Lok Sabha Question No. 2044 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-03-14
Subject: Students Online Learning Devices
Ministry: Education
Asked by: Arvind Ganpat Sawant

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2044 TO BE ANSWERED ON 14.03.2022

## Students Online Learning Devices

## 2044.  SHRI ARVIND GANPAT SAWANT:

Will the Minister of EDUCATION be pleased to state:

- (a) The  number  of  students  who  do  not  have  access  to  smartphones  and  online learning devices during the lockdown, State-wise;
- (b) the efforts taken by the Government to increase access to learning devices;
- (c) the decline in enrollment ratio owing to lack of learning resources during 2020-2021 across all the States, State-wise and Gender-wise ;
- (d) the measures taken by the Government to address the same;
- (e) whether  the  Government  proposes  to  introduce  schemes  that  ensure  access  to learning resources to students; and
- (f) if  so,  the  details  thereof,  including  funds  allocated,  and  the  timeline  by  when  the distribution of the same is likely to be completed?

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

(a) to (f) Education  is  in  the  concurrent  list  of  the  Constitution  and  majority  of  the schools are under the domain of respective State and UT Governments. As per Unified District  Information  System  for  Education  Plus  (UDISE+)  database,  the  States/UTs-wise data  regarding  the  'number  of  schools  having  internet  facility'  and  'number  of  schools having  computers'  is  available  at  serial  No.  37  (Id  3106)  and  38  (Id  3109)  respectively under  the  sub-heading  Infrastructure  of  which  the  UDISE+  link  has  been  provided herewith:

https://dashboard.udiseplus.gov.in/#/reportDashboard/sReport

During  the  pandemic,  the  Ministry  of  Education  has  taken  various  steps  for providing continued access to education, which are available to each category of students irrespective of their region or economic standard. A comprehensive initiative called PM eVidya  has  been  started  which  aims  to  unify  all  efforts  related  to  digital/  online/  on-air education to  enable multi-mode access to education. The initiative  includes  all forms of digital  modes  to  provide  wide  access-  DIKSHA  (online),  SWAYAM  (online),  SWAYAM PRABHA (TV), other TV Channels including use of Doordarshan and AIR Networks.

Where the digital facility (mobile device/DTH television) is not available, Ministry of Education has taken many initiatives like Community Radio Stations and a podcast called Shiksha Vani of CBSE, Textbooks, worksheet supplied to residence of learners, Handbook on 21 st  Century Skills and community/mohalla classes are organized.  Innovation Funds of the  Department 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 in various states and UTs are effectively used in remote rural areas where online classes are difficult.

Further, an Alternate Academic Calendar has been prepared for learning solutions including  self-assessment  for  grade  1  to  12  for  both  children  with  and  without  device. Bridge Course Modules have also been  developed for bridging the learning gaps of Out of School children studying in  special training centres (STC) under the provisions  of RTE Act,  2009.  Also,  PRAGYATA  guidelines  were  issued  to  the  States/UTs  to  facilitate continued  education  through  various  modes.  The  guidelines  inter-alia  include  situation where  internet  connectivity  is  not  available  or  available  with  very  less  bandwidth, resources  are  shared  through  various  platforms  like  television,  radio  etc.  that  do  not depend on internet.   Similarly, Students Learning Enhancement Guidelines were released in 2020 to support learning of children during COVID-19. Guidelines for development of econtent  for  children  with  special  needs  have  been  released.  Guidelines  for  parent participation in Home- based learning during school closure  and  beyond have also been released in 2021.

The  Department  of  School  Education  and  Literacy,  Ministry  of  Education  has prepared  'The  India  Report  on  Digital  Education'  which  shows  the  digital  and  remote learning  initiatives  through  the  use  of  digital  technology  access  the  country.    Link  for accessing the report is given below:

## The India Report on Digital Education 2020:

https://www.education.gov.in/sites/upload\_files/mhrd/files/India\_Report\_Digital\_Edu cation\_0.pdf

## The India Report on Digital Education 2021:

https://www.education.gov.in/sites/upload\_files/mhrd/files/irde\_21.pdf

The  ICT  Labs/  Smart  Class  Rooms  are  approved  in  schools  under  the  centrally sponsored  scheme  of  Samagra  Shiksha.  State/UT-wise  details  of  financial  allocation/ approval  &  utilisation,  year-wise  for  years  2018-19,  2019-20,  2020-21  and  2021-22  (till 31.01.2022) under the scheme are at Annexure.

