Lok Sabha Question No. 2683 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-03-09
Subject: Impact of Recurring School Disruptions on Learning Outcomes
Ministry: EDUCATION
Asked by: Shri Pushpendra Saroj

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

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO-2683

ANSWERED ON - 09/03/2026

## Impact of Recurring School Disruptions on Learning Outcomes

2683. Shri Pushpendra Saroj:

Will the Minister of EDUCATION be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government has taken note of any recurring disruptions in school education due to severe air pollution, extreme weather and emergency measures such as school closures and shift to hybrid or online classes in several States in the country;
- (b) if so, the number of days of instructional time lost in Government and Government-aided schools during the last three years, State/UT-wise, particularly in Uttar Pradesh;
- (c)  whether  the  Government  has  assessed  learning  loss,  the  digital  divide  and  the  mental health impact on students due to such disruptions and if so, the details thereof;
- (d) whether any financial or academic support has been provided to States/UTs, particularly Uttar Pradesh, to bridge learning gaps and strengthen digital infrastructure, if so, the details thereof; and
- (e)  the  details  of  steps  taken  by  the  Government  to  ensure  continuity  of  schooling  during environmental or public-health emergencies?

## ANSWER

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

(a) & (b) : Education is in the Concurrent list of the Constitution, with majority of schools and their operational matters thereof coming under the administrative control of respective State Government  and  UT  Administration.  Guidelines  issued  by  the  Ministry  of  Education  are advisory  in  nature  and  States/UTs  are  expected  to  implement  them  duly  incorporating necessary additions/modifications suited to their local needs, requirements and priorities.

In so far as school safety is concerned, several Departments and agencies of Government of India  including  Ministry  of  Education,  National  Disaster  Management Authority  (NDMA) and  National  Commission  for  Protection  of  Child  Rights  (NCPCR),  issue  guidelines  and advisories  from  time  to  time  covering  various  facets  of  school  safety  and  security.  These include Guidelines on School Safety and Security, 2021 issued by the Department of School Education  and  Literacy  (DoSEL),  NDMA's  School  Safety  Policy  Guidelines  (2016)  and Guidelines on Preparation of Action Plan-Prevention & Management of Heat wave, 2017 and NCPCR's Manual on Safety and Security of Children in Schools (2021).

These guidelines provide flexibility to the Central and State Governments, as applicable, to re-schedule  school  timings  in  their  respective  schools,  training  for  staff  and  students  in emergency preparedness,  psychosocial  support  through  counselling  and  peer  networks  and safety audit of schools and child-related facilities as per national safety codes.

Besides the above, the Ministry of Education encourages all States/UTs, including the State of  Uttar  Pradesh,  to  regularly  monitor  and  review  student  and  teacher  attendance  through Vidya  Samiksha  Kendra  (VSK)  so  as  to  work  towards  minimizing  disruptions  in  school education and improving instructional time.

(c) & (d): The Government of India undertakes large-scale assessments to measure learning outcomes  in  schools  across  the  country  from  time  to  time.  In  this  regard,  the  PARAKH Rashtriya Sarvekshan 2024 (formerly National Achievement Survey) was conducted by the National Assessment Centre-PARAKH, NCERT under the aegis of the DoSEL, Ministry of Education  to measure  the  learning competencies  among  students  at  the  end of the Foundational, Preparatory and Middle Stages (Grades 3, 6 and 9 respectively) of schooling and understand contextual variables affecting such performance.

National,  State  and  District  level  reports  from  PARAKH  Rashtriya  Sarvekshan  2024, providing  insights  on  achievement  of  stage-specific  competencies  and  contextual  variables such as access to digital devices and internet in schools and home, psycho-social health of students and safety, inclusivity and emotional security in schools, are available at https://dashboard.parakh.ncert.gov.in/en,  a dedicated dashboard designed to disseminate the findings of the assessment.

The  Department  of  School  Education  and  Literacy  through  workshops  conducted  by  the National  Assessment  Centre-PARAKH  has  been  handholding  the  States/UTs  in  use  of assessment  evidence  for  tailored  academic  reforms,  capacity-building  programmes  and continuous improvement of learning outcomes aligned with NEP 2020.

Besides,  the  Central  Government  assists  States  and  UTs  through  the  Centrally  Sponsored Scheme of Samagra Shiksha, wherein financial assistance is provided to bridge learning gaps and strengthen digital infrastructure through different interventions which inter-alia include remedial  teaching  for  academically  weaker  students,  in  service  training  of  teachers  and school  heads,  composite  school  grant  to  every  school  for  providing  a  conducive  learning environment, grants for library, support for setting up ICT labs and smart classes, etc.

Under  Samagra  Shiksha,  Annual  Work  Plan  and  Budget  (AWP&B)  are  prepared  by respective  States  and  UTs  based  on  their  requirements  and  priorities. These  plans  are  then appraised and approved by the Project Approval Board (PAB) in consultation with the States and UTs as per the programmatic and financial norms of the scheme. During the FY 2023-24 to 2025-26, a total outlay of Rs. 38925.36 cr has been approved by Project Approval Board of Samagra Shiksha to the State of Uttar Pradesh. The total outlay for the three years includes an amount of Rs. 1053.33 crore approved towards establishment of 15,389 ICT labs and 15,603 smart classrooms in Uttar Pradesh.

(e):  The  Government  has  taken  several  initiatives  to  strengthen  digital  education  to  ensure continuity of learning during emergencies and school closures through platforms such as PM eVIDYA  and  Digital  Infrastructure  for  Knowledge  Sharing  (DIKSHA).  PM  eVIDYA provides supplementary education for classes 1-12 through 200 DTH TV channels and 400 radio channels in multiple Indian languages, while DIKSHA offers quality e-content and QRcoded Energised Textbooks (ETBs) for all grades across States/UTs.

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