About
Prof Saroj Sharma
Prof. Saroj Sharma is the Dean, University School of Education, Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University (GGSIPU), New Delhi, and a senior academic leader in teacher education in India. She has made significant contributions to academic leadership, curriculum development, research supervision, and national-level educational initiatives.
Academic and Administrative Experience
Prof. Saroj Sharma has rich and varied academic experience as a seasoned faculty member and an accomplished administrator. She has headed and guided institutions offering undergraduate and postgraduate programmes in Education, including B.Ed. and M.Ed. programmes.
She has served as the Chairperson of the National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS), an autonomous institution under the Ministry of Education, Government of India, from December 2020 to October 2024.
She is associated with many universities and academic bodies and has actively contributed to quality assurance and institutional development through her engagement with NAAC, UGC-TE, BHU, and CEMCA.
BLOG
NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL ROLES
Prof. Sharma has been actively involved in national and international academic initiatives and projects of organizations such as UNICEF, UNESCO, ICSSR, and several other social and cultural forums.
She has served on:
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Governing bodies of universities
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Boards of Studies and Academic Councils
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Curriculum development and framework formation teams at national and international levels
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Consultation committees constituted by the National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE)
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High-level committees for the National Education Policy (NEP) under the Ministry of Education
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Committees related to National Credit Framework (NCrF), PARAKH, and New India Literacy Programme (NILP)
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She has also been part of several educational programme implementation committees of the Government of India.
AREAS OF ACADEMIC VISION AND FOCUS
Her academic vision encompasses the following focus areas in contemporary education:
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Integration of Indian Knowledge Traditions (IKT / Bharatiya Gyan Parampara) in education
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Values, citizenship, and moral education rooted in Indian ethos
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Environmental concerns and sustainable development in education
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Use of ICT, digital education, and virtual learning
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Inclusive education at all levels
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Paradigm shifts in education addressing national and global concerns such as peace, gender issues, human rights, legal education, heritage of arts and crafts, multilingualism, health and hygiene, family and population education, and skill-oriented curriculum development
LEADERSHIP & NATIONAL ROLES
Prof. Sharma has played a significant role in shaping national education initiatives through her leadership positions and committee memberships. As Chairperson of NIOS, an autonomous institution under the Ministry of Education, Government of India, she led major reforms in open and distance education, vocational education, inclusive education, and digital learning.
She has served on high-level committees of the Ministry of Education, NCTE, NCERT, ICSSR, UNESCO, UNICEF, and Commonwealth of Learning, contributing to policy formulation, curriculum frameworks, and implementation of national programmes such as NEP 2020, National Credit Framework (NCrF), PARAKH, and NILP.
Awards and Recognitions
Under her leadership, the National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS) received several prestigious recognitions, including:
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UNESCO King Sejong Literacy Prize (2021) for enabling education of persons with disabilities through technology-enabled inclusive learning material, with a focus on Indian Sign Language
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Digital Transformation Award (2021) for Digital Government to Citizen (G2C) by Governance Now
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Maulana Abul Kalam Azad Excellence Award for Education by AICTE (National Telecom Academy)
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Dr. Sarvapalli Radhakrishnan Award of Academic Excellence by NCWD Trust
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Rashtriya Shiksha Ratna Samman (2023) by Rashtriya Hindi Sahitya Parishad
RESEARCH & PUBLICATIONS
ACADEMIC PROGRAMMES & INITIATIVES
CONTRIBUTION TO NATIONAL EDUCATION POLICY (NEP 2020)
INDIAN KNOWLEDGE SYSTEMS AND CULTURAL INTEGRATION
