Lok Sabha Question No. 3401 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-08-09
Subject: Maintenance of School Buildings
Ministry: Education
Asked by: Sumalatha Ambareesh, Nihal Chand Chauhan, Nalin Kumar Kateel

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

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3401 TO BE ANSWERED ON 09.08.2021

## Maintenance of School Buildings

3401.  SHRIMATI SUMALATHA AMBAREESH: SHRI NIHAL CHAND: SHRI NALIN KUMAR KATEEL:

Will the Minister of EDUCATION be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government has taken serious note that huge number of school buildings are either old or damaged due to lack of maintenance including Kendriya Vidyalayas;
- (b) if  so  whether  the  Government  has  any  data  of  the  number  of  such  school buildings including Kendriya Vidyalaya in Mandya district of Karnataka State; and if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether the Government has also taken note that it is great cause of concern amongst all including parents as the schools function in such dilapidated buildings; and
- (d) if  so,  the  measures  taken  by  the  Government  to  reconstruct  the  school buildings to ensure safety of the students?

## ANSWER MINISTER OF EDUCATION (SHRI DHARMENDRA PRADHAN)

- (a) to (d): Education  is  in  the  concurrent  list  of  Constitution  and  most  of  the schools are under  jurisdiction of  concerned  States  and  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 accordance with the norms laid down in the Schedule to the RTE Act, 2009 and as per respective State RTE Rules.

As per Unified District Information System for Education Plus (UDISE+), 201920,  54,119 Government schools are having dilapidated building blocks. 21 Kendriya Vidyalaya school buildings need repair/replacement (part/full) and the repair works in respect of these Kendriya Vidyalayas  has been  initiated. Presently Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan (KVS) has 816 permanent school buildings and remaining 281 Kendriya  Vidyalayas  are  functioning  from  temporary  accommodation  provided  by State/Sponsoring  Authority including Kendriya  Vidyalaya  in Mandya  district of Karnataka. Minor repairs and maintenance of school buildings are regularly attended by the schools.

Samagra  Shiksha  scheme  is  an  integrated  centrally  sponsored  scheme  for school education which has been launched in 2018 and further extended for next five years in 2021, covers the entire gamut of school education from pre-school to class XII.    Under  Samagra  Shiksha,  States  and  UTs  are  supported  for  strengthening  of existing  Government  schools,  and  for  creation  and  augmentation  of  infrastructure facilities as per Annual Work Plan and Budget of respective State/UT. The scheme also  provides  for  an  annual  recurring  composite  school  grant  varying  upto  Rs. 1,00,000/-  per  annum  depending  upon  the  number  of  students,  for  all  government schools, out of which at least 10% is to be spent on activities related to Swachhata Action Plan (SAP) for hygiene and sanitation. The scheme also provides for annual maintenance  and  repair  of  existing  school  building,  toilets  and  other  facilities  to upkeep the infrastructure in good condition.

Under  erstwhile  Sarva  Shiksha  Abhiyan  (SSA)  and  Rashtriya  Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA) till 2017-18  and Samagra Shiksha effective from 2018-19, construction of 3.15 lakh school buildings and 18.92 lakh additional classrooms have been sanctioned to States and UTs for Elementary schools, out of which States and UTs have reported construction of 2.99 lakh school buildings, 18.25 lakh additional classrooms  till  30.06.2021;  12,553  new  school  buildings  and  53,303  additional classrooms have been sanctioned to States and UTs for Secondary schools, out of which States and UTs have reported construction of 10501 new school buildings and 44569 additional classrooms till 30.06.2021. 1,20,241 Major Repairs works have also been sanctioned to States and UTs, out of which States and UTs reported completion of 1,04,296 works. States and UTs have been requested in June and July, 2021 to complete re-construction/repair works of the dilapidated/damaged school buildings.

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