Ranchi: In a major push for digital education and emergency healthcare, the state cabinet on Tuesday cleared a Rs 176.07 crore plan to introduce AI-based virtual classrooms in 1,000 secondary and higher secondary govt schools, and approved hiring of a helicopter emergency medical service for critical patients in remote areas.The cabinet meeting, chaired by chief minister Hemant Soren, also decided that the monsoon session of the assembly will be held from Aug 6 to 12 with five working days. In all, 49 proposals were approved across education, healthcare, infrastructure, urban development, judicial reforms and employee welfare.Under the virtual classroom project, studios will be set up at the Jharkhand Education Project Council (JEPC) headquarters and district institutes of education and training in all five divisions to enable real-time online teaching.The cabinet extended the Adarsh Vidyalaya scheme till 2029-30 and approved reorganisation of academic posts in six state universities. It also relaxed the minimum attendance requirement for board examinations from 75% to 50% for students suffering from sickle cell disease, thalassemia, haemophilia, Type 1 diabetes and certain disabilities.Additional development commissioner Ajoy Kumar Singh said the decisions were aimed at improving access to education and essential services. The cabinet approved new degree colleges at Jamua in Giridih and Mandu in Ramgarh at a combined cost of over Rs 78 crore.In the health sector, the govt approved hiring of a single-engine helicopter emergency medical service at an annual cost of about Rs 9.45 crore. Officials said it would be used to shift critical patients to hospitals and for emergency inter-hospital transfers.The cabinet also sanctioned Rs 194.73 crore for the first phase of expansion of Shaheed Nirmal Mahto Medical College and Hospital, Dhanbad, to raise MBBS seats from 100 to 250 and postgraduate seats from 16 to 200.Road projects in Ranchi, Gumla and East Singhbhum worth nearly Rs 400 crore were cleared. The cabinet also approved Rs 39.67 crore for a new Adityapur Municipal Corporation building, revised building bye-laws, two new zoos in Giridih and Dumka, 63 legal posts, welfare measures for advocates, and tabling of CAG reports on MGNREGA and Jal Jeevan Mission in the assembly.
