Lok Sabha Question No. 2088 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-08-05
Subject: Out-of-School Children  of Socially and Economically Disadvantageous Groups of SC/ST
Ministry: EDUCATION
Asked by: Shri Navaskani K, Shri Selvam G, Shri C N Annadurai

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2088 ANSWERED ON 5 th AUGUST, 2024

Out-of-School Children of Socially and Economically Disadvantageous Groups of SC/ST

2088. Shri Navaskani K: Shri Selvam G: Shri C N Annadurai:

Will the Minister of EDUCATION be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government has any data about the out-of-school children in the age group of 6-15 years belonging to socially and economically disadvantageous group of SC/ST category and if so, the details thereof;
- (b) whether the Government has planned to provide financial assistance to such children to continue their education through open/distance learning mode, if so, the details thereof; and
- (c) whether the Government has any plan to ensure continuation of education of orphan children and if so, the details thereof and the steps being taken in this regard?

## ANSWER

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

- (a) The details of the out-of-school children for the year 2023-24 age group wise is as under :

| Criteria   | Criteria       |   No. of Out-of- school children |
|------------|----------------|----------------------------------|
| Age Group  | Below 6 years  |                             1932 |
| Age Group  | 6-7            |                           133864 |
| Age Group  | 8-10           |                           334286 |
| Age Group  | 11-14          |                           301479 |
| Age Group  | Above 14 years |                             9069 |
| Social     | SC             |                           154830 |
| Category*  | ST             |                            96107 |

Source : PRABANDH

*in all age groups.

(b) At secondary level, a financial support of Rs 2,000 per child per year is provided to facilitate the education of a dropout child belonging to the Socially and economically disadvantaged groups through open/distance learning mode-( NIOS, SIOS ) respectively.

(c) The Right to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act, 2009 effective from 1st April, 2010 is applicable to all States and UTs and mandates the appropriate Government to provide free and compulsory elementary education to every child of the age 6 to 14 years in a neighborhood school. Section 12(1)(c) of the RTE Act, 2009 provides for admission of children belonging to weaker sections and disadvantaged groups in the schools specified in sub-clauses (iii) and (iv) of clause (n) of section 2 in Class I (or below) to the extent of at least 25 percent of the strength of that class. Section 2(d) of the Act defines 'child belonging to disadvantaged group' as a child with disability or a child belonging to the Scheduled Caste, the Scheduled Tribe, the socially and educationally backward class or such other group having disadvantage owing to social, cultural, economical, geographical, linguistic, gender or such other factor, as may be specified by the appropriate Government, by notification. State Governments and UT Governments are the appropriate Governments, in relation to a school established within the territory of a State and UT with legislature as per Section 2(a) of the RTE Act, 2009.

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