Lok Sabha Question No. 3596 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-07-15
Subject: School Education
Ministry: HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: Uday Pratap Singh

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3596 TO BE ANSWERED ON 15 th  JULY, 2019

## School Education

## †3596. SHRI UDAY PRATAP SINGH:

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

- (a) whether the Government is preparing a plan for the construction of infrastructure training to improve the standard of education at the school level in the current financial  year, if so, the details thereof;
- (b) whether the Government  has  fixed any target to convert the Government schools into smart schools and if so, the details thereof; and
- (c) the details of work undertaken and progress made thereunder in this direction?

## ANSWER

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

(a) 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.  The  major  interventions  under  the  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.    Its  main features, 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 through strengthening of existing schools.
- (iii) Annual Grant of Rs. 5,000 to Rs. 20,000/per school for strengthening of Libraries.
- (iv) Annual Composite school grant of Rs. 25,000-1 Lakh to be allocated on the basis of school enrolment out of which at least 10% is required to be spent on 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 SCERTs and DIETs to improve the quality of teachers.
- (xi) Enhanced use of digital technology in education through smart classrooms, digital boards and DTH channels.
- (xii) Support States & 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.

(b) & (c) There  is  no  provision  for  setting  up  of  Smart  Schools  under  Samagra  Shiksha guidelines. However, under Samagra Shiksha, funding is provided for setting up of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) labs in schools at a unit cost of Rs. 6.4 lakh per school.