Lok Sabha Question No. 5074 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-04-03
Subject: Sanitation Staff in Schools
Ministry: Education
Asked by: Kotha Prabhakar  Reddy

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO - 5074 ANSWERED ON - 03/04/2023

## Sanitation Staff in Schools

## 5074.  SHRI KOTHA PRABHAKAR REDDY:

Will the Minister of EDUCATION be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government has taken note that the employment of appropriate number of sanitation staff will likely aid outcomes of its school-based programmes;
- (b) if so, whether any assessment of the current number of sanitation staff across all States and UTs has been undertaken;
- (c) if so, the details thereof, State/UT-wise;
- (d) if not, whether the Government has taken cognizance of the fact that an increasing trend in the abysmally low number of sanitation staff in schools is jeopardizing the health outcomes of children enrolled therein; and
- (e) if so, the steps taken to address the same and if not, the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER

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

(a) to (e) Education is in the Concurrent list of the Constitution and majority of the schools are under the administrative control of respective State Government & UT Administration. The recruitment, service conditions and deployment of staff including sanitation staff of the State/UT Government schools is under the administrative control of respective State and UT Government. The recruitment of staff in schools is a continuous process and the vacancies keep arising due to retirement, resignation and additional requirements on account of enhanced students' strength/ new  schools.  However,  the  Ministry  of  Education  regularly  requests  the  State  and  UT Governments  for  filling-up  the  vacant  posts  and  their  rational  deployment,  through  review meetings and advisories from time to time.

Ministry of Education in association with the State Governments, UT Administrations, Central Public Sector Undertakings (CPSUs) and Private Corporates had launched the Swachh Vidyalaya  initiative  in  2014  to  provide  separate  toilets  for  boys  and  girls  in  all  government schools within one year. Under this initiative, 4,17,796 toilets had been constructed/ reconstructed in 2,61,400 Government elementary and secondary schools. There is also a provision in Samagra Shiksha for sanction of budget for construction of new toilets and for taking up repairs to toilets / providing running water etc. Every year as per the  proposals  submitted  by  the  State  /  UT  during  the  Project  Approval  Board  meeting  of Samagra Shiksha, sanction is accorded for construction / repairs for toilets / water facility etc. The  centrally  sponsored  scheme  of  Samagra  Shiksha  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. Central release to States  and  UTs  under  SAP  Component  in  the  year  2022-23  is  Rs.  206.99  crore,  as  on 31.12.2022. The Ministry of Education (MoE) has instituted Swachh Vidyalaya Puraskar (SVP) from 2016-2017 at district, State and national level as a next step to Swachh Vidyalaya Initiative for institutionalizing a Swachhata ranking system for excellence in water, sanitation and hygiene in schools  across  the  country.  During  2021-22  in  Swachh  Vidyalaya  Puraskar  8,23,211  schools have  participated  and  the  top  ranking  schools  have  been  felicitated  at  the  District,  State  and National Level. A total of 57,177 Schools have got 5 star ranking and 2,99,021 schools have got

4 star ranking during SVP 2021-22.

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