MINISTER OF HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT (SHRI KAPIL SIBAL)
(a) to (g): A Statement is laid on the Table of the
House.
STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) TO (g) OF LOK
SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO.136 TO BE ANSWERED ON 30TH
NOVEMBER, 2011, ASKED BY SHRI BRIJBHUSHAN SHARAN SINGH AND
SHRI BHARTRUHARI MAHTAB REGARDING EVALUATION OF SARVA
SHIKSHA ABHIYAN
(a): The Programme Evaluation Organisation (PEO) of the
Planning Commission has published an evaluation report of
the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) programme in June 2010. The
study has brought out certain achievements in terms of
access to education. More than 98% of the sampled rural
habitations have access to elementary schools within 3 kms,
while 93% of sampled slum children have access to
neighbourhood schools within 1 km.
(b) to (d): The major recommendations made in the
evaluation, include, inter alia the following:
i. There is a need to open more upper primary schools in
order to improve retention and reduce girl dropouts.
ii. Infrastructure shortages such as lack of blackboards,
drinking water, separate toilets for girls, shortage of
classrooms, boundary walls/fencing to be addressed.
iii. Transport facilities for children living in remote
habitations or unserved habitations in rural areas.
iv. Free uniforms should be provided to students living and
attending schools in urban slums.
v. Non teaching activities of teachers to be reduced,
recruitment of trained teachers to reduce vacancies and
unfavourable Pupil-Teacher Ratios (PTRs).
vi. No detention policy to be followed by all states at
primary level and examinations to be replaced by continuous
assessment.
vii. Classroom libraries to be set up in all schools, and
sports equipment to be provided in all schools.
viii. Constitution of school management committees with
parent and student representatives. Greater involvement of
Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) in generation of
awareness and community ownership.
The above listed recommendations have become mandatory
norms under the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory
Education (RTE) Act, 2009, and the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan
(SSA) Framework of Implementation has been revised to
correspond with the provisions of the RTE Act.
A statement showing cumulative progress on opening of
schools, recruitment of teachers and construction of school
buildings and additional classrooms in respect of all States
and UTs is given in Annexure.
(e) & (f): SSA has a regular system of monitoring, which
includes statutory audit and concurrent financial reviews.
Action is taken as and when financial irregularities are
reported. Such instances include (i) Andhra Pradesh reported
embezzlement of Rs.14.98 crore under DPEP/SSA accounts in
2006-07. A FIR was lodged and the State CID investigated the
matter. The State Government suspended three Accounts
Officials, and transferred another three from the State
Project Office of SSA. (ii) In Haryana (2005-2007), 11
officials involved in financial irregularities have been
proceeded against, and services of two officials have been
terminated. (iii) In Karnataka, action has been taken
against 21 officials and an amount of Rs.8.58 lakh was
recovered from them. (iv) In West Bengal, an amount of
Rs.517.80 lakh was fraudulently withdrawn by eight officials
in one district, where the CID has arrested seven persons
and proceedings are under way. (v) In Gujarat (2007-2008)
action was taken against two officials involved in financial
irregularities and Rs.15.98 lakh was recovered. (vi) Nine
officials have been suspended in Rajasthan on complaints of
misuse of SSA funds and other irregularities. (vii) In
Himachal Pradesh FIR was ledged on a complaint of misuse of
SSA funds and an amount of Rs.3.02 lakh has been recovered.
(viii) In respect of Uttar Pradesh a complaint regarding
certain irregularities, including in purchase of uniforms
for girls was received. As per the report received from SSA,
Uttar Pradesh, the concerned District Basic Education
Officer was transferred and disciplinary proceedings were
recommended by the State Project Office of SSA, Uttar
Pradesh to the State Government. A Civil Miscellaneous Writ
Petition (PIL) No. 6062 of 2011 is also pending in the
Hon’ble High Court of Allahabad on this matter.
(g) SSA has a well defined financial management and
procurement system, which lays down the administrative
levels and financial limits for implementation of different
activities. A rigorous monitoring system is also in place,
which includes field level monitoring through reputed
institutes of social sciences and university departments of
education, as also independent review missions on programme
progress by SSA’s Development Partners.
