MINISTER OF EDUCATION
(SHRI RAMESH POKHRIYAL ‘NISHANK’)
(a) : Mid-Day Meal is the entitlement of children studying in class I to VIII in Government and aided schools, guaranteed under the National Food Security Act, 2013 and extent per child per day norms of hot cooked meal under MDMS are as under:
<pre>
Stage Foodgrain Cooking Cost
Amount Items
Primary 100 gms Rs. 4.97 20 gms pulse, 50 gms vegetables, 5 gm oil other condiments and fuel.
Upper Primary 150 gms Rs. 7.45 30 gms pulse, 75 gms vegetables, 7.5 gm oil other condiments and fuel.
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Since, it is not possible to provide hot cooked meal under the prevailing circumstances (COVID-19), State Government and UT Administrations were advised to provide Food Security Allowance (FSA) comprising of foodgrains, pulses, oil etc (equivalent to cooking cost) to all eligible children till such time
their schools are closed due to aforesaid pandemic. The modalities for this purpose may be decided by the respective States and UTs, suitable to the prevailing circumstances. States and UTs were further advised that all the precautionary measures to face the situation arising out of COVID-19 should be followed.
(b) & (c): The Government has not estimated the number of dropouts and any rise in the admission in schools in the current academic year in the light of the COVID-19 Pandemic.
(d): The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act, 2009 stipulates norms and standards for a recognized school imparting elementary education. Sections 8 and 9 of the RTE Act, 2009 lays down the duties of appropriate Government and local authority to inter alia provide infrastructure including school building, teaching staff and learning equipment.
Under Samagra Shiksha (SS), States and UTs are supported for strengthening of existing government schools, and for creation and augmentation of infrastructure facilities based on the gaps determined from Unified District Information System for Education (UDISE) database and proposals received from respective State/UT.
During 2020-21, under Samagra Shiksha Scheme, an outlay of Rs. 9812.09 crore, including spill-over for previous years, has been estimated for the improvement of school infrastructure.
The recruitment, service conditions and deployment of teachers come under the purview of the concerned State/Union Territory (UT) Government. The recruitment of teachers is a continuous process and the vacancies keep arising due to retirement and additional requirements on account of enhanced students’ strength. All the States and UTs have been requested for filling-up the vacant posts of teachers and their rational deployment, through advisories/review meetings, from time to time. Further, the Central Government through the Centrally Sponsored Scheme of Samagra Shiksha, provides assistance to the States and UTs for deployment of additional teachers to maintain appropriate Pupil Teacher Ratio as per the prescribed norms for various levels of schooling, and for induction and in-service training of teachers.
(e): The details of infrastructure facilities approved and funds allocated to Government schools under Samagra Shiksha in Karur District in 2019-20 are enclosed at annexure.
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