Lok Sabha Question No. 1346 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-11-25
Subject: Education Commission
Ministry: HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: Saikia Dilip, Ramesh Chander Kaushik

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT OF HIGHER EDUCATION

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION No.1346 TO BE ASNWERED ON 25.11.2019

## EDUCATION COMMISSION

## † 1346 SHRI DILIP SAIKIA: SHRI RAMESH CHANDER KAUSHIK:

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

- (a) whether the proposal for school premises/buildings were made in the report of Education Commission first time in 1964-66;
- (b) if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether  it  has  been  covered  in  the  Programme  of  Action  (PoA),  1992  of National Policy on Education (NPE), 1986;
- (d) if so, the details thereof;
- (e) whether it has been implemented; and
- (f)  if so, the details thereof and if not, whether any responsibility has been fixed in this regard?

## ANSWER

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

(a)& (b): The  Report  of  the  Education  Commission  1964-66  had  made  several recommendations  regarding school buildings which inter alia included steps to clear the  backlog  of  unconstructed  school  buildings  as  well  as  to  provide  additional buildings for new enrolment; increased  allocations in the Central and State budgets for  construction  of  school  buildings  and  community  resources  mobilisation  on  the basis of equalization; loans and grants-in-aid on a liberal basis to private schools for the  construction  of  buildings;  putting  into  practice  norms  and  guidelines    already available  for spacing  and planning  of school  buildings;  acceptance  of  well-designed and constructed kachcha structures as part of the school system;  to encourage local initiative  and  contribution  in  putting  up  school  buildings  in  rural  areas  to  accelerate provision  of  school  buildings  and to  utilise  local  communities  or  village  Panchayats and in urban areas, municipalities and corporations for construction activities, etc.

(c)&(d)    In  the  Programme  of  Action  (PoA),  1992  of  National  Policy  on  Education (NPE),  1986,    the  recommendations  inter-alia  included  to  ensure  architectural adjustment needed at the construction stage for access of children with disability in school buildings; to open new schools, adding rooms to the existing school buildings; to make available additional resources under external assistance for educational reconstruction, such as opening new schools, construction of school buildings, etc.; to adapt low cost and locally available designs relevant to the local conditions for school buildings; to mobilise resources  for construction of  school buildings including Headmaster-cum-office room and toilet facilities, etc.

(e) & (f) Programme for construction of school buildings are executed keeping in view the  local  environment  as  well  as  the  requirement  of  the  students.    Improvement  of existing structures and to retrofit the same for easy accessibility of the students with disabilities is done on priority basis.  The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE)  Act,  2009 norms  provide  for  an  all-weather  building  in  elementary schools including those in rural areas.  The school building should, inter-alia, consist of  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  Government  has  launched  an  Integrated  Scheme  for  School  Education  Samagra Shiksha,  which  focuses  inter-alia  on  improvement  in  school  infrastructure and quality of education in all States and Union Territories including in rural areas, by providing support for various interventions like upgradation of schools, strengthening of infrastructure of existing schools etc.

Under erstwhile Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan till 2017-18 and Samagra Shiksha effective from  2018-19,  construction  of  3.12  lakh  school  buildings,  18.88  lakh  additional classrooms,  provision  of  2.45  lakh  drinking  water  facility,  construction  of  4.08  lakh Boys'    toilets,  5.29  lakh  girls'  toilets  and  1.49  lakh  toilets  for  Children  with  Special Needs (CwSN), 2.79 lakh ramps with handrail and internal electrification of 2.28 lakh schools have been sanctioned to States and UTs for elementary schools, out of which States and UTs have reported construction of 2.97 lakh school buildings, 18.19 lakh additional  classrooms,  provision  of  2.34  lakh  drinking  water  facility,  construction  of 3.83 lakh Boys' toilets, 5.14 lakh separate girls' toilets, 1.25 lakh CwSN toilets, 2.48 lakh  ramps  with handrail and  internal electrification of 1.96  lakh schools, till 30.06.2019.

Under  erstwhile  Rashtriya  Madhyamik  Shiksha  Abhiyan  (RMSA)  till  2017-18  and Samagra Shiksha effective from 2018-19, 12,837 new secondary schools, and 55,562 additional classrooms, 66,286 toilets  and  12,218 drinking  water  facilities  have  been sanctioned  in  secondary  schools,  out  of  which  States  and  UTs  have  reported construction of  9,278  new schools  and  40,262  additional classrooms,  46,280 toilets and provision of drinking water facility in 10,100 secondary schools, till 30.06.2019.