Uttar Pradesh's 'Learning by Doing' initiative is gaining traction across the state, with the Yogi Adityanath-led government committing resources to embed activity-based teaching in 586 upper primary and composite PM SHRI schools for the academic year 2024-25. The programme, operating under the Pradhan Mantri Schools for Rising India (PM SHRI) framework, aims to shift classroom learning from rote memorisation to experiential, hands-on engagement.

What the Initiative Entails

The programme moves education beyond textbooks by introducing structured experiments, participatory activities, and practical experiences into daily classroom instruction. Students are expected to observe, experiment, and actively engage with subject matter rather than passively absorb it. The state government views this as central to the wholesome development of children — not merely academic achievement.

Financial Outlay and School Coverage

To operationalise the initiative, the Uttar Pradesh government has approved the procurement of consumables and raw materials at a total cost of ₹2.34 crore, with each of the 586 selected schools receiving a budgetary allocation of up to ₹40,000. These materials will be channelled directly into activity-based teaching, ensuring that schools have the resources needed to make practical learning a routine, rather than an exception.

What the Government Said

Minister of State for Basic Education Sandeep Singh described the initiative as a deliberate effort to align education with children's natural curiosity. 'Through 'Learning by Doing', the children will get opportunities to learn via experimentation and experience. Our endeavour is to make the learning process engaging, participatory, and aligned with the children's curiosity,' Singh said. The state education department has also outlined a monitoring mechanism that includes documentation of classroom activities and the integration of insights from each cycle into future planning.

Bridging Theory and Practice

A central goal of the initiative is to close the gap between textbook knowledge and real-world understanding. By enabling students to engage with concepts through direct experience, the programme seeks to make learning more intuitive and retention stronger. Officials have noted that this approach aligns with the broader vision of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, which emphasises competency-based and experiential learning at the foundational and middle-school levels.

Oversight and Next Steps

The education department will monitor both the usage of materials and the documentation of activities in participating schools. Emphasis will be placed on learning from each implementation cycle to refine the programme going forward. With 586 schools set to benefit in 2024-25, the state's push toward experiential pedagogy could serve as a scalable model for other states operating under the PM SHRI framework — contingent on how effectively outcomes are tracked and reported.