Lok Sabha Question No. 2924 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-08-07
Subject: Renovation of Schools/Availability of Books in Schools in Rural Areas
Ministry: Education
Asked by: Shriniwas Dadasaheb Patil, Kunwar Danish Ali

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF EDUCATION

## DEPARTMENT OF SCHOOL EDUCATION AND LITERACY

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2924 ANSWERED ON 7 TH  AUGUST, 2023

## Renovation of Schools/Availability of Books in Schools in Rural Areas

## 2924. SHRI SHRINIWAS PATIL:

## KUNWAR DANISH ALI:

Will the Minister of EDUCATION be pleased to state:

(a)  whether  the  Government  is  aware  that  almost  82  per  cent  of  schools  in  the  rural  areas  have  been neglected during the pandemic and need to be renovated;

(b)  if  so,  the  details  of  such  schools  identified  in  the  rural  areas  and  also  the  measures  taken  by  the Government in this regard;

(c) if not, the reasons therefor;

(d) whether the Government is aware that there is a shortage of availability of books for students in the rural areas;

(e) if so, the steps/measures taken by the Government to make availability of books to children in rural areas; and

(f) if not, the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION (SHRIMATI ANNPURNA DEVI)

(a) to (c): Education is a subject in the Concurrent list of the 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  provide  infrastructure  in  schools  in  accordance  with  the  norms  laid down in the Schedule to the RTE Act, 2009 and as per respective State RTE Rules.

The  Department  of  School  Education  &  Literacy,  Ministry  of  Education  is  implementing Samagra  Shiksha  from  2018-19  to  support  States  and  UTs  for  strengthening  of  existing  Government schools and for creation and augmentation of infrastructure facilities including toilets for boys and girls, based  on  the  gaps  determined  from  Unified  District  Information  System  for  Education  (UDISE+)  and proposals received from  respective State/ Union  Territory. The  need  for schools and also the infrastructural facilities in schools are worked out every year by the respective State/Union Territory on incremental basis depending on their need and priority and reflected in their Annual Work Plan & Budget (AWP&B). These plans are then appraised and approved/estimated by the Project Approval Board (PAB) in the Department of School Education & Literacy in consultation with the States and Union Territories.

During  the  last  three  years  i.e.  2020-21,  2021-22  and  2022-23,  an  amount of Rs. 10,078.34 crore has been sanctioned under Samagra Shiksha for carrying out infrastructure works like construction of new schools, classrooms, art/craft/culture rooms, labs, toilets (girls, boys & CWSN), drinking water facilities, major repairs, boundary wall, electrification, ramps, etc.

(d) to (f):  To promote equitable access and to improve the learning outcomes among children, there is a provision under the scheme  of Samagra  Shiksha  to provide free textbooks to all children in Government/Local  Body  and  Government  Aided  schools  of  all  States/UTs  at  elementary  level.  All children  in  these  schools  are  provided  with  free  textbooks  based  on  the  latest  available  UDISE+ enrolment in different states/UTs. The UDISE+ data includes all schools located in both rural and urban areas across the country. The States/UTs are advised to ensure timely distribution of textbooks with real time monitoring so that all children receive textbooks before the start of new academic session. A number of 9,90,91,701 children were provided free textbooks across the country during 2022-23.

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