Lok Sabha Question No. 3645 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2015-12-21
Subject: Standard of Education
Ministry: HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: NITYANAND RAI

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT OF HIGHER EDUCATION

## LOK SABHA

UNSTARRED QUESTION NO . 3645 TO BE ANSWERED ON 21 ST  DECEMBER, 2015

## Standard of Education

†3645. SHRI NITYANAND RAI:

- Will the Minister of HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT be pleased to state: (a) whether the Government proposes to open additional educational institutions in educationally backward areas for raising the standard of education; (b) if so, the details thereof; (c) whether the Government proposes to open new Central school and Engineering college in Samastipur district of Bihar; and (d) if so, the time by which it is likely to be implemented?

## ANSWER MINISTER OF HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT (SMT. SMRITI ZUBIN IRANI)

(a) & (b) : The Government is implementing Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA) as a Centrally Sponsored Scheme (CSS) for incentivising reforms in  the  state  higher  education  sector.    RUSA  envisages  the  reformation  of  higher education system through the aims of access, equity and excellence by focussing on the unserved and underserved areas in terms of higher education. The central share under  RUSA  can  be  availed  of  by  States  under  various  components  such  as clustering of colleges into universities, creation of universities by upgrading autonomous colleges, infrastructure grants to universities and colleges, establishment of Model Degree Colleges (MDCs) in Educationally Backward Districts (EBDs), upgradation of existing colleges to MDCs, establishment of new professional colleges, research, innovation and quality improvement, equity initiatives, support to polytechnics,  vocationalisation  of  higher  education,  faculty  improvement,  faculty recruitment support etc.  States can avail the central share against projects included in  their  State  Higher  Education  Plan  (SHEP)  and  approved  by  Project  Approval Board of RUSA. The  Sarva  Shiksha  Abhiyan  (SSA)  norms  provide  for  opening  of  new primary  and  upper  primary  schools  within  the  limits  of  the  neighbourhood  as  laid down by the State Government under the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education  (RTE)  Act  2009.    All  new  schools  opened  under  SSA  are  provided requisite school infrastructure, teachers and teaching learning equipment as mandated under the schedule to the RTE Act. Under  SSA  the  Kasturba  Gandhi  Balika  Vidyalayas  (KGBVs),  which  are upper  primary  level  residential  schools  for  girls  belonging  predominantly  to  the SC,ST,OBC  and  minority  communities,  have  been  set  up  in  all  Educationally Backward blocks of the country. As on date 3609 KGBVs have been sanctioned. The  Rashtriya  Madhyamik  Shiksha  Abhiyan  (RMSA)  scheme  envisages providing a secondary school within a reasonable distance of every habitation with special  focus  on  SC/ST/Minority/hilly  and  difficult  areas.    At  present,  11599  new schools have been sanctioned under the scheme, out of which 9415 schools are in the Educationally Backward Blocks (EBBs). (c) :  The Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan and the PAB of RUSA have not approved any proposal for setting up of a Central School & Engineering College, respectively, in Samastipur District of Bihar. (d) : In view of above does not arise.

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