(a) whether the percentage of dropout students belonging to Muslim and Scheduled
Castes/Scheduled Tribes is much higher than national average according to any recent survey;
(b) if so, the details thereof and the reasons therefor; and
(c) the specific efforts being made by the Government to reduce/eliminate the percentage of
dropping out students of these categories?
MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HUMAN RESOURCEDEVELOPMENT
(SHRI UPENDRA KUSHWAHA)
(a) & (b) As per Unified District Information System for Education (U-DISE) managed by
NIEPA, average annual drop-out rate of students belonging to Muslim and Scheduled
Castes/Scheduled Tribes are given in the table below:
<pre>
Average Annual Drop-out Rate
Level All Categories Scheduled Caste
Scheduled
Tribes Muslim
Primary 4.13 4.46 6.93 6.54
Upper-Primary 4.03 5.51 8.59 9.46
Secondary 17.06 19.36 24.68 24.12
</pre>
Source: U-DISE 2015-16 Report.
Major reasons for drop-out as per the National Family Health Survey – IV conducted by
International Institute for Population Sciences (IIPS), India (designated as the nodal agency
by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MOHFW), Government of India), for children
between age-group 6-17 years and as per the National Sample Survey (NSS) 71st round
(January-June, 2014) Report on ‘Social Consumption: Education’ of Ministry of Statistics
and Programme Implementation are
<pre>
? Not interested in studies
? Costs too much / Financial constraints
? Engage in Economic Activities.
? Required for house hold work/ Engage in Domestic Activities
? School too far away
? Further education not considered necessary
? Did not get admission
? Marriage
? Repeated failures
</pre>
(c) The Centrally Sponsored Scheme of SarvaShikshaAbhiyan (SSA) provides assistance to State
Governments and UTs to ensure quality elementary education for all children. Preference for
opening of school is given to tribal areas, and areas with high concentration of SC, ST and
minority population.
The Centrally sponsored scheme of RashtriyaMadhyamikShikshaAbhiyan (RMSA)
envisages universalizing access to secondary schools by providing a secondary school within a
reasonable distance (5 kilometres) of every habitation, improving quality of education through
making all secondary schools conform to prescribed norms and removal of socio-economic
barriers. Under RMSA, financial assistance is provided to reduce dropout and to increase
enrolment especially of students of SC, ST, Minority categories and girls at secondary stage.
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