Question : RASHTRIYA MADHYAMIK SHIKSHA ABHIYAN

(a) whether the Government has launched Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan(RMSA) recently;

(b) if so, the details thereof including its aims and objectives;

(c) whether secondary education is being neglected and the investment thereon has declined over the years as per a report of the World Bank;

(d) if so, the details thereof; and

(e) the steps taken by the Government in this regard?

MINISTER OF HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT(SHRI KAPIL SIBAL)

(a) to (e) A Statement is laid on the table of the House.

STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) TO (e) OF THE LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 281 DUE FOR ANSWER ON 09.12.2009 REGARDING “RASHTRIYA MADHYAMIK SHIKSHA ABHIYAN” ASKED BY SHRI AMARNATH PRADHAN AND SHRI ADHALRAO PATIL SHIVAJI

(a) & (b) The centrally sponsored scheme “Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA)” was launched in March, 2009 to enhance access to secondary education and to improve its quality. It seeks to ensure availability of secondary schools within reasonable distance of every habitation, improve quality of education imparted at secondary stage and reduce gender, socio- economic and disability barriers. The sharing pattern between the Centre and the States during the 11th Five Year Plan is 75:25, while for the north-eastern States, the ratio is 90:10. An amount of Rs.20,120 crore has been allocated for the scheme during the 11th Five Year Plan.

(c) & (d) It is mentioned in the World Bank Report ‘Secondary Education in India: Universalizing Opportunity’ (January, 2009) that ‘while India pursued the drive to universal elementary education, since 2000 the share of investment financing for secondary education has declined significantly’. As per the “Analysis of Budgeted Expenditure on Education” published by this Ministry, the plan expenditure on Secondary Education for both Centre and the States together increased from Rs.2,200 crore in 2000-01 to Rs.3,598 crore in 2006- 07(RE), while the percentage share of Secondary Education declined from 22% in 2000-01 to 11% in 2006-07(RE). The total expenditure on Secondary Education for both Centre and the States together went up from Rs.19,743 crore in 2000-01 to Rs.33,353 crore in 2006-07 (RE), whereas the percentage share of Secondary Education declined from 32% to 29%.

(e) The total allocation for secondary education has been increased from Rs.4,325 crore in the 10th Plan to Rs.53,550 crore in the 11th Plan, and several new centrally sponsored schemes including RMSA, Model Schools, Girls’ Hostels, National Means-cum-Merit Scholarship and Incentive to Girls for Secondary Education have been launched during the 11th Plan.