Lok Sabha Question No. 1491 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-07-01
Subject: School Buildings
Ministry: HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: Ashok Mahadeorao Nete

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1491 TO BE ANSWERED ON 1 st   JULY, 2019

## School Buildings

## †1491.   SHRI ASHOK MAHADEORAO NETE:

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

- (a) whether the Government has taken any effective steps to provide basic facilities in the schools of the country especially in the schools situated in the backward and rural areas which do not have proper buildings/teachers and whose buildings are in dilapidated condition;
- (b) if so, the details thereof as on date; and
- (c) if not, the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER MINISTER OF HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT (SHRI RAMESH POKHRIYAL 'NISHANK')

(a) to (c) The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act, 2009 stipulates norms  and  standards  for  a  recognized  school  imparting  elementary  education.    The  RTE  norms provide for an all-weather school building consisting of, inter alia, at least one classroom for every teacher  and  an  office-cum-store-cum-Head  teacher's  room,  barrier  free  access,  separate  toilets  for boys and girls, safe and adequate drinking water facility to all children and playground.  Sections 8 and 9 of the RTE Act, 2009 lays down the duties of appropriate Government and local authority to inter alia provide infrastructure including school building, teaching staff and learning equipment.

The Department of School Education and Literacy has launched an Integrated Scheme for School Education - Samagra Shiksha w.e.f. 2018-19, which subsumes the three erstwhile Centrally Sponsored  Schemes  of  Sarva  Shiksha  Abhiyan  (SSA),  Rashtriya  Madhyamik  Shiksha  Abhiyan (RMSA) and Teacher Education (TE). The new integrated scheme envisages school education as a continuum  from  pre-school  to  senior  secondary  level  and  aims  to  ensure  inclusive  and  equitable quality education.

Under  Samagra  Shiksha,  States  and  UTs  are  supported for strengthening of existing government schools, and for creation and augmentation of infrastructure facilities based on the gaps determined from Unified District Information System for Education (UDISE) database and proposals received from respective State/UT.  The scheme also envisages an annual recurring composite school grant  varying  upto  Rs.  1,00,000/-  per  annum  depending  upon  the  number  of  students,  for  all government schools. Each school is required to spend at least 10% of the composite school grant on activities related to Swachhata Action Plan.  The scheme also provides for annual maintenance and repair  of  existing  school  building,  toilets  and  other  facilities  to  upkeep  the  infrastructure  in  good condition.

Under erstwhile SSA till 2017-18 and Samagra Shiksha effective from 2018-19, construction of 3.13 lakh school buildings, 18.89 lakh additional classrooms, provision of 2.41 lakh drinking water facility, construction of 3.99 lakh Boys' toilets, 5.22 lakh separate girls' toilets and 1.41 lakh CWSN toilets  have  been  sanctioned  to  States  and  UTs,  out  of  which  States  and  UTs  have  reported construction of 2.97 lakh school buildings, 18.17 lakh additional classrooms, provision of 2.34 lakh drinking water facility, construction of  3.83  lakh  Boys'  toilets,  5.14  lakh  separate  girls'  toilets  and 1.25 lakh CWSN toilets, till 31.03.2019.

Under erstwhile RMSA till 2017-18 and Samagra Shiksha effective from 2018-19, 12,739 new secondary schools, 53,789 additional classrooms, 66,286 toilets and 11,933 drinking water facilities have been sanctioned, out of which States and UTs have reported construction of 8663 new schools, 37,546  additional  classrooms,  46,280  toilets and provision  of  drinking  water  facility  in  10,093

schools, till 31.03.2019.

The matters regarding the salary and allowances payable to, and the terms and conditions of service  of  teachers  including  their  deployment  are  governed  and  regulated  by  respective  State/UT Government.  The Central Government has issued advisories to States and UTs for redeployment of teachers  and  to  ensure  that  all  school  teachers  should  spend  adequate  time  serving  in  rural  areas through a transparent policy.

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