Lok Sabha Question No. 2204 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-08-02
Subject: School Education
Ministry: Education
Asked by: Balashowry Vallabbhaneni

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2204

## TO BE ANSWERED ON 02 nd  August, 2021

## School Education

## 2204 SHRI BALASHOWRY VALLABHANENI:

Will the Minister of EDUCATION be pleased to state:

- (a) the details of cantours for quality education addressed in the New Education Policy;
- (b) whether it is a fact that in spite of having more number of schools in the country than China the infrastructure is far poor than China and other developing countries;
- (c) if so, whether the Government proposes to help States to create better infrastructure in schools even though it is a State Subject and if so, the details thereof;
- (d)  the  action  taken  by  the  Government  after  the  Finance  Minister  announced  in  her Budget speech of revamping 15,000 schools in the country;
- (e) the details of schools selected in Andhra Pradesh; and
- (f)  whether  the  Government  has  studied  Nadu-Nedu  programme  of  Andhra  Pradesh and  if  so,  whether  there  are  any  plans  to  replicate  the  same  in  other  parts  of  the country; and
- (g) if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER MINISTER OF EDUCATION (SHRI DHARMENDRA PRADHAN)

- (a): The National Education Policy, 2020 focuses on improving the quality of education through  various  measures  such  as  introduction  of  New  pedagogical  and  curricular structure,  Early  Childhood  Care  and  Education,  Foundational  Literacy  and  Numeracy and Transforming Assessment for Student Development, Experiential and Competency based Learning etc.

(b) and (c): Education is in the concurrent list of Constitution and most of the schools are under jurisdiction of concerned States & UTs. State and UT Governments are the appropriate  Governments  under  the  Right  of  Children  to  Free  and  Compulsory Education (RTE) Act, 2009, and have the responsibility and mandate to provide school infrastructure in schools in accordance with the norms laid down in the Schedule to the RTE Act, 2009 and as per respective State RTE Rules. The Department of School Education and Literacy has launched an Integrated Centrally Sponsored Scheme for School Education - Samagra Shiksha w.e.f. 2018-19. Under Samagra Shiksha, States and UTs are supported inter-alia for strengthening of infrastructure facilities of  existing  Government schools. The scheme also provides for an  annual  recurring  composite  school  grant  varying  upto  ₹  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 for hygiene and sanitation. Every year, Annual Work Plan & Budget (AWP&B) under Samagra Shiksha is prepared by the respective States and UTs based on their requirements and priorities for  various  interventions  including  strengthening  of  the  school  infrastructure.  These plans/estimates are appraised and approved by the Project Approval Board in Ministry of  Education,  and  Central  share  is  released  to  respective  State/UT  as  per  the programmatic and financial norms of the scheme, availability of budgetary resources, GFR and physical & financial progress. (d) and (e): The Finance Minister in her Budget speech on 01.02.2021 has announced to qualitatively strengthen more than 15,000 schools from across the country to include all components of the National Education Policy, 2020. The objective is to develop them as  exemplar  schools  in  their  regions,  handholding  and  mentoring  other  schools  to achieve the ideals of the National Education Policy.

(f)  and  (g):  Nadu-Nedu  is  an  initiative  of  State  Government  of  Andhra  Pradesh  on School  Infrastructure  Development.  Under  Samagra  Shiksha,  the  best  practices  or innovations carried out by various states and Schools are uploaded on Shagun digital repository for the use of all stakeholders.

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