Lok Sabha Question No. 290 (STARRED), answered on 2021-08-09
Subject: Educationally Backward Districts
Ministry: Education
Asked by: Rama Devi, Harish Dwivedi

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF EDUCATION DEPARTMENT OF HIGHER EDUCATION

## LOK SABHA

## STARRED QUESTION NO . *290 TO BE ANSWERED ON 9 th  AUGUST, 2021

## †*290 SHRIMATI RAMA DEVI:

## Educationally Backward Districts SHRI HARISH DWIVEDI:

Will the Minister of EDUCATION be pleased to state:

(a)  whether  the  Government  has  identified  districts  in  the  country  which  are educationally backward and if so, the details thereof, State-wise; (b) the criteria/ norms adopted to identify the said districts; (c) the efforts  being made  by the  Government  to improve the education level in the said districts; and (d) whether  the  Government  has  conducted  any review  of  the  progress  achieved with  the  said  efforts and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER MINISTER OF EDUCATION (SHRI DHARMENDRA PRADHAN)

(a) to (d) A statement is laid on the table of the House

## STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (A) TO (D) OF LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 290 TO BE ANSWERED ON 09.08.2021 ASKED BY SHRIMATI  RAMA  DEVI;  SHRI  HARISH  DWIVEDI,  HON'BLE  MEMBER  OF

PARLIAMENT REGARDING EDUCATIONALLY BACKWARD DISTRICTS (a) : Yes Sir. Details are placed at Annexure I. (b): An  Expert  Committee  constituted  by  the  University  Grants  Commission (UGC)  had  identified  374  Educationally  Backward  Districts  (EBDs)  based on various  educational  parameters  including  Gross  Enrolment   Ratio    (GER),Collegepopulation Ratio and average enrolment per college. (c)  &  (d):  Government  has  taken  a  number  of  measures  to  improve  the educational  standards  in  the  country  with  special  focus  on  EBDs.  Some  of  these measures are as follows : Department of  School  Education  is  implementing  an  Integrated  Scheme  for School Education named Samagra Shiksha which treats school education holistically and  without  segmentation  from  pre-primary  to  class  XII.  The  scheme  enables  all children to have access to quality education with an equitable and inclusive classroom environment which should take care of their diverse background, multilingual needs, different academic abilities and make them active participants in the learning process. The scheme covers 11.6 lakh schools, over 15.6 crore students and 57 lakh Teachers of  Govt.  and  Aided  schools.  Initiatives  of  National  Initiative  forSchool  Heads'  and Teachers'  Holistic  Advancement  (NISHTHA),  National  Mission  on  Foundational Literacy  and  Numeracy  (NIPUN  Bharat),  Performance  Assessment,  Review,  and Analysis of Knowledge for Holistic Development (PARAKH)etc are being implemented to improve the quality of school education. To  reduce  gender  gaps  at  all  levels  of  schooling,  5726  KGBVs  have  been sanctioned in the country. Model Degree Colleges have been sanctioned in 194 districts of which UGC had Sanctioned 64 and 130 MDCs were sanctioned under the Centrally Sponsored Scheme of Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA). Schemes like National Mission on Education through Information and Communication  Technology,  Pandit  Madan  Mohan  Malviya  National  Mission  on Teachers and Teaching, various Scholarship schemes, etc and initiatives like, Massive Open Online Courses, Study Webs of Active-Learning for Young Aspiring Minds(SWAYAM),SWAYAM Prabha etc are being implemented to enhance the quality of Higher Education. On SWAYAM portal, online courses are provided to learners free of  cost  in  11  Indian  languages  whereas  34  Educational TV  channels  are  provided under SWAYAM Prabha. Due to various efforts taken by the government in the education sector, Gross Enrolment Ratio has substantially increased and gender parity has been achieved in School as well as Higher education.

