(a) the details of the progress made under various schemes being run to create awareness about girls education, State-wise;
(b) whether the Government has formulated any scheme to provide free education to talented girls and if so, the details thereof; and
(c) the time by which such scheme is likely to be implemented on the lines of Maharashtra Government''s scheme of providing free education to girls who obtain 90 plus marks?
MINISTER OF HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT
(SMT. SMRITI ZUBIN IRANI)
(a): The Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) norms provide that up to 0.5% of district outlay may be utilized for community mobilization, advocacy and awareness campaigns, provided that the management cost and community mobilization together does not exceed 4% of the total outlay. In 2015-16 all states have been specifically directed that the component should include awareness generation amongst community on “Beti Bachao Beti Padhao” campaign. Further, awareness on girls education also forms a part of the School Management Committee (SMC) training modules. The state-wise outlay approved under SSA for Community Mobilization and SMC training for 2015-16 is at Annexure.
(b) & (c): The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act, 2009 provides for free and compulsory education to every child, including girls, of age 6-14 years in a neighbourhood school till completion of elementary education. Targeted interventions for girls under SSA include the 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 and the scheme of Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalayas as residential upper primary schools for girls belonging to SC/ST/Minority Communities, BPL families and girls in difficult circumstances.
Under the scheme of Rashtriya Madyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA), interventions including construction of new secondary schools, provision of toilets blocks in exiting schools, construction of teachers quarters, construction of Girls Hostels in Educationally Backward Blocks (EBBs), special teaching for learning enhancement, self defense training, guidance and counseling facilities, conduct of adolescent education programmes, organization of empowerment/awareness camps are being approved under RMSA to increase the enrolment and education of girls at the secondary stage. One of the component of RMSA is Girls Hostel scheme, which envisages setting up of Girls Hostel in Educationally Backward Blocks.
The Centrally sponsored “National Scheme of Incentive to Girls for Secondary Education” was launched in May 2008 with the objective to establish an enabling environment to reduce the drop-outs and to promote the enrolment of girl child belonging mainly to SC/ST communities in secondary schools. All girls are exempt from paying tuition fee in Kendriya Vidyalayas.
“Udaan” is an initiative of the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) to promote educational opportunities for girl students. It has been designed to provide a comprehensive platform to deserving girls students who aspire to pursue higher education in engineering, and assist them to prepare for the engineering entrance examination.
The “Providing Assistance to Girls’ Advancement in Technical Education Initiative” (PRAGATI) Scheme of All India Council of Technical Education (AICTE) to provide scholarship to girls envisages selection of one girl per family where family income is less than 6 lakh per annum on merit at the qualifying examination to pursue technical education. The scholarship amount is ? 30,000/- or tuition fees or actual whichever is less and ? 2,000/- per month for 10 months as contingency allowance.