Lok Sabha Question No. 149 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-12-04
Subject: Free Textbooks/Identification of School in Rural Areas under SSA
Ministry: Education
Asked by: C.N. Annadurai, Supriya Sadanand Sule, Subhash Ramrao Bhamre, Kuldeep Rai Sharma, Manjulata Mandal, Amol Ramsing Kolhe

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 149

ANSWERED ON 4 TH  DECEMBER, 2023

## Free Textbooks/Identification of School in Rural Areas under SSA

149. SHRI C.N. ANNADURAI: SHRIMATI SUPRIYA SULE: DR. SUBHASH RAMRAO BHAMRE: SHRI KULDEEP RAI SHARMA: SHRIMATI MANJULATA MANDAL: DR. AMOL RAMSING KOLHE:

Will the Minister of EDUCATION be pleased to state:

- (a) the details of the amount sanctioned under Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) for construction of new schools in the States of Maharashtra, Odisha, Tamil Nadu and Andaman & Nicobar Islands;
- (b) the details of children who have been provided free text books under the scheme in the State of Tamil Nadu during the last three years;
- (c) whether there is a shortage of availability of books for students in the rural areas even after the launch of Samagra Shiksha scheme;
- (d) if so, the steps/measures taken by the Government to make availability of books to children in rural areas and if not, the reasons therefor;
- (e) whether the Government is also aware that majority of schools in the rural areas in the States of Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra and Odisha have been neglected and need to be renovated; and
- (f) if so, the details of such schools identified in the rural areas and also the measures taken by the Government in this regard?

## ANSWER

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

- (a): The amount sanctioned for new  schools/upgradation of schools including Additional Classrooms at the secondary and senior secondary levels and Rejuvenation of Basic Infrastructure from 2018-19 to November, 2023 in the States of Maharashtra, Odisha, Tamil Nadu and Andaman & Nicobar Islands is given below:-

(Rs. in lakhs)

| State                     |   Outlay sanctioned |
|---------------------------|---------------------|
| Andaman & Nicobar Islands |              294.79 |
| Maharashtra               |            62086.3  |
| Odisha                    |            41704    |
| Tamil Nadu                |            41966.1  |

Source: PRABANDH Portal

- (b): The number of children in Tamil Nadu for whom free textbooks have been approved under Samagra Shiksha during the last three years including the current year is as under:

| Year    | Number of children   |
|---------|----------------------|
| 2021-22 | 42,83,411            |
| 2022-23 | 43,65,794            |
| 2023-24 | 47,84,135            |

Source: PRABANDH Portal

(c)  &  (d):  To  promote  equitable  access  and  to  improve  the  learning  outcomes  among  children, there is a provision under the scheme of Samagra Shiksha to provide free textbooks to all children in Government/Local Body and Government Aided schools of all States/UTs at elementary level. All children in these schools are provided with free textbooks based on the latest available UDISE+ enrolment in different States/UTs. The UDISE+ data includes all schools located in both rural and urban  areas  across  the  country.  The  States/UTs  are  advised  to  ensure  timely  distribution  of textbooks with real time monitoring so that all children receive textbooks before the start of new academic session. During 2023-24, free textbooks have been approved for 10,41,77,658 children across the country.

(e) & (f): 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 Department of School Education & Literacy, Ministry of Education is implementing Samagra Shiksha from 2018-19 to support States and UTs, including Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra and Odisha for strengthening of existing Government schools and for creation and augmentation of infrastructure facilities based on the gaps determined from Unified District Information System for Education (UDISE+) and proposals received from respective State/ Union Territory. The need for schools and also the infrastructural facilities in schools 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 Union Territories as per the programmatic and financial norms of the scheme, physical and financial progress of works sanctioned earlier and availability of budgetary resources.

Further,  the  Department  of  School  Education  &  Literacy  has  approved  a  project  on Rejuvenation of Basic Infrastructure and overall cleanliness in Government schools in approximately 1.20 lakh Government schools across the country, including the schools of Tamil Nadu,  Maharashtra  and  Odisha,  with  an  overall  budget  estimate  of  Rs.  4590  crores  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.  The  objective  is  to  fill  up  infrastructure  gaps  in  government  schools  across  the  country through Samagra Shiksha and convergence with all relevant schemes of Government of India.