengthening school-level data collection and validation systems. The State highlighted its initiatives aimed at improving real-time data accuracy, enhancing monitoring mechanisms, and leveraging dashboards for better decision-making at district and block levels.

On the second day, several States including Uttar Pradesh, Kerala, Karnataka, Manipur, Telangana, and Maharashtra presented their dashboards and initiatives to widen UDISE+ coverage and ensure data authenticity.

Panel discussions featuring representatives from KVS, NVS, Indian Air Force educational institutions, Navy Educational Society, and National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS) underscored the value of a unified data system. Representatives from CBSE, NIOS, and Boards of Secondary Education including Goa and Odisha stressed the urgent need to integrate examination board data with UDISE+ to maintain the sanctity and completeness of datasets.

Key Outcomes of the Workshop

The Bhubaneswar conference concluded with a shared roadmap for strengthening and expanding UDISE+. The major outcomes include:

1. Strengthening Data Integrity:

Participants agreed to streamline data collection processes to ensure that information on school infrastructure, enrolment, and teacher profiles remains credible, updated, and real-time.

2. Collaborative Resolution of Challenges:

States and UTs discussed specific implementation challenges and agreed on greater coordination to improve understanding of updated UDISE+ modules and validation protocols. Bringing school examination boards into the UDISE+ framework was identified as a priority for the near future.

3. Strategic Expansion with AI Integration:

A consensus emerged on transforming UDISE+ into a next-generation, AI-enabled decision support system. Proposed innovations include automated data flagging, smart verification queues, AI-powered helpdesks for school data entry, and automated school report cards.

Towards an AI-Enabled Education Data Ecosystem

DoSEL officials showcased recent upgrades in UDISE+ and outlined future possibilities of incorporating Artificial Intelligence to improve data verification, predictive analysis, and policy support mechanisms.

For Odisha, hosting the national conference reinforced its growing role in educational governance reforms and its commitment to strengthening digital data systems in school education. Officials noted that improved data integrity and integration would directly support targeted interventions, reduce dropout rates, and enhance overall learning outcomes in the State.

The two-day workshop concluded with a collective commitment to evolve UDISE+ into a robust, technology-driven platform that supports transparent governance and informed decision-making across India’s school education system.