Lok Sabha Question No. 445 (STARRED), answered on 2023-04-03
Subject: Lack of Electricity/Playgrounds in Government Schools
Ministry: Education
Asked by: Gajanan Chandrakant Kirtikar, Kalaben Mohanbhai Delkar

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

## LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 445 ANSWERED ON 3 RD APRIL, 2023

## Lack of Electricity/Playgrounds in Government Schools

## †*445. SHRI GAJANAN KIRTIKAR:

## SHRIMATI DELKAR KALABEN MOHANBHAI:

Will the Minister of EDUCATION be pleased to state:

- (a) whether almost half of the Government schools in various rural parts of the country do not have electricity or playgrounds;
- (b) if so, the details thereof, State-wise along with the reasons therefor;
- (c) whether many young men and women are not able to showcase their talent in sports due to lack of playgrounds in schools, if so, the details thereof, State-wise;
- (d) the details of corrective steps taken/proposed to be taken by the Government in this regard, State-wise especially Maharashtra, Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu; and
- (e) the details of the action taken by the Government in this regard so far, State-wise?

## ANSWER MINISTER OF EDUCATION

## (SHRI DHARMENDRA PRADHAN)

- (a) to (e): A statement is laid on the Table of the House.

## STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) TO (e) OF LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 445 TO BE ANSWERED ON 3 RD APRIL, 2023 ASKED BY HON'BLE MPS SHRI GAJANAN KIRTIKAR AND SHRIMATI DELKAR KALABEN MOHANBHAI REGARDING LACK OF ELECTRICITY/PLAYGROUNDS IN GOVERNMENT SCHOOLS

(a) to (e): ' Sports' being a State subject, the responsibility of development of playground in various rural parts of the country rests primarily with the State/Union Territory Governments. The Central Government supplements their effort by bridging the critical gaps. The Khelo India Scheme is the flagship Central Sector Scheme of the Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports. It aims at infusing sports culture and achieving sporting excellence in the country thus allowing the populace to harness the power of sports through its cross-cutting influence. The Khelo India programme includes playfield development; community coaching development; promotion of community sports; establishment of a strong sports competition structure at both school and university level as also for rural / indigenous sports, sports for persons with disability and women sports; filling up of critical gaps in sports infrastructure, including creation of hubs of sports excellence in select universities; talent identification and development; support to sports academies; implementation of a national physical fitness drive for school children; and sports for peace and development. Under the 'Creation and Upgradation of Sports Infrastructure' component of the Khelo India Scheme, Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports has sanctioned Rs. 1.95 crore, Rs. 6.25 crore & Rs. 0.17 crore in the year 2018-19, 2019-20 & 202021 respectively.

The Department of School Education & Literacy, Ministry of Education is implementing Samagra Shiksha from 2018-19 to support States and UTs for strengthening of existing government schools and for creation and augmentation of infrastructure facilities including electricity and playground based on the gaps determined from Unified District Information System for Education (UDISE+) and proposals received from respective State/UT. The need for schools and also the infrastructural facilities in schools including electricity and playground are worked out every year by the respective State/Union Territory on incremental basis depending on their need and priority and reflected in their Annual Work plan & Budget (AWP&B). These plans are then appraised and approved/estimated by the Project Approval Board (PAB) in the Department of School Education & Literacy in consultation with the States and UTs.

As per Unified District Information System for Education 2021-22 (UDISE+), the facilities of electricity and playground are available in 88.90% and 72.60% Government schools respectively in the country including schools of Maharashtra, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu. The details regarding the State wise number and percentage of Government schools having electricity and playground is at Annexure - I.

Education is a subject in the Concurrent list of the Constitution and most of the schools come 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 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 Schedule to the RTE Act, 2009 lays down the norms and standards for a school building. A school building shall be an all-weather building consisting of inter alia other infrastructure facilities, a playground too.

Samagra Shiksha scheme also supports construction of play fields and compound walls for Government run schools in the villages through Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme or under convergence with other Government departments and with community participation. Further, to address the issue of shortage of playgrounds in schools, this Ministry has issued an advisory to the State Governments that the schools that do not have playgrounds, may make adequate arrangements in an adjoining playground, municipal park etc., for children to play outdoor games and other physical activities. A D.O Letter dated 16.09.2021 was issued jointly with the Ministry of Panchayati Raj informing all States/UTs that the Gram Panchayats may be permitted to utilize 14 th and 15 th Finance Commission (FC) Grants available with them for maintenance and creation/ strengthening of basic infrastructure facilities which inter alia includes functional electricity connection and maintenance of playgrounds in Primary/ Upper Primary/Secondary/Higher Secondary Schools on priority. Another D.O Letter dated 25.03.2022 was issued to several States/UTs based on UDISE data on availability of electricity connection in schools. The States/UTs which had gaps in functional electricity connection were requested to take up provision of electricity connection to all remaining schools in that State/UT in a mission mode in coordination with the State Electricity Department/Board and State Education Department.

