Lok Sabha Question No. 4610 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-07-22
Subject: Guidelines of SSA
Ministry: HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: Sanjay(Kaka) Ramchandra Patil

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 4610 TO BE ANSWERED ON 22 nd  JULY, 2019

## Guidelines of SSA

## †4610. SHRI SANJAY KAKA PATIL

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

- (a) whether the Government is issuing guidelines to the State Governments regarding the increase of facilities given under the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) in all schools across the country;
- (b) if so, the nature of the facilities which is being given and other provisions which is likely to be included in this scheme; and
- (c) whether any new project or guidelines is likely to be formulated in order to provide adequate amount of quality food for ensuring good health of children through the Mid Day Meal given under SSA and if so, the details thereof?

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

(a) and (b) The Department of School Education & Literacy has launched a new Centrally Sponsored Scheme,  namely Samagra Shiksha - an Integrated Scheme for School Education by  subsuming the erstwhile  Centrally  Sponsored  Schemes  of  Sarva  Shiksha  Abhiyan  (SSA),  Rashtriya  Madhyamik Shiksha  Abhiyan  (RMSA)  and  Teacher  Education  (TE)  from  2018-19.    It  is  an  overarching programme for the school education sector extending from pre-school to class XII and aims to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education at all levels of school education.

The  major  interventions  of  Samagra  Shiksha  scheme  are:  (i)  Universal  Access  including Infrastructure  Development  and  Retention;  (ii)  Gender  and  Equity;  (iii)  Inclusive  Education;  (iv) Quality; (v) Financial support for Teacher Salary; (vi) Digital initiatives; (vii) Entitlements under the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act, 2009 including uniforms, textbooks etc.;(viii)  Pre-school  Education;  (ix)  Vocational  Education;  (x)  Sports  and  Physical  Education;  (xi) Strengthening of Teacher Education and Training; and (xii) Monitoring of the scheme.

Main features of the Samagra Shiksha scheme, inter alia, are as follows:

- (i) Universalizing access to quality school education by expansion of schooling facilities in the uncovered areas through up-gradation of schools up-to senior secondary level.
- (ii) Ensuring  availability  of  adequate  infrastructure  to  ensure  that  schools  conform  to  the prescribed norms.
- (iii) Annual Grant of Rs. 5,000 to Rs. 20,000/per school for strengthening of Libraries.
- (iv) Annual Composite school grant of Rs. 25,000 to Rs. 1,00,000/- to be allocated on the basis of school enrolment, out of which at least 10% is required to be spent on activities related to Swachhata Action Plan.
- (v) Annual  Grant for sports equipments  at the cost of Rs. 5000  for Primary Schools, Rs. 10,000 for upper primary schools and up to Rs. 25,000 for secondary and senior secondary schools.
- (vi) Allocation  for  Children  with  Special  Needs  (CwSN)  of  Rs.  3,500  per  child  per  annum including a stipend of Rs. 200 per month for CWSN girls to be provided from Classes I to XII.
- (vii) Allocation for uniforms at the rate of Rs. 600 per child per annum.
- (viii) Allocation for textbooks at the rate of Rs. 250/400 per child per annum.
- (ix) Upgradation of Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalayas (KGBVs) from Class 6-8 to Class 6-12.
- (x) Strengthening Teacher Education Institutions like State Council of Educational Research and Training  (SCERTs)  and  District  Institute  of  Education  and  Training  (DIETs)  to  improve the quality of teachers.
- (xi) Enhanced use of digital technology in education through smart classrooms, digital boards and Direct to Home (DTH) channels.
- (xii) Support States and UTs for implementation of provisions of RTE  Act, including reimbursement under section 12(1)(c) of the Act.
- (xiii) Setting up of residential  schools  and hostels  for  difficult  areas  and  for  children  in  difficult circumstances.
- (xiv) The  scheme  also  provides  for  annual  maintenance  and  repair  of  existing  school  building, toilets and other facilities to upkeep the infrastructure in good condition.
- (c) Mid-Day Meal (MDM) is a separate Centrally Sponsored Scheme for providing hot cooked mid-day meal on all school working days to all children studying in elementary classes (1-VIII) in all Government schools, Government-aided schools, Special Training Centres and Madrasas & Maqtabs supported  under  Samagra  Shiksha  (SS).  The  Mid  Day  Meal  Guidelines  prescribe  the  following nutritional content for improving the quality of mid day meal:

| Items                                    | For children of Primary classes          | For children of Upper Primary classes    |
|------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------|
| A) Nutritional Norms (Per child per day) | A) Nutritional Norms (Per child per day) | A) Nutritional Norms (Per child per day) |
| Calorie                                  | 450                                      | 700                                      |
| Protein                                  | 12 gms                                   | 20 gms                                   |
| B) Food Norms (Per child per day)        | B) Food Norms (Per child per day)        | B) Food Norms (Per child per day)        |
| Food-grains                              | 100 gms                                  | 150 gms                                  |
| Pulses                                   | 20 gms                                   | 30 gms                                   |
| Vegetables                               | 50 gms                                   | 75 gms                                   |
| Oil &fat                                 | 5 gms                                    | 7.5 gms                                  |
| Salt &condiments                         | As per need                              | As per need                              |

The Government of India has issued guidelines on quality, safety and hygiene in school level kitchens to  all  the  States  and  UTs  to  address  the  quality  issue.  These  guidelines  inter-alia  provide  for instructions to schools to procure Agmark quality and branded items for preparation of mid day meals, tasting  of  meals  by  2-3  adult  members  of  School  Management  Committee  including  at  least  one teacher before serving to children and to put in place a system of testing of food samples by accredited laboratories.  Further,  the  MDM  Rules,  2015  provide  for  mandatory  testing  of  food  samples  by Government recognized laboratories to ensure that the meals meet nutritional standards and quality. The Government has also adopted an elaborate monitoring mechanism at Central, State and District levels to ensure quality food is served to children under the Scheme.

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