Lok Sabha Question No. 1353 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-12-08
Subject: Challenges in Remote Areas for Children
Ministry: EDUCATION
Asked by: Smt. Delkar Kalaben Mohanbhai, Dr. Shivaji Bandappa Kalge, Shri Bhumare Sandipanrao Asaram, Shri Nilesh Dnyandev Lanke, Shri Gyaneshwar Patil

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO1353

ANSWERED ON- 08/12/2025

## CHALLENGES IN REMOTE AREAS FOR CHILDREN

†1353. Shri Gyaneshwar Patil:

Shri Bhumare Sandipanrao Asaram:

Smt. Delkar Kalaben Mohanbhai:

Shri Nilesh Dnyandev Lanke:

Dr. Shivaji Bandappa Kalge:

Will the Minister of EDUCATION be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government is aware that children in remote areas across the country are facing serious challenges while approaching/accessing schools even after fifteen years of the implementation of the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act, 2009, if so, the details thereof;
- (b)  whether any study has been conducted in this regard to understand the gravity and extent of the said problem and if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether any action has been taken/proposed to be taken by the Government to address the hurdles being faced by children in remote and rural areas of the country; and
- (d) if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor, State/UT-wise particularly in Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and the UT of Dadra and Nagar Haveli?

## ANSWER

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

(a) to (d): Education is in the Concurrent list of the Constitution and most of the schools are within the purview of respective State Government and UT Administration, which are the  appropriate  Government  under  the  Right  of  Children  to  Free  and  Compulsory Education (RTE) Act, 2009.

The  RTE  Act,  2009,  guarantees  free  and  compulsory  education  to  all  children between  the  ages  of  6  to  14  years  and  lays  down  minimum  norms  for  neighbourhood schools.  To  ensure  universal  access  to  elementary  schools,  Section  6  of  the  RTE  Act mandates the establishment of schools by the appropriate government within defined area or neighbourhood limits.

Advancements have been made in improving universal access from 2018-19 and 2024-25 at all levels of school education as evidenced by Gross Access Ratio (GAR) which is total villages/habitations having school within specified distance norm in a year out of total villages/habitations in that year-

|   Year |   Primary |   Upper Primary |   Secondary | Higher Secondary   |
|--------|-----------|-----------------|-------------|--------------------|
|  97.15 |     96.49 |           88.24 |       65.05 | 2018-19            |
|  97.83 |     96.57 |           95.35 |       94.97 | 2024-25            |

Moreover,  the  Gross  Access  Ratio  (GAR)  for  2018-19  and  2024-25  for  Madhya Pradesh,  Maharashtra  and  UT  of  Dadar  and  Nagar  Haveli  reflects  improved  universal access across all levels of school education-

2018-19:

| State                  |   Primary |   Upper Primary |   Secondary |   Higher Secondary |
|------------------------|-----------|-----------------|-------------|--------------------|
| Madhya Pradesh         |     99.45 |           99.7  |       83.92 |              50.31 |
| Maharashtra            |     95.51 |           84.84 |       94.08 |              55.23 |
| Dadar and Nagar Haveli |    100    |          100    |       90.83 |              43.64 |

2024-25:

| State                  |   Primary |   Upper Primary |   Secondary |   Higher Secondary |
|------------------------|-----------|-----------------|-------------|--------------------|
| Madhya Pradesh         |     99.53 |           99.78 |       94.58 |              91.95 |
| Maharashtra            |     97.83 |           91.35 |       89.77 |              85.82 |
| Dadar and Nagar Haveli |    100    |          100    |       98.3  |              85.92 |

The Department of School Education and Literacy  is  implementing  an  Integrated Centrally Sponsored Scheme for School Education- Samagra Shiksha since 2018-19. The scheme has been aligned with the recommendations of the National Education Policy, 2020

with aim to ensure that all children have access to qualitative and holistic 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.

Under  Samagra  Shiksha,  financial  assistance  is  provided  to  States  and  UTs  for undertaking various activities for Universalization of School Education including opening/strengthening of new schools upto senior secondary level, construction of school buildings  &  additional  classrooms,  development/strengthening  of  school  infrastructure  in northern  border  areas  under  Vibrant  Village  Programme,  setting  up,  up-gradation  and running of Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalayas, setting up of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Avasiya Vidyalayas, construction of hostels for PVTGs under PM-JANMAN, construction of hostels under Dharti Aaba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyan for unsaturated ST population, free uniforms to eligible children and free text books at elementary level, transport allowance and  undertaking  enrolment  &  retention  drives.  Special  training for age-appropriate admission of out of school children and residential as well as non-residential training for older children, seasonal hostels / residential camps, special training centres at worksites, transport/  escort  facility  are  also  supported  to  bring  out  of  school  children  to  the  formal schooling system including support to complete their education through NIOS/SIOS. Under the student-oriented 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.

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