Lok Sabha Question No. 1132 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-07-29
Subject: Lack of Schools and Colleges in Bihar
Ministry: EDUCATION
Asked by: Shri Tariq Anwar

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1132

ANSWERED ON 29 th  JULY, 2024

## Lack of Schools and Colleges in Bihar

## 1132.SHRI TARIQ ANWAR:

Will the Minister of EDUCATION be pleased to state:

- (a)  the  percentage  of  villages  of  Bihar  lack  primary,  middle  and  higher  secondary schools  and  colleges  and  the  average  distance  to  these  villages  from  nearby schools;
- (b) the percentage of blocks lack ITI, polytechnic or other technical institutes in Bihar and  the  average  distance  to  these  technical  colleges  from  Block  Headquarters  in these respective blocks;
- (c) the criteria of having schools in villages under the Right to Education (RTE) Act, 2009;
- (d) the number of villages in Katihar district in Bihar having no schools according to the provisions of the RTE Act;
- (e)  the  number  of  village  schools  in  Katihar  district  who  do  not  meet  the  PupilTeacher Ratio (PTR) standards as per the RTE Act; and
- (f)  the  details  of  the  compliance  with  the  RTE  Act,  2009  standards  in  schools  in villages of Katihar district?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION (SHRI JAYANT CHAUDHARY)

(a): The percentage of villages having schools in Bihar are as under:

| Percentage of Villages   | Percentage of Villages   | Percentage of Villages   | Percentage of Villages   |
|--------------------------|--------------------------|--------------------------|--------------------------|
| Primary Schools          | Upper Primary Schools    | Secondary Schools        | Higher Secondary Schools |
| 67.7                     | 56.9                     | 8.5                      | 17.5                     |

Source:- UDISE+2021-22

(b):  As  per  data  received  from  Directorate  General  of  Training,  Ministry  of  Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, there are a total of 534 blocks in Bihar State. Out  of  which,  160  of  them  having  no  ITI.At  present,  Bihar  State  has  1,377  ITIs affiliated with NCVET, including 150 Government ITIs and 1,227 Private ITIs.

(c):    As  per  section 6 of RTE Act, 2009 the appropriate Government and the local authority  shall  establish,  within  such  area  or  limits  of  neighbourhood,  as  may  be prescribed, a school, where it is not so established, within a period of three years from the commencement of this Act. The Act also mandates adequate infrastructure facilities  including  classrooms,  toilets,  drinking  water,  and  playgrounds,  as  well  as the  availability  of  trained  teachers  to  maintain  the  Pupil-Teacher  Ratio  (PTR)  as specified. According to the Bihar State Free and Compulsory Education of Children Rules, 2011  a  primary school has to be established within a limit of one km. of all habitations, where number of children between the ages of 6-14 years are at least 40 and an elementary school has to be established within a limit of three km. of any habitation.

(d):    As  per,  the  Bihar  State  Free  and  Compulsory  Education  of  Children  Rules, 2011, the habitation is the unit for providing the facility of primary and upper primary schools. As per information received from the State Government of Bihar, in Katihar, all the habitations have been provided with the facility of primary and upper primary schools.

(e) & (f):  Education is in the Concurrent list of 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 maintain Pupil-Teacher ratio in schools in accordance with the norms laid down in the Schedule to the RTE Act, 2009.

As  per  Right  of  Children  to  Free  and  Compulsory  Education  (RTE)  Act, 2009, the Pupil-Teacher Ratio (PTR) norms for primary and upper primary level are 30:1 and 35:1 respectively. As per information received from the State Government of  Bihar,  in  Katihar  district,  the  PTR  for  rural  area  is  29:1.  Further,  the  Central Government through the Centrally Sponsored Scheme of Samagra Shiksha provides assistance to the States and UTs for deployment of additional teachers to maintain appropriate pupil teacher ratio (PTR) as per the prescribed norms for various levels of schools.

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