Lok Sabha Question No. 3616 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-12-20
Subject: Primary Schools
Ministry: Education
Asked by: Satyadev Pachauri

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF EDUCATION DEPARTMENT OF SCHOOL EDUCATION & LITERACY

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3616 TO BE ANSWERED ON 20.12.2021

## Primary Schools

†3616. SHRI SATYADEV PACHAURI:

Will the Minister of EDUCATION be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the number of Government primary schools is decreasing for the first time in the country after independence because parents are giving priority to private schools;
- (b) if so, the number of primary schools closed in the country during the last three years and the details thereof, State-wise;
- (c) whether there is a shortage of about nine lakh teachers in the primary schools and this number is highest in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh;
- (d) the steps taken by the Government to improve the basic facilities and to meet the shortage of teachers in the schools;
- (e) the number of schools in the country having access to electricity, State-wise; and
- (f) whether the Right to Free and Compulsory Education Act is getting ineffective due to influence  of  private  schools  and  if  so,  whether  the  Government  is  considering  to implement a uniform education system?

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

- (a)  to  (f):  The  Right  of  Children  to  Free  and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act, 2009, mandates  the  appropriate  Government  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  Act,  the  States  which  are  the  appropriate Government for  schools  falling  under  their  jurisdiction,  have  notified  area  or  limits  of their  neighbourhood  norms  in  their  state  RTE  Rules,  factoring  in  their  State  specific condition, for opening of schools.

As  reported  by  States/UTs  in  their  respective  Annual  Work  Plan  and  Budget, 2021-22,  97.49%  of  habitations  in  the  country  are  covered  by  primary  schools.  The habitations  that  remain  uncovered  are  mostly  small  or  sparsely  populated  in  difficult areas where opening of school is not feasible for which there is a provision of giving transport and escort facility and opening of residential schools and hostels.

Education is in the Concurrent List of the Constitution and majority of the schools come under the jurisdiction of respective State/ UT Governments. As per the RTE Act, 2009,  the  respective  State  and  UT  Governments  are  the  appropriate  Government  to carry  out  the  provisions  of  the  RTE  Act  including  recruitment,  service  conditions  and deployment  of  teachers.    Also,  they  have  the  responsibility  and  mandate  to  provide school  infrastructure  including  upgradation/  strengthening  of  schools,  drinking  water, toilets  and  other  facilities  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  recruitment  of  teachers  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, Ministry of Education requests the States and UT Governments for filling-up the vacant posts of teachers and their  rational  deployment, through Review meetings and advisories from time to time. Further, the Central Government through the Centrally Sponsored Scheme of Samagra Shiksha,  provides  assistance  to  the  States  and  UTs  for  deployment  of  additional teachers to maintain appropriate Pupil Teacher Ratio as per the prescribed norms for various levels of schooling.

As per the Unified District Information System for Education+ 2019-20, the statewise details of Government schools having access to electricity is at Annexure .

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## ANNEXURE

ANNEXURE  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PARTS  (A)  TO  (F)  OF  LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3616 TO BE ANSWERED ON 20 TH  DECEMBER, 2021 ASKED  BY  HON'BLE  MP  SHRI  SATYADEV  PACHAURI  REGARDING  PRIMARY SCHOOLS

| STATE/UTS                 |   Government Schools with Electricity Facility |
|---------------------------|------------------------------------------------|
| ANDAMAN & NICOBAR ISLANDS |                                            310 |
| ANDHRA PRADESH            |                                          42513 |
| ARUNACHAL PRADESH         |                                           1496 |
| ASSAM                     |                                          21983 |
| BIHAR                     |                                          59817 |
| CHANDIGARH                |                                            121 |
| CHHATTISGARH              |                                          44177 |
| DADRA & NAGAR HAVELI      |                                            300 |
| DAMAN & DIU               |                                            109 |
| DELHI                     |                                           2767 |
| GOA                       |                                            827 |
| GUJARAT                   |                                          35011 |
| HARYANA                   |                                          14337 |
| HIMACHAL PRADESH          |                                          14949 |
| JAMMU & KASHMIR           |                                          15480 |
| JHARKHAND                 |                                          34113 |
| KARNATAKA                 |                                          49563 |
| KERALA                    |                                           4901 |
| LADAKH                    |                                            385 |
| LAKSHADWEEP               |                                             45 |
| MADHYA PRADESH            |                                          57023 |
| MAHARASHTRA               |                                          60677 |
| MANIPUR                   |                                           1710 |
| MEGHALAYA                 |                                           1205 |
| MIZORAM                   |                                           2002 |
| NAGALAND                  |                                           1268 |
| ODISHA                    |                                          40859 |
| PUDUCHERRY                |                                            422 |
| PUNJAB                    |                                          19377 |
| RAJASTHAN                 |                                          47312 |
| SIKKIM                    |                                            838 |
| TAMIL NADU                |                                          37579 |
| TELANGANA                 |                                          28189 |
| TRIPURA                   |                                           1514 |
| UTTAR PRADESH             |                                         102847 |
| UTTARAKHAND               |                                          14239 |
| WEST BENGAL               |                                          81081 |

Source: UDISE+ 2019-20