(a) the details of the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan operated by the Government in the country, State/UT-wise including Uttar Pradesh;
(b) whether the Government has any data about the manner and the extent to which Minority Communities of the country are getting benefitted from the said scheme;
(c) whether it is a fact that the infrastructure available in Madarsas and Maktabas can be used on larger scale for the said scheme; and
(d) if so, the steps taken/being taken in this regard?
MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT
(SHRI UPENDRA KUSHWAHA)
(a): The Centrally Sponsored Scheme of Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) provides assistance to State Governments and UTs to ensure free and compulsory elementary education for all children. SSA is the primary vehicle for meeting the objectives of the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act, 2009, which provides that every child in the age group of 6 to 14 years shall have a right to free and compulsory education in a neighbourhood school till completion of elementary education.
Universal enrolment is the first goal of SSA, and hence all efforts are being made to bring all children in schools for ensuring universal provisioning of schooling facilities. Preference for opening of school is given to tribal areas, and areas with high concentration of SC, ST and minority population. In addition, Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalayas, which are residential schools for girls at upper primary level, have also been sanctioned to the States for improving access to marginalised girls particularly out of school, either drop out or never enrolled. Details of funds released State/UT-wise including Uttar Pradesh in 2016-17 under SSA are at Annexure.
(b): Major goals of SSA are universal enrolment, bridging gender and social category gaps, quality education and universal retention. This programme has an inclusive approach for all children in the age group of 6-14 years and does not discriminate on the basis of caste, gender, religion, regions or language. Therefore, all the activities of the programme are available equally to all children of the country.
During the year 2016-17, an amount of Rs.1432804.91 lakh, which is 19% of the total outlay approved under SSA, has been sanctioned under SSA for 121 Minority Concentrated Districts (MCDs) identified by the Ministry of Minority Affairs under Prime Minister’s New 15 Point Programme. The term minority applies to such districts/sub-district units where at least 25% of the total population of that unit belongs to minority communities. As per Unified District Information System for Education data, the percentage of enrolment share of children from Muslim community at the elementary level has increased from 9.95% in 2007-08 to 13.80% in 2015-16.
Madarsas and Makatabs who are affiliated to the State Boards of Secondary Education/State Madarsa Boards and are desirous of introducing the State curriculum, are eligible for grant for textbooks, in-service teacher training, school grant and teacher grant under SSA.
SSA support is also provided for provisioning of special training designed for age appropriate enrolment in regular schools. Under the SSA, 103.07 lakh children have benefitted from the special training from 2011-12 to 2015-16. For the year 2016-17, an amount of Rs. 64204.69 lakh has been approved for special training of 11,29,881 children, out of which Rs. 7051.35 lakh has been approved for special training of 1,38,941 children studying in Madarsas.
(c) & (d): Information regarding infrastructure available in Madarsas and Maktabas is not maintained Centrally.
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