Lok Sabha Question No. 2313 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-08-01
Subject: Education for Girls
Ministry: Education
Asked by: Mohanbhai Kalyanji Kundariya, Kani K. Navas

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

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION No. 2313 TO BE ANSWERED ON 01.08.2022

## Education for Girls

## †2313. SHRI MOHANBHAI KALYANJI KUNDARIYA: SHRI K. NAVASKANI:

Will the Minister of EDUCATION be pleased to state:

(a) whether the Government has taken note that the dropout rate for girls is still high after Secondary education and the enrolment ratio too dips at the Secondary and Higher Secondary levels;

(b) if so, the steps taken/proposed to be taken by the Government keeping in view the fact that the onset of  menstruation and the lack of availability of hygienic toilets are responsible for girls  leaving school without completing education;

(c) whether any steps have been taken by the Government to encourage adolescent girls to bring them back to school for formal education/ skill development and if so, the details thereof; and

(d)  whether  any  holistic  system  has  been  put  in  place  for  schools  going  girls  on  the  basis  of  ongoing schemes like Beti Bachao Beti Padhao and National Education Policy so that more adolescent dropout girls can get benefits and if so, the details thereof?

## A N S W E R

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

(a) & (b): Education is a subject in the concurrent list of the Constitution and majority of schools are under the jurisdiction of the State Government. Department of School Education and Literacy (DoSEL), Ministry of Education is implementing a centrally sponsored Integrated Scheme for School Education 'Samagra  Shiksha',  effective  from  2018-19,  for  universalization  of  quality  education  throughout  the country in coordination with the States and UTs. Bridging gender and social category gaps at all levels of school education is one of the major objectives of the Samagra Shiksha. From the year 2018-19 to 2020-21,  the  Drop-out  rate  of  girls  at  Secondary  level  has  decreased  from  17.03%  to  13.7%,  Gross Enrolment  Ratio  (GER)  at  secondary  level  has  increased  from  76.93  to  79.45  and  GER  at  higher secondary level has increased from 50.84 to 54.65. (Source: UDISE+).

Under Samagra Shiksha, there is a provision of gender segregated toilets in all schools. As per UDISE+  2020-21,  97.45%  Government  schools  have  gender  segregated  toilets.  Also,  there  is  a provision of Composite School Grant which may be used for annual maintenance and repair of existing school buildings, toilets and other facilities to upkeep the infrastructure in good condition.

School Health Programme, under Ayushman Bharat which is a joint collaborative initiative of Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and DoSEL, Ministry of Education, a module on 'Growing up Healthy'  has  been  incorporated,  which  interalia  includes  information  on  physical  challenges  during adolescence and attaining puberty.

National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT)  is implementing the Adolescence Education Programme (AEP) as part of the National Population Education Project (NPEP). One of the learning outcomes of AEP is to make the learners aware of the concerns of adolescence, i.e. process  of  growing  up  during  adolescence  and  to  inculcate  in  them  positive  attitude  regarding  these concerns.

Additionally, vide a joint letter of Secretary, DoSEL and Secretary, Ministry of Jal Shakti dated 08.03.2022, the states have been advised to utilize funds earmarked for Menstrual Hygiene Management (MHM) and management of menstrual waste under Swachh Bharat Mission (Gramin) Phase-II at village level, for installation or maintenance of incinerators in schools having girls from classes VI to XII and for creating awareness on MHM among adolescent girls and in the society in general.

Moreover, all  States  and  UTs  have  been  requested  to  take  necessary  steps  to  create  awareness amongst adolescent girls in schools about safe usage and benefits of Sanitary Napkins. It has also been communicated that subsidized sanitary napkins are available at the Jan Aushadi Kendras set up by the Ministry of Chemical and Fertilisers, Government of India.

(c) & (d): Under  Samagra  Shiksha,  there  is  a  provision  of  Kasturba  Gandhi  Balika  Vidyalayas (KGBVs) in  the  Educationally  Backward  Blocks,  which  are  residential  schools  for  girls  belonging  to disadvantaged  groups  such  as  SC,  ST,  OBC,  Minority  and  Below  Poverty  Line  (BPL).  KGBVs  were functional for classes 6 th to  8 th under the erstwhile Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan. Under Samagra Shiksha, a provision has been made to upgrade/converge the KGBVs with girls hostels to cover girls upto classes 10 th (Type  II)  and  12 th (Type  III)  to  reduce  dropout  and  enhance  enrolment  of  girls  at  Secondary  and Higher Secondary levels. In KGBVs, specific skill training is imparted to provide need based vocational education to girls.

Further, Special State Specific Projects for varied interventions under equity are emphasized for enhancing access, retention and quality of girls by promoting enrolment drives, retention and motivation camps, gender sensitization modules etc. Financial Support is also being provided under State Specific projects as per the allocation of flexi fund under quality to the state subject to viable proposal received from  the  respective  State  and  UTs.  Such  projects  include  Life  Skills,  Awareness  programmes, Incinerators, Sanitary Pad Vending Machines etc.

Moreover,  Samagra  Shiksha  aims  at  integrating  Vocational  Education  with  general  academic education  in  all  Secondary/Senior  Secondary  schools  including  KGBVs;  enhancing  the  Employability and Entrepreneurial  abilities  of  the  students,  providing  exposure  to  work  environment;  and  generating awareness  amongst  students  about  various  career  options  so  as  to  enable  them  to  make  a  choice  in accordance with their aptitude, competence and aspirations.