Lok Sabha Question No. 272 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-02-05
Subject: Quality Education to Children of Educationally Backward Districts
Ministry: Education
Asked by: Sushil Kumar Rinku

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF EDUCATION DEPARTMENT OF HIGHER EDUCATION

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 272 ANSWERED ON 05.02.2024

## QUALITY EDUCATION TO CHILDREN OF EDUCATIONALLY BACKWARD DISTRICTS

## 272. SHRI SUSHIL KUMAR RINKU:

Will the Minister of EDUCATION be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government has the data of educationally backward districts of the country;
- (b) if so, the details thereof including Punjab;
- (c) the details of awareness programmes being formulated by the Government to facilitate children of these backward districts to get quality education in their surrounding areas; and
- (d)  the  details  of  the  funds  estimated  for  the  purpose  and  the  time  by  which  these  are  likely  to  be implemented?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION (Dr. SUBHAS SARKAR)

(a)  to  (d) The  government  has  launched  the  third  phase  of  Rashtriya  Uchchatar  Shiksha  Abhiyan (RUSA) in June 2023 in the form of Pradhan Mantri Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (PM-USHA) with an outlay  of  Rs.  12926.10  crore  for  the  period  2023-24  to  2025-26  to  cater  to  needs  of  educationally unserved/underserved areas. Under PM-USHA, priority is given to Focus Districts. The focus districts are  identified  by  the  concerned  States/UTs  based  on  various  criteria  including  low  Gross  Enrollment Ratio, the proportion of disadvantaged categories such as Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, etc. The details of the Focus Districts identified and submitted by the States/UTs, including Punjab, as on date is given at Annexure. The scheme envisages improvement in access, equity and excellence in State Higher Education  system  through  support  under  various  components  viz.,  Multi-Disciplinary  Education  and Research Universities (MERU), Grants to Strengthen Universities, Grants to Strengthen Colleges, New Model Degree Colleges and Gender Inclusion and Equity Initiatives.

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## ANNEXURE

ANNEXURE  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PARTS  (A)  TO  (D)  OF  LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 272 ANSWERED ON 05.02.2024 ASKED BY SHRI SUSHIL KUMAR  RINKU,  HON'BLE  MEMBER  OF  PARLIAMENT  REGARDING  QUALITY EDUCATION TO CHILDREN OF EDUCATIONALLY BACKWARD DISTRICTS

## List of Focus Districts identified by States/UTs under PM-USHA

| State                       |   No. of Focus Districts | Name Of Focus Districts                                                                                                                                                                                                                   |
|-----------------------------|--------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Andaman And Nicobar Islands |                        2 | North And Middle Andaman, South Andamans                                                                                                                                                                                                  |
| Andhra Pradesh              |                       13 | Alluri Sitharama Raju, Anantapur, Annamayya, Chittoor, East Godavari, Krishna, Nandyal, Parvathipuram Manyam, Spsr Nellore, Srikakulam, Sri Sathya Sai, Vizianagaram, Y.S.R.                                                              |
| Arunachal Pradesh           |                       12 | Changlang, East Kameng, Leparada, Lohit, Lower Dibang Valley, Lower Subansiri, Papum Pare, Tawang, Tirap, Upper Siang, Upper Subansiri, West Siang                                                                                        |
| Assam                       |                       16 | Baksa, Barpeta, Cachar, Chirang, Darrang, Dhubri, Dima Hasao, Goalpara, Hailakandi, Karbi Anglong, Karimganj, Marigaon, Sonitpur, Tinsukia, Udalguri, West Karbi Anglong                                                                  |
| Chandigarh                  |                        1 | Chandigarh                                                                                                                                                                                                                                |
| Chhattisgarh                |                       17 | Baloda Bazar, Bastar, Bemetara, Bilaspur, Dhamtari, Durg, Gariyaband, Janjgir-Champa, Kabirdham, Kanker, Khairgarh Chhuikhadan Gandai, Korba, Mahasamund, Raigarh, Raipur, Rajnandgaon, Surguja                                           |
| Goa                         |                        2 | North Goa, South Goa                                                                                                                                                                                                                      |
| Gujarat                     |                       16 | Ahmadabad, Anand, Banas Kantha, Bharuch, Dang, Dohad, Gandhinagar, Junagadh, Kachchh, Narmada, Navsari, Patan, Surat, Surendranagar, Tapi, Valsad                                                                                         |
| Haryana                     |                       11 | Bhiwani, Charki Dadri, Faridabad, Gurugram, Jhajjar, Jind, Mahendragarh, Panchkula, Panipat, Rohtak, Sonipat                                                                                                                              |
| Himachal Pradesh            |                        6 | Chamba, Kangra, Mandi, Shimla, Sirmaur, Una                                                                                                                                                                                               |
| Jammu And Kashmir           |                       10 | Badgam, Bandipora, Baramulla, Doda, Kathua, Kulgam, Kupwara, Rajauri, Ramban, Udhampur                                                                                                                                                    |
| Jharkhand                   |                       12 | Chatra, Dumka, Giridih, Godda, Gumla, Jamtara, Khunti, Latehar, Palamu, Sahebganj, Simdega, West Singhbhum                                                                                                                                |
| Karnataka                   |                       16 | Belagavi, Bidar, Chamarajanagar, Chikballapur, Chikkamagaluru, Chitradurga, Hassan, Kalaburagi, Kodagu, Kolar, Koppal, Mandya, Raichur, Uttar Kannad, Vijayapur, Yadgir                                                                   |
| Ladakh                      |                        2 | Kargil, Leh Ladakh                                                                                                                                                                                                                        |
| Lakshadweep                 |                        1 | Lakshadweep District                                                                                                                                                                                                                      |
| Madhya Pradesh              |                       27 | Anuppur, Ashoknagar, Balaghat, Barwani, Betul, Chhatarpur, Chhindwara, Dhar, Dindori, Guna, Harda, Jabalpur, Jhabua, Khargone, Mandla, Raisen, Rajgarh, Sagar, Satna, Seoni, Shahdol, Shajapur, Sheopur, Sidhi, Singrauli, Ujjain, Umaria |

