(a) the programmes, schemes and projects being implemented for the expansion of
integrated education in the country including Rajasthan especially in the rural areas;
and
(b) the total budget allocated for the expansion of basic infrastructure of education such
as Smart Board Online Education App. and for the improvement in the quality of
teachers in the schools in the rural areas for the year 2021-2022?
MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION
(SHRIMATI ANNPURNA DEVI)
(a) : Samagra Shiksha, an overarching programme for the school education sector
extending from pre-school to class XII, is running in the country including the rural
areas in the State of Rajasthan since 2018-19. The vision of the scheme is to ensure
inclusive and equitable quality education in accordance with the Sustainable
Development Goal (SDG) for Education and vision of National Education Policy 2020.
Under Samagra Shiksha, financial assistance is provided to all States and UTs for
implementation of various interventions like opening / strengthening of schools,
provision of free textbooks and uniforms, setting up and running of residential schools
and hostels including Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalayas and Netaji Subhash Chandra
Bose Awasiya Vidyalaya, provisions for inclusive education of Children with Special
Needs (CWSN), transport & escort facility, in-service training of teachers, sports and
physical education, vocational education and other activities.
(b) : Under Samagra Shiksha financial assistance is provided to States/ UTs including
rural areas inter-alia for various ICT and Digital initiatives for setting up of ICT labs,
smart classrooms including support for digital boards etc. An amount of Rs. 95683.24
lakh for smart class rooms and an amount of Rs.100379.96 lakh for ICT labs have
been approved under ICT and Digital Initiatives in 2021-22.
The Department of School Education and Literacy has launched an initiative to improve
learning outcomes at the Elementary level through an Integrated Teacher Training
Programme called NISHTHA – National Initiative for School Heads’ and Teachers’
Holistic Advancement under the Centrally Sponsored Scheme of Samagra Shiksha in
August, 2019. The aim of this training is to motivate and equip teachers to encourage
and foster critical thinking in students, handle diverse situations and act as first level
counsellors. Due to the ongoing COVID pandemic and in order to provide continuous
learning opportunities to the teachers at the elementary level, this Department has
launched NISHTHA online using DIKSHA platform in October 2020 to reach out to
elementary teachers and its further extension to all as well. For 2021-22, a total fund of
Rs. 39039.26 lakh was approved for NISHTHA for Foundational years and Secondary
and Senior secondary level teachers.
******