Lok Sabha Question No. 2901 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-03-21
Subject: Setting up of New Schools in West Bengal
Ministry: Education
Asked by: Raju Bista

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF EDUCATION DEPARTMENT OF SCHOOL EDUCATION & LITERACY

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION No. 2901 TO BE ANSWERED ON 21.03.2022

## Setting up of New Schools in West Bengal

2901. SHRI RAJU BISTA:

Will the Minister of EDUCATION be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government proposes to set up new schools in rural/semi-rural areas of Darjeeling and Kalimpong District under various schemes during the next three years;
- (b) if so, the number of schools proposed to be set up in the State of West Bengal;
- (c) the details of the targets, if any, fixed by the Government in this regard; and
- (d) the action plan prepared by the Government to achieve the targets fixed in this regard?

## A N S W E R

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION (SMT. ANNPURNA DEVI)

(a) to (d): As per the provisions of the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act,  2009,  it  is  the  duty  of  the  respective  State  and  Union  Territory  Government  which  is  the appropriate Government under the RTE Act to provide free and compulsory elementary education to every child of the age 6 to 14 years in a neighbourhood school. In pursuance of Section 6 of the RTE Act, the respective State and Union Territory (UT) Government have notified areas or limits of their neighbourhood  norms  in  their  State  RTE  Rules,  factoring  in  their  State  specific  condition,  for opening of schools.

The  Department  of  School  Education  &  Literacy,  Ministry  of  Education,  through integrated centrally sponsored scheme of Samagra Shiksha provides support to the States and UTs for  implementing  the  various  provisions  of  the  RTE  Act,  including  opening/  strengthening  of schools.  On  the  basis  of  the  Annual  Work  Plan  &  Budget  received  from  State  Government  for various  activities,  Project  Approval  Board  (PAB)  approves  opening  of  new  schools  to  the  State Government  for  implementation  of  Samagra  Shiksha.  As  on  15.03.2022,  status  of  schools  under Samagra Shikhsa in the State of West Bengal is as below:

| Schools                  |   Approved | Functional   |
|--------------------------|------------|--------------|
| Primary 16655            |      16590 |              |
| Primary to Upper Primary |      10087 | 7842         |
| Secondary                |          7 | 0            |

Proposals  for  opening  of  new  Kendriya  Vidyalayas  (KVs)  are  considered  only  when received in the prescribed proforma from the District Administration through the State Government concerned. The proposals received from various sponsoring authorities for opening of new KVs also have  to  compete  among  other  proposals  under  the  'Challenge  Method'.  At  present,  62  KVs  are functioning in the State of West Bengal.

The  Navodaya  Vidyalaya  Scheme  provides  for  opening  of  one  Jawahar  Navodaya Vidyalaya  (JNV)  in  each  district  of  the  country  for  providing  good  quality  education  to  children predominantly from the rural areas. Opening of new JNVs is a continuous process which depends on the availability of suitable land by the concerned State Government free of cost for construction of school  buildings  and  the  required  temporary  accommodation  (free  of  rent)  to  start  the  Vidyalaya. However, actual sanction and opening of the JNV depends on the availability of funds and approval by the Competent Authority. At present, there are 19 functional JNVs sanctioned in the State of West Bengal.

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