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Annexure referred to in part (a) of Lok Sabha Starred Question No. 290 to be answered on 9 th August, 2021 regarding Educationally Backward Districts asked by Shrimati Rama Devi; Shri Harish Dwivedi, Hon'ble MP

State wise details of educationally backward districts identified by UGC

|   Sl. No | State                       |   No. of EBDs identified | Name of Districts                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              |
|----------|-----------------------------|--------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|        1 | Andaman & Nicobar Islands   |                        2 | Andamans, Nicobars                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             |
|        2 | Andhra Pradesh (erstwhile)  |                       11 | Adilabad, Anantapur, East Godavari, Kurnool, Mahbubnagar, Medak, Nizamabad, Prakasam, Srikakulam, Vizianagaram, West Godavari                                                                                                                                                                                                                  |
|        3 | Arunachal Pradesh           |                       11 | Changlang, Dibang Valley, East Kameng, Lohit, Lower Subansiri, Tawang, Tirap, Upper Siang, Upper Subansiri, West Kameng, West Siang                                                                                                                                                                                                            |
|        4 | Assam                       |                       12 | Bongaigaon, Cachar Darrang, Dhubri, Goalpara, Hailakandi, KarbiAnglong, Karimganj Marigaon , Nagaon, Sonitpur, Tinsukia                                                                                                                                                                                                                        |
|        5 | Bihar                       |                       25 | Araria, Aurangabad, Banka, Begusarai, Darbhanga, Gopalganj, Jamui, Kaimur, Katihar, Khagaria, Kishanganj, Lakhisarai, Madhepura, Madhubani, Nawada, W. Champaran, E. Champaran , Purnia, Saharsa, Samastipur, Sheohar, Sitamarhi, Siwan, Supaul, Vaishali                                                                                      |
|        6 | Chhattisgarh                |                       15 | Bastar, Bilaspur, Dantewada, Dhamtari, Durg, Janjgir - champa, Jashpur, Kanker, Kawardha, Koriya, Mahasamund, Raigarh, Raipur, Rajnandgaon, Surguja                                                                                                                                                                                            |
|        7 | Dadar& Nagar Havelli        |                        1 | D & N Havelli                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  |
|        8 | Daman & Diu                 |                        2 | Daman, Diu                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     |
|        9 | Gujarat                     |                       20 | Amreli, BanasKantha, Bharuch, Bhavnagar, Dohad, Jamnagar, Junagad, Kachchh, Kheda, Mahesana, Narmada, PanchMahals, Patan, Porbandar, Rajkot, SabarKantha , Surat, Surendranagar, The Dangs, Valsad                                                                                                                                             |
|       10 | Haryana                     |                        7 | Fatehabad, Gurgaon, Jind, Kaithal, Karnal, Panipat, Sirsa                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      |
|       11 | Himachal Pradesh            |                        4 | Chamba, Kinnaur, Lahul&Spiti, Sirmaur                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          |
|       12 | Jammu & Kashmir (erstwhile) |                       11 | Anantnag, Badgam, Baramula, Doda, Kargil, Kathua, Kupwara, Leh, Punch, Rajauri, Udhampur                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       |
|       13 | Jharkhand                   |                       12 | Chatra, Deoghar, Dumka, Garhwa, Giridih, Godda, Gumla, Kodarma, Pakaur, Palamu Paschim.Singhbhum, Sahibganj                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    |
|       14 | Karnataka                   |                       20 | Bagalkot, Bangalore Rural, Belgaum, Bellary, Bijapur, Chamarajanagar, Chikmagalur, Chitradurga, Dakshina Kannada, Gadag , Hassan, Haveri, Kodagu, Kolar, Koppal, Mandya, Raichur, Tumkur, Udupi, Uttara Kannada                                                                                                                                |
|       15 | Kerala                      |                        4 | Kasaragod, Malappuram, Palakkad, Wayanad                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       |
|       16 | Lakshadweep                 |                        1 | Lakshadweep                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    |
|       17 | Madhya Pradesh              |                       39 | Balaghat , Barwani, Betul, Bhind, Chhatarpur, Chhindwara, Damoh, Datia, Dewas, Dhar, Dindori, East Nimar, Guna, Harda, Jhabua, Katni, Mandla , Mandsaur, Morena, Narsimhapur, Neemuch, Panna, Raisen, Rajgarh, Ratlam, Sagar, Satna, Sehore, Seoni, Shahdol, Shajapur,Sheopur, Shivpuri, Sidhi, Tikamgarh, Ujjain, Umaria, Vidisha, West Nimar |
|       18 | Maharashtra                 |                        7 | Buldana, Gadchiroli, Hingoli, Jalna, Raigarh, Ratnagiri, Sindhudurg                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            |

