Lok Sabha Question No. 5671 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-04-02
Subject: ASER Report
Ministry: HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: A.P. JITHENDER REDDY

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 5671 TO BE ANSWERED ON 2.4.2018

## ASER Report

## 5671. SHRI A.P. JITHENDER REDDY:

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

(a)  whether  the  Government  has  taken  cognizance  of  the  latest  Annual  Status  of Education Report (ASER) which finds that only 53 per cent of all 14 year olds can read a simple text in English and just 44 per cent can perform a simple division; (b)  if  so,  the  details  and  the  reasons  for  this  state  of  secondary  education  in  the country; (c) whether it is true that the allocation to the Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA) was Rs. 19,372 crores in spite of the recommendation made in the 12th Five Year Plan for the allocation of Rs. 27,466 crore and if so, the details thereof along with the reasons therefor; and (d)  whether  it  is  a  fact  that  amount  of  per-student  allocations  under  in  RMSA  for primary and secondary schools has been decreased during the last three years and if so, the details thereof along with the reasons therefor?

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

(a) & (b). Achievement surveys are released in the Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) by a non-governmental organization. It is a household survey limited to rural areas of the country. ASER 2017 report shows inter-alia, that, 53% of all 14 yearolds in the sample can read English sentences. For 18 year-old youth, this figure is closer to 60%. Of those who can read English sentences, 79% can say the meaning of the sentence. The report also points out that only 43% student are able to do a 3-digit by 1-digit division correctly. The Department of School Education & Literacy, Ministry of Human Resource Development was not associated with this ASER 2017 survey.

The  National  Council  of  Educational  Research  and  Training  (NCERT)  has conducted periodic national surveys of learning achievement of children in classes III, V, VIII and X. Four rounds of National Achievement Survey (NAS) for class V and three rounds for classes III & VIII have been conducted from 2001-02 to 2014-16. In  2015,  NAS  for  class  X  was  conducted  for  the  first  time.  These  surveys  reveal improvement in learning achievement levels of pupils, in identified subjects from first round  to  fourth  round.  Further,  second  cycle  of  National  Achievement  Survey  for students of class X was held on  5th February 2018, with a district level sampling framework covering nearly 15.5 lakh students. Similarly, NAS for class 3, 5 and 8 was conducted on 13 th November, 2017 through which the learning levels of around 22 lakh students from 1.10 lakh schools across 700 districts in all 36 States and UTs were assessed.

(c). Under the Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA), States/UTs submit the proposals in their Annual Work Plan & Budget (AWP&B). The Project Approval Board (PAB) in the Ministry approves viable proposals as per norms of the scheme, on the basis of available funds and progress of States. The details of the allocation to RMSA over the 12th Five Year Plan period are as follows:

Rs in crores

| 12th Plan allocation   | 2012-13   | 2013-14   | 2014-15*   | 2015-16*   | 2016-17*   | Total allocation   |
|------------------------|-----------|-----------|------------|------------|------------|--------------------|
| 12th Plan allocation   | BE        | BE        | BE         | BE         | BE         | BE                 |
| 27466                  | 3124.00   | 3983.00   | 5000.00    | 3565.00    | 3700.00    | 19372.00           |

- (d). The  per  student  outlay  approved  for  secondary  education  under  RMSA  has increased during the last three years.  The details are as follows:

| Years   |   Total Enrolment (Government) |   Total Outlay under RMSA (in Rs. Lakh) |   Per Student Allocation (in Rs. Lakh) |
|---------|--------------------------------|-----------------------------------------|----------------------------------------|
| 2014-15 |                       16565190 |                         437256          |                                  0.026 |
| 2015-16 |                       16913960 |                         675383          |                                  0.04  |
| 2016-17 |                       17390178 |                              1.0125e+06 |                                  0.058 |

There is no allocation of funds for elementary level under RMSA.

*****