Lok Sabha Question No. 608 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2017-02-06
Subject: Socially Disadvantaged Students
Ministry: HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: C. MAHENDRAN

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 608 TO BE ANSWERED ON 6 TH  FEBRUARY, 2017

## Socially Disadvantaged Students

608. SHRI C. MAHENDRAN:

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

(a) whether the Government has any scheme to nurture Education among the orphan and HIV affected children residing in different child care institutions and orphanages;

(b) if so, the details thereof;

(c) whether the Government proposes to financially support to promote the education at all levels and for the securing of the future and rehabilitation of such children along with scholarships for higher education among other benefits; and

(d) if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT

## (SHRI UPENDRA KUSHWAHA)

(a) to (d): The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act, 2009 provides that every child in the age group of 6 to 14 years shall have a right to free and  compulsory  education  in  a  neighbourhood  school  till  completion  of  elementary education. Section 4 of the RTE Act provides for special training for age appropriate admission  of  out  of  school  children.  Those  children  who  have  missed  out  certain academic years either because they were never enrolled in school or  dropped out of school,  have  a  right  to  special  training  in  residential  and  non  residential  mode, subsequently to be mainstreamed in formal schools in age appropriate class.

The  Centrally Sponsored  Scheme  of  Sarva  Shiksha  Abhiyan  (SSA)  provides assistance to State Governments and UTs to ensure free and compulsory elementary education for all children. SSA addresses the issue of education of children in difficult circumstances  by  encouraging  States'  efforts to  accommodate  their  voices  in planning, implementation and monitoring of interventions and strategies. SSA has an innovation  head  under  which  States  undertake  interventions  for  urban  deprived children.

Strategies  such  as  providing  residential  schools  and  hostels,  transport  and  escort facility, seasonal hostels, special training centres at worksite, migration cards, back to school camps etc. are being implemented and have proved to be successful for the care of these children.

The Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA) scheme was launched in 2009 and  the  objectives  include  reducing  dropout  rate  of  students  and  improving  the retention rate at the secondary stage. The scheme provides for improving access by approving new secondary schools and by providing additional classrooms, science laboratory,  library,  computer  rooms,  art/craft/culture  rooms,  toilets,  drinking  water facilities etc. in new secondary schools and existing secondary schools. Interventions  like  survey  and  identification  of  out  of  school  children,  awareness programme,  bridge  courses,  special  teaching  for  learning  enhancement  etc.  have also been supported under RMSA.

Department  of  Higher  Education  is  not  implementing  any  scholarship  scheme exclusively  for  orphan  and  HIV  affected  children.   However,  it  is  implementing  the 'Central Sector Scheme of Scholarship for College and University Students' wherein financial  assistance  is  provided  to  those  eligible  students  who  are  in  the  top  20 th percentile of the class 12 result from a particular State Education Board and having family income of less than Rs. 6.0 lakh per annum.

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