Question : SARVA SHIKSHA ABHIYAN BUDGET

(a) whether the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) norms provide for not more than 30 per cent of SSA budget to be spent on civil construction;

(b) if so, whether the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act, 2009 mandates at least one room for every teacher and additional room to be used as office room/store in each school; and

(c) if so, the manner in which the Government proposes to ensure that the provisions of RTE Act with respect to school rooms are complied within case of those States whose requirement of school rooms is large and cannot be met within stipulated time limit due to inadequate SSA budget?

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT (Dr. D. PURANDESWARI)

(a): As per Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) norms, in a particular year provision for civil works can be considered up to 50% of the district annual plan outlay, subject to the proviso that during overall SSA project implementation period, civil works outlay shall be restricted to 33% of the total project cost.

(b): The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act, 2009 provides for at least one class room for every teacher. An office cum-store-cum-Head Teacher’s/Head Master’s room is also provided in primary and upper primary schools/sections where the enrolment exceeds 150 and 100 respectively.

(c): After coming into force of the RTE Act, 2009, 4,98,339 additional classrooms have been sanctioned in 2010-11 & 2011-12 and 1,90,046 additional classrooms have been sanctioned in 2012-13. States have also been advised to converge with other Central/ State sponsored schemes to augument infrastructure.