Lok Sabha Question No. 1094 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-07-29
Subject: Rashtriya Madhyamic Shiksha Abhiyan
Ministry: EDUCATION
Asked by: Shri Jaswantsinh Sumanbhai Bhabhor

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO-1094

ANSWERED ON -29/07/2024

## RASHTRIYA MADHYAMIC SHIKSHA ABHIYAN

†1094 Shri Jaswantsinh Sumanbhai Bhabhor:

Will the Minister of EDUCATION be pleased to state:

- (a)    the main objective of the Rashtriya Madhyamic Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA);
- (b)   whether an attempt is being made by the Government to set up the student-teacher ratio 30:1 under the said scheme;
- (c)    if so, the details thereof; and
- (d)   the works being done by the Government to strengthen the education system in the tribal areas of Gujarat under the said scheme?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION

## (SHRI JAYANT CHAUDHARY)

(a): The Centrally Sponsored Scheme of Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA) was under implementation since 2009 to 2017-18 for universalizing Secondary Education in the country. The RMSA along-with Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) and Teacher Education (TE)  have  been  subsumed  into  an  integrated  Centrally  Sponsored  Scheme  for  School Education - Samagra Shiksha from 2018-19.

Samagra  Shiksha  is  an  overarching  programme  for  the  school  education  sector extending from pre-school to class XII and aims to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education at all levels of school education.  The Centrally Sponsored Scheme of Samagra Shiksha is implemented in partnership with all the States and UTs and financial assistance is provided to all States and UTs for various components. The scheme has been aligned with recommendations of the National Education Policy 2020 (NEP 2020).

(b) & (c): The RTE Act, 2009 recognizes the importance of providing adequate number of teachers and lays down that the prescribed Pupil Teacher Ratio (PTR) to be maintained for each school. National Education Policy 2020 envisages Pupil-Teacher Ratio (PTR) of 25:1 in the  areas  having  large  numbers  of  socio-economically  disadvantaged  students  and  PTR  of under 30:1 in the school of other areas.

Education is in the concurrent list of the Constitution; majority of the schools are under the  domain  of  respective  State  and  UT  Governments.  The  recruitment  and  deployment  of teachers comes under the domain of respective State/UT Governments, for which they are advised regularly. Advisories to maintain appropriate Pupil Teacher Ratio (PTR) have also been issued to States and UTs from time to time.

Bridging gender and social category gaps at all levels of school education is one of the major objectives of the scheme of Samagra Shiksha. The scheme extends its coverage to the students  belonging  to  the  socially-economically  deprived  groups  with  special  focus  to SCs/STs/EWS  through  various  interventions  such  as  Uniform,  Textbooks,  Stipend  for

(d): Girls//Scholarship/residential hostels/schools/KGVBs etc.

It is noteworthy that an amount of Rs. 1.8 Crore have been released for the year 202324 for the construction of 3 hostels in Gujarat under Pradhan Mantri Janjati Adivasi Nyaya Maha  Abhiyan  (PM-JANMAN)  for  particularly  Vulnerable Tribal Groups  (PVTGs). Moreover, Rs. 194.47 Crore has been released under ST head of Samagra Shiksha- Gujarat for the year 2023-24.

The Scheme also focuses on the identified Special Focus Districts (SFDs) on the basis of various indicators such as enrolment, retention, and gender parity, as well as concentration of SC, ST and minority communities etc. To promote various school infrastructure facilities like  additional  classrooms,  boundary  wall,  toilets,  library,  new  schools'  labs  etc.  in  these districts, Rs. 53.78 Crore has been approved in the Project Approval Board for 2024-25.

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