| 19.   | Meghalaya     |   5 | East Garo Hills, Jaintia Hills, RiBhoi, South Garo Hills, West Khasi Hills                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          |
|-------|---------------|-----|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| 20.   | Mizoram       |   7 | Champhai, Kolasib, Lawngtlai, Lunglei, Mamit, Saiha, Serchhip                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       |
| 21.   | Nagaland      |   1 | Mon                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 |
| 22.   | Odisha        |  18 | Anugul, Balangir, Bargarh, Baudh, Debagarh, Dhenkanal, Gajapati, Ganjam, Kalahandi, Kandhamal, Kendujhar, Koraput, Malkangiri, Nabarangapur, Nayagarh, Nuapada, Rayagada, Sonapur                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   |
| 23.   | Puducherry    |   1 | Yanam                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               |
| 24.   | Punjab        |  13 | Amritsar, Bathinda, Faridkot, Fatehgarh Sahib, Firozpur, Gurdaspur, Kapurthala, Mansa, Moga, Muktsar, Nawanshahr, Patiala, Sangrur                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  |
| 25.   | Rajasthan     |  30 | Ajmer, Alwar, Banswara, Baran, Barmer, Bharatpur, Bhilwara, Bikaner, Bundi, Chittaurgharh, Churu, Dausa, Dhaulpur, Dungarpur, Ganganagar, Hanumangarh, Jaisalmer, Jalor, Jhalawar, Jhunjhunun, Jodhpur, Karauli, Nagaur, Pali, Rajsamand, SawaiMadhopur, Sikar, Sirohi, Tonk, Udaipur                                                                                                                                               |
| 26.   | Sikikim       |   4 | East, North, South, West                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            |
| 27.   | Tamil Nadu    |  27 | Ariyalur, Coimbatore, Cuddalore, Dharmapuri, Dindigul, Erode, Kancheepuram, Kanniyakumari, Karur, Madurai, Nagapattinam, Perambalur, Pudukkottai, Ramanathapuram, Salem, Sivaganga, Thanjavur, The Nilgiris, Theni, Thiruvallur, Thiruvarur, Thoothukkudi, Tirunelveli, Tiruvannamalai, Vellore, Viluppuram, Virudhunagar                                                                                                           |
| 28.   | Tripura       |   4 | North Tripura, South Tripura, West Tripura, Dhalai                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  |
| 29.   | Uttar Pradesh |  41 | Bahraich, Balrampur, Banda, Barabanki, Bareilly, Basti, Bijnor, Budaun, Bulandshahr, Chitrakoot, Etah, Farrukhabad, Fatehpur, Gonda, Hamirpur, Hardoi, Hathras, Jyotiba P. Nagar, Kannauj , Kanpur Dehat , Kaushambi, Kheri, Kushinagar, Lalitpur, Maharajganj, Mahoba, Mathura, Moradabad, Muzaffarnagar, Pilibhit, Rae Bareli, Rampur, Saharanpur, SantKabir Nagar, Shahjahanpur, Shrawasti, Siddharthnagar, Sitapur, Sonbhadra , |
| 30.   | Uttarakhand   |   2 | Bageshwar , Champawat                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               |
| 31.   | West Bengal   |  17 | Bankura, Barddhaman, Birbhum, DakshinDinajpur, Darjiling, Haora, Hugli, Jalpaiguri, Koch Bihar, Maldah, Medinipur, Murshidabad, Nadia, North 24 Parganas, Puruliya, South 24 Parganas, Uttar Dinajpur                                                                                                                                                                                                                               |
|       | Total         | 374 |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     |