Lok Sabha Question No. 212 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-11-25
Subject: Lack of Quality Education to  Rural, Deprived, Underprivileged Communities  Students
Ministry: EDUCATION
Asked by: Smt. Bharti Pardhi, Shri Shrirang Appa Chandu Barne

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO- 212

ANSWERED ON- 25/11/2024

## Lack of Quality Education to Rural, Deprived, Underprivileged Communities Students

## †212 Smt. Bharti Pardhi:

Shri Shrirang Appa Chandu Barne:

Will the Minister of EDUCATION be pleased to state:

(a) whether several rural, deprived and underprivileged communities still have no access to education despite the country's rapid economic development and increasing prosperity, if so, the steps taken by the Government to provide quality education for these communities;

- (b) whether there is shortage of adequate resources in several schools and colleges to provide quality education to students, despite the Government's commitment towards education, if so, the action taken by the Government in this regard;
- (c) the reasons for lack of resources for providing quality education in schools and colleges;
- (d) the steps taken by the Government in this regard; and

(e) whether the Indian education system is based on old curriculum which is not in accordance to the latest technologies used in schools and colleges and the latest development in the society, if so, the action taken by the Government in this regard?

## ANSWER

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

(a)  to  (e):  Education  is  in  the  Concurrent  List  of  the  Constitution  and  the  majority  of Schools/Higher Education  Institutions  are  in  the  domain  of  the  respective  States/UTs.  The States/UTs and Centre endeavour to uplift the educational status of the students of the country, including rural, deprived and underprivileged students.

Various schemes/projects/programmes run by the Ministry have been aligned with the National  Education  Policy  (NEP)  2020.  NEP  2020  aims  to  ensure  that  no  student  loses opportunity to learn and excel because of the circumstances of birth or background. It has taken into account the concerns of the Socio-Economically Disadvantaged Groups (SEDGs) which inter-alia  includes  geographical  identities  such  as  students  from  villages,  small  towns,  and aspirational districts and other categories. This policy aims at bridging the social category gaps in access, participation, and learning outcomes.

The  Department  of  School  Education  and  Literacy  has  implemented  an  Integrated Centrally Sponsored Scheme for School Education- Samagra Shiksha from 2018-19. It aims to ensure that all children, from pre-school to class 12, have access to quality education with an equitable  and  inclusive  classroom  environment  which  should  take  care  of  their  diverse background, multilingual needs, different academic abilities and make them active participants in  the  learning  process.  Samagra  Shiksha  supports  to  all  States  and  UTs  for  different interventions like composite school grant to every school for providing a conducive learning environment, grants for library, sports and physical activities, Free Uniform And text books to eligible students, support for Rashtriya Avishkar Abhiyan, ICT and digital initiatives, School Leadership development programme, remedial teaching for academically weaker students, etc. Under Samagra Shiksha, financial assistance is provided to States and UTs including rural and underprivileged  students  for  the  expansion  of  quality  education  by  undertaking  various activities such as setting up, up-gradation and running of Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalayas, setting up and running of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Avasiya Vidyalayas, establishing of hostels  under  PM-JANMAN,  DA-JGUA,  various  school  infrastructure  components  to identified  border  villages  under  Vibrant  Village  Program  etc.  Further,  under  the  studentoriented component for the children with special needs, financial assistance is provided for identification and assessment of children with special needs, aids and appliances, Braille kits and books, appropriate teaching learning material and stipend to girl students with disability etc.

The integrated scheme of Samagra has also been aligned with NEP 2020 to focus on improving  the  quality  of  education  through  various  measures  such  as  introduction  of  new pedagogical  and  curricular  structure,  Early  Childhood  Care  and  Education,  Foundational Literacy and Numeracy and Transforming Assessment for Student Development, Experiential and Competency based Learning, etc.

In  order  to  ensure  that  every  student,  including  those  residing  in  rural  areas  of  the country, gets continuous access to education, a multi-pronged approach has been adopted by the Department of School Education and Literacy, Ministry of Education. A comprehensive initiative called PM e-Vidya has been started as part of Atma Nirbhar Bharat Abhiyan, which unifies all efforts related to digital/ online / on-air education to enable multi-mode access to education.

Where the digital facility (mobile device/DTH television) is not available, the Ministry of Education has taken many initiatives like Community Radio Stations and a podcast called Shiksha  Vani  of  CBSE,  Textbooks,  worksheets  supplied  to  the  residence  of  learners,  and community/mohalla classes. Innovation Funds of the Department are used to set up mobile schools, virtual studios, virtual classrooms in schools. Continuous Learning Plan (CLP) for states/UTs has been initiated in all States/UTs, pre-loaded tablets in various states and UTs are effectively used in remote rural areas where online classes are difficult.

The  Department  of  Higher  Education  has  also  undertaken  various  measures  for expansion of quality education such as providing much-needed flexibility, allowing creative combination of subjects, providing multiple pathways, establishing equivalence and mobility to  the  students  through  National  Credit  Framework  (NCrF),  National  Higher  Education Qualification Framework, Academic Bank of Credit (ABC), multiple entry/exit; offering of courses and books / course materials in Indian Languages; use of technology to enhance access to  education  and  for  administration  and  governance  of  Universities  and  HEIs;  permitting learners  to  avail  upto  40%  credit  Courses  from  SWAYAM  platform;  industry  academia collaboration for internships and to develop courses and curriculum to meet the industry and societal needs, offering of industry-aligned courses; embedding of Indian Knowledge system in the education etc.

The  Department  of  Higher  Education  has  launched  the  third  phase  of  Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan  (RUSA) as Pradhan Mantri Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (PMUSHA) in June 2023 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.  It  is  a  Centrally  Sponsored Scheme aimed at funding specific State government universities and colleges, including in the rural areas, so as to improve their quality by ensuring their conformity to prescribed norms and standards.

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 Enrolment Ratio, Gender  Parity,  population  proportion  and  enrolment  proportion  for  females,  transgenders, Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and Other Backward Classes, Aspirational/ Border Area/ Left Wing Extremism prone district, etc.

The Indian education system has undergone significant transformations to keep pace with the latest technologies and societal developments, moving away from old curricula to embrace modern educational practices.  Before National  Education  Policy  2020,  the  school curriculum  was  based  on  the  National  Curriculum  Framework  -2005,  which  followed  the perspective of National Policy on Education 1986.

The  two  new  National  Curriculum  Frameworks  (NCF)  -  NCF  Foundational  Stage (2022) and NCF School Education (2023) based on the principles of National Education Policy 2020 (NEP) aim to revamp the Indian education system. These frameworks serve as guiding documents  that  encourage  the  adoption  of  modern  teaching  practices  and  the  seamless integration of digital technologies in classrooms, focusing on a learner-centred approach that promotes  critical thinking, creativity, and holistic development. They  emphasize  the integration of technology, skill development, and a multidisciplinary curriculum to prepare students for the challenges of the 21st century.

The frameworks underscore the importance of incorporating real-world applications, project-based learning, and collaborative activities to enhance students' critical thinking and problem-solving skills. Furthermore, the NCF SE advocates for the use of digital tools and resources to supplement traditional teaching methods, enabling educators to create dynamic and interactive learning environments. By integrating technology into the curriculum, teachers can  personalize  instruction,  provide  immediate  feedback,  and  access  a  wealth  of  online resources to enrich the educational experience for students

NCERT has brought out new textbooks for grades 1,2,3 and 6 which integrate the perspective of educational technology. All the new textbooks have QR codes which include a variety of econtent and audio-video programmes for help children learn better.