Lok Sabha Question No. 5691 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-04-02
Subject: Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan
Ministry: HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: PARAYAMPARANBIL KUTTAPPAN BIJU

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT OF SCHOOL EDUCATION AND LITERACY

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.5691 TO BE ANSWERED ON 2 ND  APRIL, 2018

## Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan

## 5691.      DR. P.K. BIJU:

Will the Minister of HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT be pleased to state: (a)  whether  the  Government  maintains  the  details  of  children  eligible  for  education  under Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan; and (b)  whether any measures have been taken to improve the enrolment and retention rate of students belonging to SC/ ST/minority categories and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT (SHRI UPENDRA KUSHWAHA)

(a):         The  Centrally  Sponsored  Scheme  of  Sarva  Shiksha  Abhiyan  (SSA)  provides assistance to State Governments and UTs to ensure free and compulsory quality elementary education for all children in the age group of 6-14 years in accordance with the provisions of the  Right  of  Children  to  Free  and  Compulsory  (RTE)  Act,  2009.  Against  the  estimate  of 20.78  crore  children  in  the  6-13  age  group  as  per  Census,  2011, 19.67  crore  children  are enrolled  at  elementary  level  as per  Unified  District  Information  System  for  Education (UDISE), 2015-16.

(b):       Universal enrolment at elementary level is the primary goal of SSA. It has provided 2.04 lakh primary and 1.59 lakh upper primary schools for ensuring universal provisioning of schooling facilities. Preference for opening of school is given to tribal areas, and areas with high concentration of Scheduled Caste (SC), Scheduled Tribe (ST) and minority population. Under the SSA, the districts with high concentration of population of SCs, STs and  Muslims  have  been  identified  as  Special  Focus  Districts  (SFDs).  The  criteria  for identifying the SFDs in case of SCs and STs is a population of 25% and above, while for Muslims, it is 20% and above population.

Through  the  interventions  made  under  SSA  in  SFDs,  at  the  national  level  the enrolment  share  of  SC  children  at  elementary  level  is  19.78%  as  per  UDISE,  2015-16, whereas their share in population is 16.6% (as per Census 2011). Similarly, the enrolment share  of  ST  children  at  elementary  level  as  per  UDISE  2015-16,  is  10.35%,  whereas  their share in population is 8.6% (as per Census 2011). Besides, Kasturba  Gandhi  Balika  Vidyalayas  (KGBVs),  which  are  upper  primary residential schools for girls belonging predominantly to the SC, ST, Other Backward Caste and  minorities,  have  played  an  important  role  in  furthering  the  goal  of  girls'  education  in educationally  backward  blocks  of  the  country.  Under  the  SSA,  provisions  have  also  been made for residential schools/hostels for children living in sparsely populated areas, children living in areas where schools cannot be opened due to unavailability of land and children in need of care and protection. Additionally, madarsas/makatabs which are affiliated to the State Boards of Secondary  Education/State  Madarsa  Boards  and  are  desirous  of  introducing  the  State curriculum, are eligible for grant for textbooks, in-service teacher training, school grant and teacher grant under SSA.

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