Recently the Department of School Education & Literacy has also approved a project on Rejuvenation of Basic Infrastructure in approximately 1.20 lakh Government schools across the country with an overall budget estimate of Rs. 4590 crore under Samagra Shiksha scheme. The interventions covered under the project are major/minor repairs, functional toilets (boys/girls), electricity connections, functional drinking water facility and boundary walls.

*****

## ANNEXURE REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) TO (e) OF LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 445 TO BE ANSWERED ON 3 RD APRIL, 2023 ASKED BY HON'BLE MPS SHRI GAJANAN KIRTIKAR AND SHRIMATI DELKAR KALABEN MOHANBHAI REGARDING LACK OF ELECTRICITY/PLAYGROUNDS IN GOVERNMENT SCHOOLS

## State wise number and percentage of Government schools having electricity and playground

| India/State/UT                     | Number of Government Schools   | Number of Government Schools   | Number of Government Schools   | Percentage of Government Schools   | Percentage of Government Schools   |
|------------------------------------|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|------------------------------------|------------------------------------|
| India/State/UT                     | Total                          | Having Playground              | Having Electricity             | Having Playground                  | Having Electricity                 |
| India                              | 1022386                        | 742087                         | connection 908774              | 72.6                               | connection 88.9                    |
| Andaman &Nicobar Islands           | 342                            | 328                            | 312                            | 95.9                               | 91.2                               |
| Andhra Pradesh                     | 45137                          | 33103                          | 44472                          | 73.3                               | 98.5                               |
| Arunachal Pradesh                  | 2985                           | 1903                           | 1811                           | 63.8                               | 60.7                               |
| Assam                              | 45490                          | 36057                          | 40825                          | 79.3                               | 89.7                               |
| Bihar                              | 75558                          | 33381                          | 65823                          | 44.2                               | 87.1                               |
| Chandigarh                         | 123                            | 116                            | 123                            | 94.3                               | 100                                |
| Chhattisgarh                       | 48743                          | 37260                          | 46503                          | 76.4                               | 95.4                               |
| Dadra &Nagar Haveli and Daman &Diu | 388                            | 387                            | 388                            | 99.7                               | 100                                |
| Delhi                              | 2762                           | 2625                           | 2762                           | 95                                 | 100                                |
| Goa                                | 814                            | 679                            | 814                            | 83.4                               | 100                                |
| Gujarat                            | 34699                          | 29198                          | 34678                          | 84.1                               | 99.9                               |
| Haryana                            | 14562                          | 12603                          | 14404                          | 86.5                               | 98.9                               |
| Himachal Pradesh                   | 15380                          | 13180                          | 15139                          | 85.7                               | 98.4                               |
| Jammu &Kashmir                     | 23173                          | 12541                          | 17106                          | 54.1                               | 73.8                               |
| Jharkhand                          | 35840                          | 24330                          | 34593                          | 67.9                               | 96.5                               |
| Karnataka                          | 49679                          | 38503                          | 49243                          | 77.5                               | 99.1                               |
| Kerala                             | 5010                           | 3899                           | 4950                           | 77.8                               | 98.8                               |
| Ladakh                             | 838                            | 624                            | 781                            | 74.5                               | 93.2                               |
| Lakshadweep                        | 38                             | 37                             | 38                             | 97.4                               | 100                                |
| Madhya Pradesh                     | 92695                          | 71664                          | 66891                          | 77.3                               | 72.2                               |
| Maharashtra                        | 65639                          | 58619                          | 60535                          | 89.3                               | 92.2                               |
| Manipur                            | 2889                           | 2421                           | 1753                           | 83.8                               | 60.7                               |
| Meghalaya                          | 7783                           | 3008                           | 1420                           | 38.6                               | 18.2                               |
| Mizoram                            | 2563                           | 2128                           | 2086                           | 83                                 | 81.4                               |
| Nagaland                           | 1960                           | 1338                           | 1371                           | 68.3                               | 69.9                               |
| Odisha                             | 49072                          | 27884                          | 40832                          | 56.8                               | 83.2                               |
| Puducherry                         | 422                            | 367                            | 422                            | 87                                 | 100                                |
| Punjab                             | 19259                          | 18632                          | 19257                          | 96.7                               | 100                                |
| Rajasthan                          | 68948                          | 52086                          | 57835                          | 75.5                               | 83.9                               |
| Sikkim                             | 864                            | 732                            | 859                            | 84.7                               | 99.4                               |
| Tamil Nadu                         | 37636                          | 30951                          | 37636                          | 82.2                               | 100                                |
| Telangana                          | 30023                          | 20584                          | 27616                          | 68.6                               | 92                                 |
| Tripura                            | 4262                           | 3376                           | 2370                           | 79.2                               | 55.6                               |
| Uttar Pradesh                      | 137024                         | 100974                         | 116638                         | 73.7                               | 85.1                               |
| Uttarakhand                        | 16484                          | 11946                          | 14799                          | 72.5                               | 89.8                               |
| West Bengal                        | 83302                          | 54623                          | 81689                          | 65.6                               | 98.1                               |

Source:- UDISE+ 2021-22