Lok Sabha Question No. 721 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-02-07
Subject: New Policy in Education Sector
Ministry: Education
Asked by: Manoj Kishorbhai Kotak, Raksha Nikhil Khadse

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 721 TO BE ANSWERED ON 07.02.2022

## New Policy in Education Sector

## 721. SHRI MANOJ KOTAK:

## SHRIMATI RAKSHA NIKHIL KHADSE:

Will the Minister of EDUCATION be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government proposes to bring new policy in the education sector as it has drastically changed due to the Covid-19 Pandemic since last two years;
- (b) if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether there are instances of exploitation of students for loans on account of fees for online classes;
- (d) if so, the details thereof; and
- (e) the steps taken or proposed to be taken by the Government in this regard?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION

## (DR. SUBHAS SARKAR)

(a) & (b) Due  to  the  spread  of  COVID-19  pandemic,  schools  in  States  and  Union Territories  (UT)  were  closed  as  a  precautionary  measure  to  protect  the  students.  which interrupted  their  learning.  Ministry  of  Education  has  held  several  consultations  with  the States and UTs to assess the various aspects of the COVID-19 pandemic.  After discussion with  the  States  and  UTs,  a  multi-pronged  approach  has  been  adopted  for  leveraging technology to reach the students. A comprehensive initiative called PM eVIDYA has been initiated  which  unifies  all  efforts  related  to  digital/online/on-air  education  to  enable  multimode access to education. The initiative includes, the following components:

- DIKSHA the nation's digital infrastructure for providing quality e-content for school education  in  states/UTs:    and  QR  coded  Energized  Textbooks  for  all  grades  (one nation, one digital platform)
- One earmarked Swayam Prabha TV channel per class from 1 to 12 (one class, one channel)
- Extensive use of Radio, Community radio and CBSE Podcast- Shiksha Vani
- Special e-content for visually and hearing impaired developed on Digitally Accessible Information System (DAISY) and in sign language on NIOS website/ YouTube

Where the digital facility (mobile device/ DTH television) is not available, Ministry of Education  has  taken  many  initiatives  like  Textbooks,  worksheet  supplied  to  residence  of learners,  Handbook  on  21 st Century  Skills  and  organizing  community/mohalla  classes. Innovation  Funds  are  used  to  set  up  mobile  school,  virtual  studios,  virtual  class  rooms  in schools, Continuous Learning Plan (CLP) for States/UTs has been initiated in all States/UTs, pre-loaded tablets under Samagra Shiksha in various states and UTs are effectively used in remote/rural areas where online classes are difficult. Further in order to provide continuous professional development  opportunities to the teachers at the elementary level, this Department  launched  the  National  Initiative  for  School  Heads'  and  Teachers'  Holistic Advancement (NISHTHA) online training programme using DIKSHA platform in October 2020. NISHTHA online for elementary level covered 18 modules in 11 languages, including use of ICT in teaching-learning. NISHTHA 2.0 and NISHTHA 3.0 have also been launched for covering secondary and primary level teachers respectively.

The  Centrally  Sponsored  Scheme  Samagra  Shiksha  has  been  aligned  with  the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 in order to ensure inclusive and equitable, quality and holistic  school  education.  The  major  interventions,  across  all  levels  of  school  education, proposed under the scheme are: (i) Universal Access including Infrastructure Development and  Retention;  (ii)  Foundational  Literacy  and  Numeracy,  (iii)  Gender  and  Equity;  (iv) Inclusive Education; (v) Quality and Innovation; (vi) Financial support for Teacher Salary; (vii)  Digital  initiatives;  (viii)  RTE  Entitlements  including  uniforms,  textbooks  etc.;  (ix) Support  for  ECCE;  (x)  Vocational  Education;  (xi)  Sports  and  Physical  Education;  (xii) Strengthening of Teacher Education and Training. Samagra Shiksha also has a clear focus on bridging and eliminating gender differences in enrolment, retention and quality of learning.

(c) to (e) Education  is  in  the  concurrent  list  of  the  Constitution  and  majority  of  the schools  are  under  the  domain  of  respective  State  and  UT  Governments.  Thus,  the  matter relating to fees and its components in schools are regulated in terms of Rules and Instructions of the State Government concerned. It is for the respective State Government concerned to take  necessary  action  against  such  schools  which  violate  the  Rules  and  Instructions  of  the State Government in the matter. So far as schools affiliated to Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) are concerned, the Board has issued circular on 17 th April, 2020 to all the State  Education  Department  with  the  request  to  consider  issuing  suitable  instructions  on periodicity  of  payment  of  school  fees  and  payment  of  salaries  to  the  teaching  and  nonteaching staff to be applicable during the period of pandemic. The circular can be accessed on the website https://www.lms.org.in/assets/front/pdf/Fee\_payment\_Circular\_dated17April2020.pdf

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