Lok Sabha Question No. 2210 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-01-01
Subject: Senior Secondary Schools
Ministry: HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: SUKHBIR SINGH JAUNPURIA

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2210 TO BE ANSWERED ON 01.01.2018

## Senior Secondary Schools

## †2210. SHRI SUKHBIR SINGH JAUNAPURIA:

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

- (a)     whether the Government has any target to set up one senior secondary school separated by a distance of 3 to 5 kilometre across the country;
- (b)     if so, the details thereof;
- (c)     whether the Government has conducted any survey or obtained any information in this regard;
- (d) if so, the details thereof;
- (e)     whether the Government has allocated any fund to the States to provide scholarship in the Government schools of the rural areas; and
- (f) if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

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

(a)  &  (b)            The  framework  of  the  Centrally  Sponsored  Scheme  of  Rashtriya  Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA) envisages universalizing access to secondary schools by providing a secondary  school  within  a  reasonable  distance  (5  kilometer)  of  every  habitation  and a  higher secondary  schools  within  a  reasonable  distance  (7-10  kilometers).  When  the  Scheme  was launched  in  2009-10,  it  was  decided  to  implement  it  in  a  phased  manner,  the  first  phase  was designed to make good quality secondary education available to young persons in the age group of 14-15 years. However, higher secondary schools are covered under the other components of integrated RMSA, i.e., Information and Communication Technology in Schools, Girls Hostels, Vocational Education and Inclusive Education of the Disabled at Secondary Stage.

(c) & (d) To  ensure  universal  access  to  schools  within  a  reasonable  distance  of  any habitation and without any discrimination, the Geographic coordinates of all schools along with the  school  information  available  in  UDISE  are  uploaded  on  the  school  GIS  Web  enabled platform.

(e) & (f) The Centrally Sponsored 'National Means-cum-Merit Scholarship Scheme awards scholarship to meritorious students of economically weaker sections to arrest their drop out  at  class  VIII  and  encourage  them  to  continue  the  study  at  secondary  stage.  One  lakh scholarships of Rs. 6000/- per annum (Rs. 500/- per month) per student are awarded to selected students of class IX every year and their continuation/renewal in classes X to XII for study in a State Government, Government-aided and Local body school under the scheme. An amount of Rs. 217.39 crore has been sanctioned to 361029 scholarship during 2017-18.

The Centrally Sponsored 'National Scheme of Incentive to Girls for Secondary Education (NSIGSE)' aims to establish an enabling environment to reduce the drop-outs and to promote the enrolment  of  girl  children,  mainly  belonging  to  SC/ST  communities,  in  secondary  schools. According to the scheme, a sum of Rs. 3,000/- is deposited in the name of eligible unmarried girls in a bank as fixed deposit on enrolment in class IX, who are entitled to withdraw  it along with interest thereon on passing Class X and attaining 18 years of age. The Scheme covers (i) all girls  belonging  to  SC/ST  communities  who  pass  class  VIII  and  (ii)  all  girls  who  pass  VIII examination from Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalayas (irrespective of whether they belong to SC/ST) and enrol in class IX in a State Government, Government aided and Local Body school. An amount of Rs. 219.70 crore has been sanctioned to 732349 girls as incentive during 2017-18.

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