| Maharashtra                                  |   18 | Amravati, Aurangabad, Buldhana, Chandrapur, Gadchiroli, Gondia, Hingoli, Jalna, Latur, Mumbai Suburban, Nanded, Nandurbar, Osmanabad, Palghar, Solapur, Thane, Washim, Yavatmal                                                                                                                                                                                                                     |
|----------------------------------------------|------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Manipur                                      |    8 | Bishnupur, Chandel, Churachandpur, Imphal East, Senapati, Tamenglong, Thoubal, Ukhrul                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               |
| Meghalaya                                    |    6 | East Garo Hills, East Khasi Hills, South Garo Hills, South West Khasi Hills, West Garo Hills, West Jaintia Hills                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    |
| Mizoram                                      |    6 | Champhai, Kolasib, Lawngtlai, Lunglei, Mamit, Saiha                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 |
| Nagaland                                     |    8 | Dimapur, Kiphire, Kohima, Mokokchung, Mon, Phek, Tseminyu, Tuensang                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 |
| Puducherry                                   |    4 | Karaikal, Mahe, Pondicherry, Yanam                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  |
| Punjab                                       |   12 | Amritsar, Barnala, Bathinda, Faridkot, Hoshiarpur, Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Mansa, Moga, Patiala, Rupnagar, Sangrur                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     |
| Rajasthan                                    |   17 | Banswara, Baran, Barmer, Bharatpur, Bhilwara, Bundi, Dholpur, Dungarpur, Jaisalmer, Jalore, Jhalawar, Karauli, Nagaur, Pali, Pratapgarh, Rajsamand, Sirohi                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          |
| Sikkim                                       |    5 | North District (Mangan), Pakyong, Soreng, South District (Namchi), West District (Gyalshing)                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        |
| Telangana                                    |   16 | Bhadradri Kothagudem, Hanumakonda, Hyderabad, Jagitial, Kamareddy, Karimnagar, Khammam, Komaram Bheem Asifabad, Mahbubnagar, Medchal Malkajgiri, Nalgonda, Nirmal, Nizamabad, Rajanna Sircilla, Rangareddi, Sangareddy                                                                                                                                                                              |
| The Dadra And Nagar Haveli And Daman And Diu |    3 | Dadra And Nagar Haveli, Daman, Diu                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  |
| Tripura                                      |    4 | Dhalai, Khowai, Unakoti, West Tripura                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               |
| Uttarakhand                                  |    6 | Chamoli, Champawat, Pauri Garhwal, Pithoragarh, Udam Singh Nagar, Uttar Kashi                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       |
| Uttar Pradesh                                |   38 | Agra, Aligarh, Ayodhya, Azamgarh, Banda, Bareilly, Bhadohi, Chandauli, Chitrakoot, Deoria, Etah, Firozabad, Gautam Buddha Nagar, Ghaziabad, Ghazipur, Gorakhpur, Hamirpur, Jalaun, Jaunpur, Jhansi, Kannauj, Kanpur Nagar, Kushi Nagar, Lalitpur, Lucknow, Mahoba, Mathura, Mau, Meerut, Mirzapur, Pilibhit, Prayagraj, Rampur, Saharanpur, Sant Kabeer Nagar, Siddharth Nagar, Sonbhadra, Varanasi |

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