Lok Sabha Question No. 6 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2017-07-17
Subject: Tribal Students
Ministry: TRIBAL AFFAIRS
Asked by: ELUMALAI VELLAIGOUNDER

## 6. SHRI V. ELUMALAI:

## Will the Minister of TRIBALAFFAIRS be pleased to state:

- a) whether the gross enrolment rate among tribal students in the primary school level has  declined  from  113.2  in  2013-14  to  109.4  in  2015-16  and  if  so,  the  details thereof;
- b) whether  the  dropout  rate  amongtribal  students  has  been  alarming  and  if  so,  the details thereof;
- c) whether the health infrastructure has also been found wanting in tribal areas and if so, the details thereof;
- d) whether there is a shortfall of 6796sub-centres, 1267 primary health centresand 309 community health centres in thetribal areas as on 31st March, 2015; and
- e) if so, the corrective steps taken by theGovernment in this regard on all India level?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF TRIBAL AFFAIRS (SHRI  JASWANTSINH BHABHOR)

- (a) As per UnifiedDistrict Information System for Education (U-DISE), the Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) among tribal students in the Primary school level was 113.2 in 2013-14  and  109.4  in  2014-15.  There  has  been  a  fall  in  overall  GER  at  the  primary school level in a majority of the States in the past three years.
- (b) In comparison with general category, the dropout rate amongst ST students is higher. As per U-DISE, a comparison of dropout rate for the year 2014-15 is as under :

| Level         |   Overall |   STs |
|---------------|-----------|-------|
| Primary       |      4.13 |  6.93 |
| Upper Primary |      4.03 |  8.59 |
| Elementary    |      4.1  |  7.46 |
| Secondary     |     17.06 | 24.68 |

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA (MINISTRY OF TRIBAL AFFAIRS)

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 6

TO BE ANSWERED ON 17.07.2017

## TRIBAL STUDENTS

The average annual drop out rate for Scheduled Tribe Students at primary level in 2013-14 is 7.98 per cent, at elementary level is 8.12 per cent and at secondary level, it is 27.20  per  cent.  For  2014-15,  the  average  annual  drop  out  rate  for  Scheduled  Tribe Students  in  primary  level  is  6.93  per  cent,  at  elementary  level  is  7.46  per  cent  and  at secondary level, it is 24.68 per cent, which indicates that the dropout rate among tribal students is decreasing.

Some of the main reasons for dropout among ST students are:

- (i) Poor economic conditions.
- (ii) Children opting to help in household and agricultural work.
- (iii) Child Marriage.
- (iv) Gender sensitivity prevalent in ST households.
- (c) &  (d)  The  health  infrastructure  needs  to  be  improved  in  remote/  mountainous  / inaccessible  parts.As  per  Ministry  of  Health  &  Family  Welfare,  there  is  a  shortfall  of 6796 sub-centres, 1267 primary health centres (PHCs) and 309 community health centres (CHCs) in the tribal areas as on 31 st March, 2015.
- (e) Ministry of Health & Family Welfare (MoHFW) is implementing National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) for the betterment of health infrastructure of the rural people including Scheduled Tribes. For STs, there have been significant allocations under Tribal Sub Plan in MoHFW. In 2017-18 the allocation for welfare of STs under NRHM is Rs. 2332.28 cr. This subsumes, apart from health system strengthening, immunization programme, pool for  communicable  diseases,  non-communicable  diseases,  infrastructure  maintenance, pilot schemes etc.

Mobile  Medical  Units  (MMUs)  have  been  operationalized  under  NRHM  to provide a range of health care services for populations living in remote, inaccessible, unserved  and  underserved  areas  mainly  with  the  objective  of  taking  healthcare  service delivery  to  the  doorsteps  of  these  populations.  MMUs  services  are  also  intended  to provide  fixed  services  in  areas  where  there  is  no  infrastructure.  There  are  relaxed population norms for dispersed populations and difficult geographical terrain.

Ministry of Tribal Affairs (MoTA) is also providing funds under Special Central Assistance to Tribal Sub Scheme (SCA to TSS) and Article 275(1) of the Constitution for the construction of sub-centres, PHCs and CHCs. MoTA has sanctioned Rs.20637.77 lakh during 2016-17  for health sector which  also includes creating/additions to infrastructure in tribal areas.

To  increase  the  GER  and  check  the  dropout  rate,  the  SarvaShikshaAbhiyan (SSA) provides for free and compulsory elementary education to all children in the age group  of  6  to  14  years  including  ST  children.  109  special  focus  districts  have  been identified on the basis of the indicators like out of school children, high gender gap, low retention rate and infrastructure gap as well concentration of Scheduled Tribe population.

Kasturba  Gandhi  BalikaVidyalayas  (KGBVs)  scheme  provides  for  residential schools for girls at upper primary level; a minimum of 75% seats are for minority, SC, ST and OBC girls. KGBVs cover 69% ST girls in ST Special Focus Districts.

Based up on National University on Educational Planning and Administration's finding  and  experience  gained  in  this  Ministry,  States  have  been  advised  to  take  the following measures to address the issue of drop out:

1. Development  of  Bilingual  Primers  containing  text  both  in  regional  and  tribal language  but  in local official  script  through  Tribal  Research  Institutes  and SarvaSikshaAbhiyan;
2. Content of the primers in the Tribal Cultural context;
3. School vacation to be in synchronization with major tribal festivals;
4. Construction  of  Girls  toilets  to  check  girl  drop  out,  for  physical  safety,  and  to address sanitation issues;
5. Expansion  of  Scope  of  Education  for  Tribal  children  to  include  sports,  physical education,  work  education,  vocational  education,  Tribal  Art,  painting,  crafts, kitchen gardening, health, hygiene and nutrition, etc. to make the school education useful, relevant and interesting for the children and tribal communities.
6. Promotion of Kitchen garden and Sports
7. Traditional Food (minor millet) in school meals
8. School management to engage teachers to overcome shortage
9. 100% screening of children for Sickle Cell Anaemia/Trait
10. 100% physical enrolment of children
11. Engagement of trained lady health workers as Warden / Asstt. Wardens in girls' hostels

Ministry of Tribal Affairs (MoTA)  has also been implementing a number of interventions in education aimed at, inter alia, increasing GER and preventing dropout amongst ST students:

(i) Ashram Schools: Funds are provided to States for making residential schools for STs for primary, middle, secondary and senior secondary level of education. (ii) ST Hostels: Central assistance is given to States/UTs for construction of new hostel buildings and/or extension of existing hostels. (iii) Scheme of education among ST Girls in Low Literacy Districts: 100% assistance is given for running and maintenance of educational complexes for ST girls. (iv)  Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRSs): EMRSs are set up with capacity of 480 students per school under grants in aid under article 275(1) of the Constitution to States, to provide quality middle and high level education to ST students. (v) This Ministry also provides Post-Matric Scholarship for ST Students and Pre-Matric Scholarship for ST students studying in classes IX & X. (vii)  Funds  are  provided  for  recurring  expenses  for  Residential  Schools  and  NonResidential Schools to Voluntary Agencies working for Scheduled Tribes.

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