Lok Sabha Question No. 5946 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2017-04-10
Subject: Category-wise Enrolment of Students
Ministry: HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: TATHAGATA SATPATHY

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 5946 TO BE ANSWERED ON 10 TH APRIL, 2017

## Category-wise Enrolment of Students

## 5946. SHRI TATHAGATA SATPATHY:

Will the Minister of HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT be pleased to state:

- (a) the percentage of Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, female and transgender students enrolled in schools under the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, categories-wise; and
- (b) the details of initiatives taken by the Government for the greater socio-economic accessibility and  inclusion of children  from the aforementioned  categories  in educational institutions?

## ANSWER

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

- (a): As per Unified District Information System for Education (UDISE), 2015-16, the percentage of Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribe (ST) and female students under Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) at the elementary level of schooling is 19.78%, 10.35%  &  48.36%  respectively.  Data  in  respect  of  transgender  students  is  not captured through UDISE.
- (b):  The  Centrally  Sponsored  Scheme  of  SSA  provides  assistance  to  State Governments and Union Territories to ensure free and compulsory quality elementary education for all children. Bridging gender and social category gaps in elementary education is one of the major goals of SSA. Consequently, SSA attempts to  reach  out  to  girls  and  children  belonging  to  SC,  ST,  Muslims  and  other marginalised communities. SSA has provided 2.04 lakh primary and 1.59 lakh upper primary schools for ensuring universal provisioning of schooling facilities.

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.  Preference  for  opening  of  school  is given  to  tribal  areas,  and  areas  with  high  concentration  of  SC,  ST  and  minority population. In addition, 3609  Kasturba  Gandhi  Balika Vidyalayas, which are residential schools for girls at upper primary level, have also been sanctioned to the States  for  improving  access  to  marginalised  girls  particularly  out  of  school,  either drop out or never enrolled. As per Unified District Information System for Education 2015-16,  the  number  of  total  children  enrolled  at  elementary  level  has  increased from 15.1 crores in 1998-99 to 19.67 crore at present. The  Ministry  of  Human  Resource  Development  (MHRD)  has  prepared  a  Digital Gender Atlas for Advancing Girls' Education in India. The tool has been developed to identify  low  performing  geographic  pockets  for  girls,  particularly  from  marginalised groups  such  as  scheduled  castes,  scheduled  tribes  and  Muslim  minorities,  on specific gender related education indicators. The MHRD has written to all the States and UTs to take appropriate measures to enable  the  education  and  inclusion  of  children  from  Transgender  category  in educational institutes. Under  SSA,  provisions  have  also  been  made  for  residential  schools/hostels  and transportation/escort facility 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. Special training is also provided to all such children who are school dropouts and long absentees and they are enrolled in 'back to school' camps. Additionally,  other  strategies  adopted  under  SSA  such  as  strengthening  school infrastructure, improving pupil-teacher ratios, providing incentives like free textbooks, uniforms for eligible category of children and mid-day meal in schools have proved to be useful in increasing the enrolment of children in elementary schools. As per Section 29(2)(f) of the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act  2009,  medium  of  instruction  shall,  as  far  as  practicable,  be  in  child's  mother tongue.  In  the  last  few  years  several  States  have  developed  textbooks  in  tribal languages. Under  Swachh  Vidyalaya  initiative,  4,17,796  toilets  were  constructed  in  2,61,400 elementary  and  secondary  government  schools  in  a  period  of  one  year  from 15.8.2014 to 15.8.2015, thus ensuring that every government school has separate

functional toilets for girls and boys.

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