Lok Sabha Question No. 540 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-07-24
Subject: Hostel Facilities for Underprivileged Students
Ministry: Education
Asked by: Ashok Mahadeorao Nete

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF EDUCATION

## DEPARTMENT OF HIGHER EDUCATION

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.540

ANSWERED ON 24/07/2023

## HOSTEL FACILITIES FOR UNDERPRIVILEGED STUDENTS

## †540. SHRI ASHOK MAHADEORAO NETE:

Will the Minister of EDUCATION be pleased to state:

(a) whether the Government has taken any effective steps or proposes to take any effective step to provide adequate hostel facilities in educational institutions to the students belonging to Scheduled Castes and poor communities;

(b) if so, the details thereof as on date; and

(c) if not, the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION

(DR. SUBHAS SARKAR)

(a) to (c) Education  being  a  concurrent  list  subject,  Educational  Institutions  are  managed  by both Central and State Government. Majority of the Educational Institutions in the country falls in the purview of the State / UT Government. Setting up of Central Institutes of higher education and scaling up capacity of the existing institutions is a continuous process. The educational projects in the country to promote and improve the educational system in collaboration with State Governments are done under the Centrally Sponsored Scheme of Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA) of Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Education. RUSA seeks to improve the overall quality of existing State higher educational institutions by ensuring their conformity to prescribed norms and standards  and  adoption  of  accreditation  as  mandatory  quality  assurance  framework;  correcting regional imbalances by facilitating access to high quality institutions in rural and semi urban areas. RUSA  supports  colleges  and  universities  across  the  country  under  various  components  such  as Equity Initiatives, Infrastructure grants to universities, Infrastructure grants to colleges, etc.

Under  the  Centrally  Sponsored  Scheme  for  School  Education-  Samagra  Shiksha  of  the Department of School Education and Literacy, financial assistance is provided to the States and UTs for  carrying out various interventions to provide equitable and qualitative education, including up- gradation and running of Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalayas, setting up of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Avasiya Vidyalayas(NSCBAV). Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalayas (KGBVs) are residential schools  from  class  VI  to  XII  for  girls  belonging  to  disadvantaged  groups  such  as  SC,  ST,  OBC, Minority and Below Poverty Line (BPL). The KGBVs are set up in Educationally Backward Blocks.

Further,  Samagra  Shiksha  provides  financial  assistance  to  states  and  UTs  for  opening  and running of Residential Schools and Hostels in hilly terrain, small and sparsely populated areas for children who are in need of shelter and care, in addition to the provision of regular schools. These residential hostels have been renamed as Netaji Subhash Chandra Awasiya Vidyalayas. The financial assistance  is  based  on  the  annual  plans  prepared  by  the  States  and  UTs  as  per  their  requirements/ priority.

Also, Under the 'Hostel' component of the Centrally Sponsored Scheme of Pradhan Mantri Anusuchit Jaati Abhyudaya Yojana (PM-AJAY),  the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment provides  financial  assistance  to  State  Governments/Union  Territory  Administrations  as  well  as Central/State Universities or Institutions funded fully or partially by the Central Government/State Governments/Union Territory Administrations, for construction of Hostels for SC Boys and Girls. The Central financial assistance is Rs.3.50 lakh per inmate for North Eastern Region, Rs.3.25 lakh per inmate for Northern Himalayan Regions (Jammu & Kashmir, Laddakh, Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh) and Rs.3.00 lakh per inmate for rest of the States/Union Territories. In addition, a one- time grant of Rs.5000/- per student is also given for making provisions necessary to make these hostels functional. The responsibility for making the hostels functional and operational lies with the respective implementing  agencies.

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