Question : Siksha Abhiyan Programmes

(a) the salient features of Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) and Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha
Abhiyan (RMSA) programmes of the Government;
(b) whether the Government proposes to make any changes in the guidelines of the said
programmes to accommodate specific requirements of the States and if so, the details thereof;
(c) whether the Government is aware of the shortcomings of the scheme of opening a school at
every 5 kms. in some States such as Gujarat, Rajasthan which are sparsely populated and do not
have enough students to admit resulting into draining of financial resources and if so, the details
thereof;
(d) whether the Government proposes to provide free books and uniform free of cost to all the
students throughout the schooling period and salary to teachers appointed under the said schemes
and if so, the details thereof; and
(e) the other steps taken/proposed to be taken by the Government under the said programmes like
sanctioning requisite class rooms, removing restrictions to accommodate the number of students in
schools, etc.?

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT
(SHRI UPENDRA KUSHWAHA)

(a): The Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) is implemented as a Centrally Sponsored Scheme in
partnership with State Governments for universalizing elementary education across the country. Its
overall goals include universal access and retention, bridging of gender and social category gaps in
education and enhancement of learning levels of children.
Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA) was launched in March 2009 with the
objective of making secondary education of good quality, available, accessible and affordable to all
students in the age group of 14-18 years. The scheme envisages enhancing enrolment in Classes
IX-X by providing a secondary school within a reasonable distance of every habitation to achieve
greater than 90% Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) in secondary education.
The RMSA and SSA programmes provide a variety of interventions, including enhancing
access to primary, upper primary & secondary schools, strengthening school infrastructure like
school building, additional classrooms, laboratories, libraries, arts & craft rooms, toilets, drinking
water facilities etc., improving the teachers pupil ratio as well as strategies for gender positive
textbooks, gender sensitization of teachers and educational administrators, in service training of
teachers, ICT enabled education. In addition, 3600 Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalayas or
residential schools for girls belonging predominantly to the SC, ST, OBC and minorities at upper
primary level in educationally backward blocks of the country have been set up.
(b): No, Madam.
(c): As per Section 6 of the Right to Education (RTE) Act 2009, “the appropriate Government
and the local authority shall establish, within such area or limits of neighbourhood, as may be
prescribed, a school, where it is not established, within a period of three years from the
commencement of this Act”. Accordingly, State Governments have notified their Rules for
establishment of neighbourhood school as per their requirement. Based on Geographic Information
System (GIS) mapping of established neighbourhood school and their respective enrolments, the
State Governments are merging some of the unviable schools through notification without violating
the RTE Act norms.
The RMSA scheme framework aims to provide access to every habitation to a secondary
school within a distance of 5kms. However, there is no mandatory requirement on the states to
have secondary schools within that distance. The States can propose secondary schools based on
the actual enrolment and topography. The proposals are approved based on actual enrolment in
catchment area & gap in access.
(d): SSA norms provides for two sets of uniforms for all girls, and children belonging to
Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribe/Below Poverty Line (SC/ST/BPL) families in Government
schools within a ceiling of Rs. 400/- per child per annum. SSA norms also provide support for
textbooks to all children in Government/Local Body and Government aided schools, including
Madarsas desirous of introducing the State curriculum, within an upper ceiling of Rs. 150/- per
child at primary level and Rs. 250/- per child at upper primary level. In case, states that have been
providing textbooks to children under State sector schemes and budgets since 2007-08 will
continue to fund textbooks being provided from the State Plans. Financial assistance is provided to
State and UTs for teacher salary appointed against the teacher posts sanctioned under SSA as per
the existing fund sharing pattern of the scheme.
Under RMSA Scheme, no funds are provided for free textbooks and uniform. However,
financial assistance is provided as per sharing funding pattern for salary of teachers, approved
under the scheme.
(e): The said schemes provide for sanctioning of additional classrooms, as per the requirement
submitted by the State and UTs based on the enrolment of children. The student classrooms ratio
prescribed at primary, upper primary & secondary level are 30:1, 35:1 & 40:1 respectively. There
is no restriction for enrolment of children in Government and Government-aided schools.
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