(a) whether the Government has prepared a Digital Gender Atlas to identify areas/pockets which are
poor in girls education and if so, the details thereof;
(b) whether the Government was able to identify such areas/pockets in the country including in the
State of Kerala and if so, the details thereof; and
(c) the details of the remedial plan proposed to be undertaken in those areas/pockets to promote girls
education?
MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT
(SHRI UPENDRA KUSHWAHA)
(a): Yes Madam, Digital Gender Atlas has been developed to identify the low performing geographic
pockets for girls, particularly from marginalised groups such as scheduled castes, scheduled tribes and
Muslim minorities, on specific gender related education indicators.
The Atlas is designed around the two broad areas of performance of girls'' education and
vulnerabilities visualized in the following five sections:
1. Comparative Composite Index based Quartile Ranking grouped under categories of access,
infrastructure, teachers and outcome indicators and based on 25 indicators pertaining to primary,
upper primary and secondary level which can be visualized at State, district and block level.
2. A Trend Analysis of the performance status of 25 individual indicators can be visualised at State,
district and block levels over three years viz 2011-12, 2012-13 & 2013-14.
3. Spatial Distribution of Special Focus Districts. These are districts with a population of 25% and
above of people belonging to Schedule Tribes (109 districts), Schedule Castes (61 districts),
Muslims (88 districts with a muslim population of more than 20%), minority community (121
districts as identified by Ministry of Minority Affairs under PM’s 15 PPP), Left Wing Extremist
affected districts (88 districts identified by Ministry of Home Affairs), Beti Bachao Beti Padhao
(BBBP) districts (161 districts) and Educationally Backward Blocks (3479 blocks).
4. Vulnerability status of an area based on a composite index of 3 broad indicators (i) rural female
literacy (ii) percentage girls/boys married below the legal age of marriage and (iii) working children
can be visualized. Separate visualisations are given for working children for the following subindicators:
disaggregation by gender and age for the 5-9 years, 10-14 years and 15-19 years age
groups as well as for marriage below the legal age. These maps are available up to the district level.
5. Children with Disabilities: The performance status of six individual indicators can be visualized at
state and district level across three years i.e. 2011-12, 2012-13 and 2013-14. This Digital Gender
Atlas can be accessed at website www.rmsaindia.gov.in ??Gender Atlas.
(b): All the states including Kerala have been mapped in the Digital Gender Atlas. The states have been
using it as a planning tool to come up with strategies for inputs for the state SSA and RMSA annual plans.
(c): Universal enrolment is the first goal of Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, a programme for universalisation of
elementary education and all efforts are being made to bring all children including girls to school. SSA has
provided 2.04 lakh primary and 1.59 upper primary schools for ensuring universal access. SSA strategies
for promotion of girls education include inter-alia, opening of schools in the neighbourhood to make access
easier for girls, appointment of additional teachers including women teachers, free textbooks, free
uniforms, separate toilets for girls, teachers’ sensitization programmes to promote girls participation,
gender-sensitive teaching-learning materials including textbooks. In addition, the Kasturba Gandhi Balika
Vidyalayas (KGBVs) have been opened in educationally backward blocks where the female rural literacy
rate is below the national average, to provide residential upper primary schools for girls from
SC/ST/OBC/Muslim and BPL families.
For children living in remote areas, sparsely populated areas, SSA provides for residential schools,
hostels, transportation and escort facilities. All States undertake massive awareness generation campaigns
and enrolment drives at the beginning of academic years. The focus is on areas with high concentration of
Out of School Children.
Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA), is a programme for universalisation of secondary
education and has targeted interventions for girls. The RMSA provides for strengthening of secondary
schools and opening of new schools, additional teachers, residential quarters for teachers in remote/hilly
areas, girls hostels in educationally backward blocks, gender sensitization of teachers and separate toilet
blocks for girls, girls activity room in schools etc. The National Scheme of Incentive to Girls for Secondary
Education (NSIGSE) seeks to reduce drop-outs and promote enrolment of girls especially those belonging
to SC/ST communities, by providing funds for a fixed deposit at class IX level. In addition, exemption
from paying tuition fee in Kendriya Vidyalayas, and 33% reservation for girls in Navodaya Vidyalayas,
have also been implemented.
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