(a) whether the Government has formulated any plans for running libraries in the Government schools and if so, the details thereof, State/UT-wise especially in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh;
(b) if not, the reasons therefor; and
(c) whether the Government proposes any scheme to make available informative books for providing social and cultural education to the children?
MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT
(SHRI UPENDRA KUSHWAHA)
(a) & (b) The centrally sponsored scheme of Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA) envisages universalizing access to secondary education by providing a secondary school within a reasonable distance of every habitation. Under the scheme, infrastructure facilities are provided to the States/UTs for opening of new government secondary schools and strengthening of existing government secondary schools including Libraries. The State/UT wise (including Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh) details of library approved under RMSA are at Annexure. There is also provision for purchase of books and other teaching aids under RMSA framework.
(c) The National Curriculum Framework (2005) brought out by the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) envisions a common core along with other components that are flexible. The common core will include the history of India’s freedom movement, the constitutional obligations and other content essential to nurture national identity. These elements cut across subject areas and are designed to promote values such as India’s common cultural heritage, egalitarianism, democracy and secularism, equality of sexes, protection of environment, removal of social barriers and inculcation of scientific temper. As a follow-up of this perspective of NCF, the aspects of social cultural education have been integrated into the text books of NCERT across subject areas and classes in integrated manner. Textbooks of Environmental Studies, Language (Hindi, English, Urdu, Sanskrit) and also of Social Sciences provide adequate space to social cultural education. Moreover, NCERT has also published some non-textual material for children which help in promoting social-cultural education, e.g., Thirukkul(translation), Birsa Munda, Our India, etc. These books are also available on the web enabled platform of e-Pathshala.
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