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EDUCATION - PROGRAMS & POLICIES

Literacy

National Literacy Mission Authority (NLMA)

1. Adult Education is a Concurrent Subject with both Central and State Governments being required to

contribute to its promotion and strengthening. At the national level, National Literacy Mission Authority

(NLMA), an autonomous wing of MHRD is the nodal agency for overall planning and management and

funding of Adult Education Programs and institutions.

2. It was set up in 1988 with the approval of the Cabinet as an independent and autonomous wing of the

Ministry of HRD (the then Department of Education). The Cabinet vested NLMA with full executive

and financial powers in the sphere of work.

3. National Literacy Mission Authority is mandated with

a. Policy and planning;

b. Developmental and promotional activities;

c. Operational functions including assistance to voluntary agencies and other NGOs,

d. Technology demonstration

e. Leadership training

f. Resource development including media and materials

g. Research and development

h. Monitoring and evaluation etc.

4. Presently, the provision of adult education is through the Saakshar Bharat Programme (SBP) which is a

centrally sponsored scheme. The National Literacy Mission Authority (NLMA), is the Nodal Agency at

the National level. The Joint Secretary (Adult Education) is the ex - officio Director General of NLMA.

5. Its inter - ministerial General Council and Executive Committee are the two policy and executive bodies.

a. The Council of NLMA - Is the apex body of NLMA, headed by Minister of Human Resource

Development and consists of, among others, Ministers of Panchayati Raj, Rural Development,

Minority Affairs, Information and Broadcasting etc.

b. Executive Committee - The Executive Committee is responsible to carry out all the functions of

the Authority in accordance with the policy and guidelines laid down by the Council. It strives

for proper implementation of policies and incorporation of latest developments in the field of adult

education.

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Sakshar Bharat

1. Saakshar Bharat has been formulated in 2009 with the objective of achieving 80% literacy level by 2012at national level, by focusing on adult women literacy seeking - to reduce the gap between male and femaleliteracy to not more than 10 percentage points.

2. The mission has four broader objectives, namely

a. imparting functional literacy and numeracy to non-literates;

b. acquiring equivalency to formal educational system;

c. imparting relevant skill development programme; and

d. Promote a leaning society by providing opportunities for continuing education.

3. The Mission goes beyond '3' R's (i.e. Reading, Writing & Arithmetic) ; for it also seeks to create awarenessof social disparities and a person's deprivation on the means for its amelioration and general well being.

a. The principal target of the mission is to impart functional literacy to 70 million non-literate adultsin the age group of 15 years and beyond.

b. The mission will cover 14 million SCs, 8 million STs, 12 million minorities & 36 million others. Theoverall coverage of women will be 60 million. 410 districts belonging to 26 States/UTs of thecountry have been identified to be covered under Saakshar Bharat.

4. Eligibility criteria for coverage under Saakshar Bharat. -

a. A district, including a new district carved out of an erstwhile district that had adult female literacyrate of 50 per cent or below, as per 2001 census, is eligible for coverage under the Saakshar Bharatprogramme.

b. In addition, all left wing extremism-affected districts, irrespective of their literacy rate, are alsoeligible for coverage under the programme.

Elementary Education

a) Article 21-A/ Right to Education Act, 2009

1. Background -

a. The Constitution (Eighty-sixth Amendment) Act, 2002 inserted Article 21-A in the Constitution

of India to provide free and compulsory education of all children in the age group of six tofourteen years as a Fundamental Right in such a manner as the State may, by law, determine.

b. The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act, 2009, which represents theconsequential legislation envisaged under Article 21-A, means that every child has a right to fulltime elementary education of satisfactory and equitable quality in a formal school which satisfiescertain essential norms and standards.

c. Article 21-A and the RTE Act came into effect on 1 April 2010.

2. The RTE Act provides for the:

a. Right of children to free and compulsory education till completion of elementary education in aneighbourhood school.

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b. It clarifies that 'compulsory education' means obligation of the appropriate government to provide

free elementary education and ensure compulsory admission, attendance and completion of

elementary education to every child in the six to fourteen age group. 'Free' means that no child

shall be liable to pay any kind of fee or charges or expenses which may prevent him or her from

pursuing and completing elementary education.

c. It makes provisions for a non-admitted child to be admitted to an age appropriate class.

d. It specifies the duties and responsibilities of appropriate Governments, local authority and parents

in providing free and compulsory education, and sharing of financial and other responsibilities

between the Central and State Governments.

e. It lays down the norms and standards relating inter alia to Pupil Teacher Ratios (PTRs), buildings

and infrastructure, school-working days, teacher-working hours.

f. It provides for rational deployment of teachers by ensuring that the specified pupil teacher ratio

is maintained for each school, rather than just as an average for the State or District or Block,

thus ensuring that there is no urban-rural imbalance in teacher postings. It also provides for

prohibition of deployment of teachers for non-educational work, other than decennial census,

elections to local authority, state legislatures and parliament, and disaster relief.

g. It provides for appointment of appropriately trained teachers, i.e. teachers with the requisite entry

and academic qualifications.

h. It prohibits (a) physical punishment and mental harassment; (b) screening procedures for admission

of children; (c) capitation fee; (d) private tuition by teachers and (e) running of schools without

recognition,

i. It provides for development of curriculum in consonance with the values enshrined in the

Constitution, and which would ensure the all-round development of the child, building on the

child's knowledge, potentiality and talent and making the child free of fear, trauma and anxiety

through a system of child friendly and child centered learning.

3. With this, India has moved forward to a rights based framework that casts a legal obligation on the Central

and State Governments to implement this fundamental child right as enshrined in the Article 21A of the

Constitution, in accordance with the provisions of the RTE Act.

Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan

1. SSA, the principal programme for Universal Elementary Education (UEE), is the culmination of all

previous endeavours and experiences in implementing various education programmes. While each of these

programmes and projects had a specific focus-Operation Blackboard on improving physical infrastructure;

DPEP on primary education; Shiksha Karmi Project on teacher absenteeism, and Lok Jumbish Project on

girls' education-SSA has been the single largest holistic programme addressing all aspects of elementary

education covering over one million elementary schools and Education Guarantee Centre (EGS)/Alternate

and Innovative Education (AIE) Centres and about 20 crore children.

2. SSA has been operational since 2000-2001 to provide for a variety of interventions for universal access

and retention, bridging of gender and social category gaps in elementary education and improving the

quality of learning.

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3. SSA interventions include inter alia,

a. opening of new schools and alternate schooling facilities,

b. construction of schools and additional classrooms,

c. toilets and drinking water,

d. provisioning for teachers,

e. regular teacher in service training and academic resource support,

f. Free textbooks& uniforms and support for improving learning achievement levels / outcome.

4. With the passage of the RTE Act, changes have been incorporated into the SSA approach, strategies andnorms. The changes encompass the vision and approach to elementary education, guided by the followingprinciples :

a. Holistic view of education, as interpreted in the National Curriculum Framework 2005, withimplications for a systemic revamp of the entire content and process of education with significantimplications for curriculum, teacher education, educational planning and management.

b. Equity, to mean not only equal opportunity, but also creation of conditions in which thedisadvantaged sections of the society - children of SC, ST, Muslim minority, landless agriculturalworkers and children with special needs, etc. - can avail of the opportunity.

c. Access, not to be confined to ensuring that a school becomes accessible to all children withinspecified distance but implies an understanding of the educational needs and predicament of the

traditionally excluded categories - the SC, ST and others sections of the most disadvantagedgroups, the Muslim minority, girls in general, and children with special needs.

d. Gender concern, implying not only an effort to enable girls to keep pace with boys but to vieweducation in the perspective spelt out in the National Policy on Education 1986 /92; i.e. a decisive

intervention to bring about a basic change in the status of women.

5. Education Guarantee Scheme and Alternative and Innovative Education

a. Education Guarantee Scheme and Alternative Innovative Education (EGS and AIE) is an importantcomponent of Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) to bring out-of- school children in the fold of ElementaryEducation.

b. The scheme envisages that child-wise planning is undertaken for each out-of-School child.

c. Under EGS, educational facilities are set up in habitations that do not have a primary school

within a distance of 1 km.

d. Any habitation with 25 out-of-schools in the 6-14 age groups (15 in the cases of hilly and desert

areas and tribal hamlets) is eligible to have an EGS centre.

e. It is a transitory facility till primary school replaces it within a period of two years.

f. Alternative education interventions for specific categories of very deprived children e.g., childlabour, street children, migrating children, working children, children living in difficultcircumstances and older children in the 9+ age group especially adolescent girls are being supportedunder EGS and AIE all over the country.

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g. A sizeable number of out-of-school children are in the habitations where schooling facility isavailable but these children either did not join the school or dropped out before completing their

schooling. These children may not fit into the rigid formal system. To bring such children back toschool, back to school camp and Bridge Courses strategies have been implemented. Bridge coursesand back-to-school camps can be residential or non-residential depending upon the need of children.

Mid-Day Meal Scheme (Nutrition based Education Program to Ensure more Presence)

The MDMS is the world's largest school meal programme and reaches an estimated 12 crore children across12 lakh schools in India.

The MDMS emerged out of the National Programme of Nutritional Support to Primary Education (NP -NSPE), a centrally sponsored scheme formulated in 1995 to improve enrollment, attendance and retention byproviding free food grains to government run primary schools. In 2002, the Supreme Court directed thegovernment to provide cooked mid day meals (as opposed to providing dry rations) in all government andgovernment aided primary schools.

Calorie norms for the meals have been regularly revised starting from 300 calories in 2004, when the schemewas relaunched as the Mid Day Meal Scheme. At present the MDMS provides children in government aidedschools and education centres a cooked meal for a minimum of 200 days. Table 1 outlines the prescribednutritional content of the meals.

Table 1: Prescribed nutritional content for mid day meals

Item Primary (grade 1-5) Upper Primary(grade 6-8)

Calories 450 700

Protein (in grams) 12 20

Objectives: The key objectives of the MDMS are to address the issues of hunger and education in schoolsby serving hot cooked meals; improve the nutritional status of children and improve enrollment, attendanceand retention rates in schools and other education centres.

Finances: The cost of the MDMS is shared between the central and state governments. The central governmentprovides free food grains to the states. The cost of cooking, infrastructure development, transportation of foodgrains and payment of honorarium to cooks and helpers is shared by the centre with the state governments.The central government provides a greater share of funds. The contribution of state governments differs fromstate to state.

Monitoring and Evaluation: There are some interstate variations in the monitoring and evaluation mechanismsof the MDMS. A National Steering cum Monitoring Committee and a Programme Approval Board have beenestablished at the national level, to monitor the programme, conduct impact assessments, coordinate betweenstate governments and provide policy advice to central and state governments. Review Missions consisting ofrepresentatives from central and state governments and non governmental agencies have been established. Inaddition, independent monitoring institutions such as state universities and research institutions monitor theimplementation of the scheme.

At the state level, a three tier monitoring mechanism exists in the form of state, district and block level steeringcum monitoring committees. Gram panchayats and municipalities are responsible for day to day supervisionand may assign the supervision of the programme at the school level to the Village Education Committee,School Management and Development Committee or Parent Teacher Association.

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Key issues with implementation: While there is significant inter-state variation in the implementation of the

MDSM, there are some common concerns with the implementation of the scheme. Some of the concerns

highlighted by the Ministry for Human Resource Development based on progress reports submitted by the

states in 2012 are detailed in Table 3.

Table 3: Key implementation issues in the MDMS

Issue State(s) where these problems have been reported

Irregularity in serving meals Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Orissa, Rajasthan, Maharashtra,

Arunachal Pradesh

Irregularity in supply of food Orissa, Maharashtra, Tripura, Karnataka, Arunachal Pradesh,

Meghalaya, grains to schools Delhi, Andhra Pradesh

Caste based discrimination Orissa, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh in serving of food

Poor quality of food Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Delhi, Chhattisgarh

Poor coverage under School Orissa, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh,

Manipur, Health Programme Arunachal Pradesh, Himachal

Pradesh, Chhattisgarh

Poor infrastructure (kitchen Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Gujarat, