Talaash - J&K 2.9

The issue of Out-of-School Children (OoSC) in Jammu & Kashmir is significant, as highlighted by the data collected by the Department in 2016. The OoSC comprise two primary categories: Never Enrolled and Dropouts. In response, the Department of School Education J&K has launched a comprehensive initiative named "TALAASH" aimed at addressing this pressing concern.

The objectives of the TALAASH program are as follows:

• Conduct door-to-door surveys to create a comprehensive database of all children of school-going age.
• Systematically enumerate and monitor OoSC with a focus on quality and timeliness, enabling effective mainstreaming.
• Reduce the number of Out-of-School children through timely enrollment, encouraging regular attendance, and offering flexible learning options for both elementary and secondary-aged children.

The TALAASH application serves as a digital version of traditional paper forms, facilitating efficient data collection in the field. Its design allows for real-time data validation, ensuring that the information gathered is suitable for subsequent analysis.

This application will be utilized by three distinct types of users, each equipped with specific roles essential for the success of the TALAASH program:

• School Teacher (Surveyor): Responsible for conducting door-to-door surveys to identify Out-of-School children.
• Head Master (Planning Officer): Tasked with assigning catchment areas to Surveyors and enrolling children into their respective schools.
• Monitoring Officer (Zonal Officer): Overseeing the monitoring and mainstreaming of Out-of-School children.

The application's functionalities vary according to user login, promoting targeted actions tailored to each user's role. Key features of the application include:

• A comprehensive digital survey capability.
• Offline functionality, allowing surveys to be conducted without internet connectivity; data will be stored locally and synced with the server once connectivity is restored.
• A user-friendly interface enhancing accessibility.
• Bilingual support for both English and Hindi, accommodating a wider audience.
• The capacity to conduct multiple surveys within a single application framework.
• Incorporated validations aimed at enhancing data quality.