What Started in One District,
Now Changes an Entire State
Unnayan Bihar, Bihar’s largest technology-education initiative, scales the Unnayan model across thousands of government schools, reaching millions of students statewide.
INTRODUCTION
On Teacher’s Day, 5 September 2019, Chief Minister Shri Nitish Kumar stood before an audience of educators, students, and administrators and announced something historic: the Unnayan model would no longer be the privilege of one or two districts. It would go statewide.
Unnayan Bihar, the statewide scaling of the Unnayan model, was born from two years of proof in Banka and Saran. By 2019, the evidence was undeniable: technology-integrated, daily-assessed, data-tracked schooling worked. It improved attendance. It improved results. It changed the relationship between students, teachers, schools, and families. Bihar’s government decided to scale it — across more than 3,000 government secondary schools in every district of the state.
SARAS was part of this expansion, contributing field-level implementation support, community mobilisation, teacher engagement, and impact monitoring as the programme grew from a district initiative to a state-level programme touching millions of students.
BACKGROUND & NEED
Bihar is India’s third-largest state by population, and its government school system is one of the largest in Asia. Yet for decades, outcomes have lagged: low attendance, weak infrastructure, teacher vacancies, and poor board results have been the norm rather than the exception for government school students — particularly in rural and semi-urban areas.
The success of Unnayan Banka (2017–2019) provided Bihar’s government with a rare thing: a model that worked, was affordable, and could be implemented at scale using existing school infrastructure. Rather than requiring new schools or new teachers, Unnayan Bihar required something simpler — a screen, a curriculum, a tracking system, and committed field partners.
The Bihar government committed to equipping thousands of government secondary schools with smart TVs, digital content through Eckovation’s platform, SCERT-backed teacher training, and a district-level monitoring system. The ambition was to reach over 1.5 million government school students across the state.
OBJECTIVES
By combining technology, pedagogy, and governance, Unnayan Bihar seeks to improve attendance, strengthen conceptual learning, empower teachers, and create a more engaging and effective public education system across Bihar.
Statewide Infrastructure Rollout
To scale the Unnayan technology-education model to all government secondary schools across Bihar.
Smart TVs and digital learning infrastructure are deployed to 3,000–6,000 government secondary schools. Schools use existing computer labs or newly equipped classrooms.
Curriculum-Mapped Digital Content
To provide consistent, curriculum-aligned digital learning to Classes IX and X students statewide.
Eckovation’s platform provides Bihar Board (BSEB)-aligned video content for Classes IX and X in science, mathematics, and social studies, supplemented by language and aptitude content.
SCERT Teacher Training
To train teachers statewide through SCERT and district education bodies, building a cadre of digitally-enabled educators.
Bihar’s State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT) coordinates teacher orientation across all districts, ensuring teachers are equipped to facilitate, monitor, and leverage digital sessions effectively.
Digital Report Cards & AI Analytics
To deploy a district-level monitoring system that tracks school performance, student attendance, and assessment results in real time.
Student assessment data is aggregated at school, block, district, and state levels. Performance dashboards help administrators identify underperforming schools and redirect resources.
Technology-Driven Learning at Scale
Unnayan Bihar transformed classroom learning by introducing curriculum-aligned digital content, smart classroom infrastructure, and data-driven academic monitoring across government schools. Through interactive video lessons, continuous assessments, and performance tracking, the initiative helped improve student engagement, attendance, and learning outcomes. What began as a district-level innovation evolved into one of India’s largest technology-enabled education programs, reaching millions of students across Bihar.
Teacher Training and Capacity Building
A key pillar of Unnayan Bihar’s success was empowering educators through structured training and continuous professional development. Teachers were equipped with the skills needed to effectively integrate digital learning tools, facilitate interactive classrooms, and monitor student progress using technology. These training programs ensured that educational innovation was not limited to infrastructure alone, but was supported by confident and capable educators across the state.
Our Work in Numbers
Unnayan Bihar scaled a proven technology-enabled education model to thousands of government schools, combining smart classroom infrastructure, digital content, teacher support, and data-driven monitoring. The initiative has impacted millions of students while establishing a replicable framework for large-scale public education reform.
SCHOOLS TRANSFORMED
5,600+
Government secondary and higher secondary schools equipped with smart classroom infrastructure across Bihar.
STUDENTS IMPACTED
37 Lakh+
Students benefited through interactive digital learning, curriculum-aligned content, and classroom engagement.
APP USERS REACHED
5.5 Lakh+
Students accessed learning content and doubt-resolution support through the Mera Mobile, Mera Vidyalaya platform.
STATES ADOPTING MODEL
8
The Unnayan model has influenced implementations across Bihar, Jharkhand, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Odisha, Uttarakhand, Gujarat, and Rajasthan.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Unnayan Bihar?
Unnayan Bihar is the statewide scaling of the Unnayan technology-education model, launched on Teacher’s Day, 5 September 2019, by Chief Minister Shri Nitish Kumar. It extends the smart classroom and digital learning model proven in Banka and Saran to thousands of government secondary schools across Bihar.
How does Unnayan Bihar relate to Unnayan Banka?
Unnayan Bihar is the direct successor to Unnayan Banka. The model proven in Banka district from 2017–2019 – smart classrooms, daily digital lessons, OMR assessments, AI-powered tracking was adopted by the Bihar government and scaled statewide under the Unnayan Bihar banner.
Is the programme still active?
Yes. Unnayan Bihar continues to operate and expand. For current coverage data, please refer to the Bihar Education Project or contact our team.