*****

## ANNEXURE

ANNEXURE  REFERRED  TO  IN  PART  (a)  TO  (f)  OF  LOK  SABHA  UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2044 TO BE ANSWERED ON 14.03.2022 ASKED BY HON'BLE MP SHRI  ARVIND  GANPAT  SAWANT  REGARDING  STUDENTS  ONLINE  LEARNING DEVICES

## Statement showing State/UT-wise Approval and Expenditure of ICT and Smart Classrooms under Samagra Shiksha

(Rs in Crore)

| Sl. N   | State/UT                             | Approval         | Approval         | Approval   | Approval          | Approval   | Approval          | Expenditure   | Expenditure   | Expenditure   | Expenditure       | Expenditure               | Expenditure               |
|---------|--------------------------------------|------------------|------------------|------------|-------------------|------------|-------------------|---------------|---------------|---------------|-------------------|---------------------------|---------------------------|
| o.      | State/UT                             | 2018- 19 ICT Lab | 2019- 20 ICT Lab | 2020-21    | 2020-21           | 2021-22    | 2021-22           | 2018- 19 ICT  | 2019- 20      | 2020-21       | 2020-21           | 2021-22 (till 31.01.2022) | 2021-22 (till 31.01.2022) |
| o.      | State/UT                             | 2018- 19 ICT Lab | 2019- 20 ICT Lab | ICT Lab    | Smart Class room* | ICT Lab    | Smart Class room* | Lab           | ICT Lab       | ICT Lab       | Smart Class room* | ICT Lab                   | Smart Class room*         |
| 1       | Andaman & Nicobar Islands            | 4.7              | 0.7              | 2.7        | 4.1               | 3.0        | 0.0               | 1.0           | 3.5           | 3.6           | 4.0               | 2.2                       | 0.0                       |
| 2       | Andhra Pradesh                       | 30.0             | 48.5             | 33.1       | 0.0               | 59.3       | 26.9              | 0.0           | 24.3          | 0.0           | 0.0               | 26.4                      | 0.0                       |
| 3       | Arunachal Pradesh                    | 2.3              | 2.1              | 4.4        | 0.0               | 5.6        | 0.0               | 0.0           | 8.0           | 0.0           | 0.0               | 0.5                       | 0.0                       |
| 4       | Assam                                | 18.1             | 40.5             | 71.0       | 0.0               | 155.0      | 87.4              | 22.0          | 43.3          | 40.2          | 0.0               | 16.8                      | 0.0                       |
| 5       | Bihar                                | 46.2             | 30.8             | 11.9       | 0.0               | 0.0        | 65.7              | 0.0           | 0.0           | 0.0           | 0.0               | 0.0                       | 0.0                       |
| 6       | Chandigarh                           | 1.0              | 0.5              | 0.7        | 0.0               | 0.3        | 2.1               | 0.9           | 0.8           | 0.7           | 0.0               | 0.2                       | 0.0                       |
| 7       | Chhattisgarh                         | 24.2             | 0.0              | 1.0        | 63.0              | 13.8       | 70.9              | 3.3           | 27.7          | 0.5           | 36.7              | 0.0                       | 0.0                       |
| 8       | Daman & Diu and Dadra & Nagar Haveli | 0.4              | 0.0              | 0.9        | 0.0               | 2.2        | 2.0               | 0.3           | 0.0           | 0.6           | 0.0               | 0.0                       | 0.0                       |
| 9       | Delhi                                | 1.4              | 0.0              | 10.0       | 0.9               | 0.0        | 21.5              | 18.2          | 10.0          | 9.2           | 0.0               | 0.0                       | 0.0                       |
| 10      | Goa                                  | 0.0              | 14.8             | 0.2        | 0.0               | 0.2        | 0.0               | 0.3           | 0.0           | 0.0           | 0.0               | 0.0                       | 0.0                       |
| 11      | Gujarat                              | 0.3              | 0.0              | 0.0        | 43.5              | 0.0        | 104.0             | 0.0           | 10.8          | 10.2          | 0.0               | 19.5                      | 0.0                       |
| 12      | Haryana                              | 32.0             | 22.8             | 0.0        | 36.5              | 18.3       | 29.0              | 17.0          | 0.0           | 39.5          | 29.9              | 2.0                       | 1.2                       |
| 13      | Himachal Pradesh                     | 59.3             | 0.0              | 55.6       | 0.0               | 35.7       | 39.2              | 57.1          | 40.0          | 10.3          | 0.0               | 0.0                       | 0.0                       |
| 14      | Jammu & Kashmir                      | 49.1             | 45.3             | 26.1       | 0.0               | 51.8       | 12.4              | 26.7          | 12.6          | 56.0          | 0.0               | 0.0                       | 0.0                       |
| 15      | Jharkhand                            | 51.0             | 24.4             | 73.1       | 0.0               | 79.1       | 12.5              | 15.2          | 31.2          | 25.9          | 0.0               | 6.1                       | 0.0                       |
| 16      | Karnataka                            | 15.1             | 50.8             | 76.2       | 0.0               | 63.7       | 0.0               | 33.4          | 0.0           | 0.0           | 0.0               | 0.0                       | 0.0                       |
| 17      | Kerala                               | 47.6             | 12.5             | 0.0        | 0.0               | 0.0        | 2.8               | 0.0           | 0.0           | 0.0           | 0.0               | 0.0                       | 0.0                       |
| 18      | Ladakh                               | 0.0              | 0.0              | 4.4        | 0.0               | 2.1        | 0.5               | 0.0           | 0.0           | 0.0           | 0.0               | 5.9                       | 0.0                       |
| 19      | Lakshadweep                          | 1.2              | 0.0              | 0.3        | 0.0               | 0.3        | 0.2               | 0.0           | 0.0           | 0.0           | 0.0               | 0.0                       | 0.0                       |
| 20      | Madhya Pradesh                       | 9.7              | 0.0              | 0.0        | 0.0               | 28.2       | 16.8              | 0.0           | 0.0           | 0.0 34.5      | 0.0               | 0.0                       | 0.0                       |
| 21      | Maharashtra                          | 110.7            | 154.9            | 35.0       | 0.0               | 0.0        | 21.3              | 110.7 6.5     | 42.1          |               | 0.0 0.0           | 4.7 3.3                   | 0.0 0.0                   |
| 22      | Manipur                              | 7.8              | 12.3             | 15.6       | 0.0               | 10.0       | 7.4               |               | 13.5          | 23.1          |                   |                           |                           |
| 23      | Meghalaya                            | 0.0              | 2.8              | 12.4       | 0.0               | 5.7        | 0.0               | 3.3           | 0.1           | 5.0           | 0.0               | 2.1                       | 0.0                       |
| 24      | Mizoram                              | 0.9              | 0.0              | 3.3        | 0.0               | 0.8        | 4.8               | 0.8           | 0.0           | 2.6           | 0.0               | 0.0                       | 0.0                       |
| 25      | Nagaland                             | 0.9              | 0.5              | 0.0        | 11.4              | 0.0        | 2.7               | 0.9           | 0.0           | 0.4           | 0.0               | 0.0                       | 7.7                       |
| 26      | Odisha                               | 233.0            | 98.8             | 120.2      | 9.2               | 43.4       | 107.3             | 131.1         | 148.1         | 150.1         | 9.2               | 30.0                      | 0.0                       |
| 27      | Puducherry                           | 4.8              | 2.5              | 3.4        | 0.0               | 1.1        | 2.4               | 6.7           | 2.5           | 4.3           | 0.0               | 0.0                       | 0.0                       |
| 28      | Punjab                               | 6.6              | 0.0              | 12.5       | 0.0               | 37.5       | 68.9              | 6.6           | 42.1          | 19.3          | 0.0               | 0.0                       | 0.0                       |
| 29      | Rajasthan                            | 69.1             | 36.4             | 42.5       | 39.9              | 38.1       | 66.1              | 50.8          | 33.8          | 48.2          | 0.1               | 48.1                      | 3.3                       |
| 30      | Sikkim                               | 6.7              | 4.1              | 3.6        | 0.0               | 8.9        | 5.7               | 2.2           | 5.9           | 3.2           | 0.0               | 4.2                       | 3.7                       |
| 31      | Tamil Nadu                           | 0.0              | 104.3            | 54.3       | 0.0               | 149.9      | 20.8              | 214.4         | 77.8          | 53.1          | 0.0               | 0.0                       | 0.0                       |
| 32      | Telangana                            | 52.7             | 40.5             | 13.5       | 0.0               | 39.1       | 72.2              | 26.7          | 0.0           | 70.0          | 0.0               | 0.0                       | 0.0                       |
| 33      | Tripura                              | 0.0              | 5.7              | 4.5        | 0.0               | 22.8       | 6.0               | 0.0           | 0.0           | 18.4          | 0.0               | 3.2                       | 0.0                       |
| 34      | Uttar Pradesh                        | 37.4             | 1.1              | 0.0        | 50.4              | 0.0        | 13.0              |               | 0.0           | 0.0           | 0.0               | 0.0                       | 0.0                       |
| 36      | West Bengal                          | 0.0              | 0.0              | 8.0        |                   | 93.3       | 47.2              | 0.0           | 0.0           | 10.3          | 9.6               | 6.0 0.0                   | 0.0                       |
| 35      | Uttarakhand                          | 0.0              | 1.3              | 12.0       | 27.4 0.0          | 34.6       | 17.0              | 0.0 0.0       | 33.0          | 0.0           | 0.0               |                           | 0.0                       |
|         |                                      | 924.2            |                  |            |                   | 1003.8     | 956.8             | 756.0         |               |               |                   |                           |                           |
|         | Total                                |                  | 759.1            | 712.6      | 286.2             |            |                   |               | 611.1         | 639.0         | 89.7              | 181.0                     | 16.0                      |

Source: PRABANDH

*Provision for Smart Classrooms introduced in Samagra Shiksha in 2020-21.