(a) whether it is true that there is no adequate provision made in the New Education Policy, 2020 statement on gender and other related issues and if so, the details thereof;
(b) whether the Government is aware that there is an urgent need to have equal opportunity to all in education irrespective of gender and if so, the response of the Government in this regard; and
(c) the funds allocated and spent on gender parity in education during the last three years, year-wise?
MINISTER OF EDUCATION
(SHRI RAMESH POKHRIYAL ‘NISHANK’)
(a) & (b): The New Education Policy (NEP) 2020 has substantially considered the issues concerning the education for women.
It must be noted that women cut across all underrepresented groups, making up about half of all Socio-Economically Disadvantaged Groups (SEDGs). Unfortunately, the exclusion and inequity that SEDGs face is only amplified for the women in these SEDGs. The policy additionally recognizes the special and critical role that women play in society and in shaping social mores; therefore, providing a quality education to girls is the best way to increase the education levels for these SEDGs, not just in the present but also in future generations. The policy thus recommends that the policies and schemes designed to include students from SEDGs should be especially targeted towards girls in these SEDGs.
The NEP 2020 envisions of constituting a ‘Gender-Inclusion Fund’ to build the nation’s capacity to provide equitable quality education for all girls as well as transgender students to implement priorities in gaining access to education (such as the provisions of sanitation and toilets, bicycles, conditional cash transfers, etc.) and also to support and scale effective community-based interventions that address local context specific barriers to female and transgender children’s access to and participation in education.
(c): The benefit of the schemes of Ministry of Education disseminates uniformly across all the sections of the society irrespective of gender. However, a scheme named “Prime Minister’s Girls’ Hostel” in Department of Higher Education and a scheme named “National Scheme for Incentive to Girl Child for Secondary Education” in Department of School Education & Literacy are 100% specific towards girl’s education.
The funds allotted under the Scheme “Prime Minister’s Girls’ Hostel” during the year 2017-18, 2018-19 & 2019-20 was Rs.20 crore, Rs.30 crore & Rs.13 crore and the actual expenditure was Rs.10 crore, Rs.20 crore & Rs.3.25 crore, respectively. However, the utilization of funds for construction of Girls'' Hostels under the scheme was adversely affected due to the weather vagaries and other conditions.
The funds allotted under the Scheme “National Scheme for Incentive to Girl Child for Secondary Education (NSIGSE)” during the year 2017-18, 2018-19 & 2019-20 was Rs.320 crore, Rs.255.90 crore & Rs.100 crore and the actual expenditure was Rs.292.38 crore, Rs.164.58 crore & Rs.8.56 crore, respectively. The NSIGSE scheme has been discontinued w.e.f. the year 2018-19 so as to re-design to enhance effective implementation.
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