Lok Sabha Question No. 1470 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2015-07-29
Subject: NSSO Survey on Dropout of School Children
Ministry: HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: HEENA VIJAYKUMAR GAVIT, RAJEEV SHANKARRAO SATAV, SEETARAM AJMEERA NAIK, T. RADHAKRISHNAN, C. N. JAYADEVAN, SUPRIYA SADANAND SULE, VIJAYSINH MOHITE PATIL, DHANANJAY BHIMRAO MAHADIK

**GOVERNMENT OF INDIA**

**MINISTRY OF HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT**

**DEPARTMENT OF SCHOOL EDUCATION & LITERACY**

**LOK SABHA**

**UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1470**

**TO BE ANSWERED ON 29** **TH** **JULY, 2015**

**NSSO Survey on Dropout of School Children**

1470. DR. HEENA VIJAYKUMAR GAVIT:

SHRI SATAV RAJEEV:

SHRI KESINENI NANI:

SHRI T.RADHAKRISHNAN:

SHRI C.N. JAYADEVAN:

SHRIMATI SUPRIYA SULE:

SHRI MOHITE PATIL VIJAYSINH  SHANKARRAO:

SHRI DHANANJAYMAHADIK:

Will the Minister of HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT मानव संसाधन विकास मंत्री be pleased to state:

(a) whether as per the National Sample Survey Organisation's (NSSO) survey around 11 per cent of those between 5-29 years of age in rural areas and 6 per cent in urban areas never go to any educational institutions;

(b) if so, the details thereof and the reasons therefor;

(c) the number of students who have dropped out in rural and urban areas as per the NSSO survey; and

(d) the corrective steps taken by the Government to improve the situation?

**ANSWER**

**MINISTER OF HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT**

**(SMT. SMRITI ZUBIN IRANI)**

(a) & (b): Yes, Madam. As per the survey on ‘Social Consumption: Education’ during National Sample Survey (NSS) 71 st round (January-June, 2014) conducted by National Sample Survey Organisation (NSSO) of Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, nearly 11% of the perons of age 5-29 years in rural areas and 6% in urban areas never enrolled in any educational institution. As per the survey, proportions of persons in the age group of 5-29 years never enrolled in any educational institutions are 109 per 1000 for rural areas and 56 per 1000 for urban areas. Reasons for non-enrolment vary from disinterest in education, financial constraints, engagement in domestic and economic activities, marriage, unsuitable timings of educational institution, unfamiliar language/medium of instruction, inadequate number of teachers, unsatisfactory quality of teachers etc.

(c): Proportions of dropping out/discontinuance of students in the age group of 5-29 years are 326 per 1000 for rural areas and 383 per 1000 for urban areas respectively.

(d):  The steps taken by the Government to reduce the dropout rate include inter-alia, strengthening of school infrastructure and facilities, residential hostel buildings for children in habitations not covered by regular schools, provisioning for additional teachers, regular training of teachers and provision for free text books and uniforms to children and policy of no detention at elementary level. The Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya Scheme provides for setting up of residential upper primary schools for girls from SC, ST, OBC and Minority communities. The Mid Day Meal Scheme is also being implemented with a view to enhance enrolment and retention of children in schools. Further, the Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA) which has been launched for universal access to secondary education, aims at removing gender and socio-economic disparities in access to education. The National Scheme of Incentive to Girls for Secondary Education (NSIGSE) launched in May, 2008 seeks to reduce the drop-out rate of girls and to promote the enrolment of girl child belonging mainly to SC/ST communities in secondary schools. Enrolment drives in areas having concentration of SC and ST groups, special coaching/remedial teaching and sensitization programmes are some of the other measures undertaken under RMSA to reduce dropout rate.

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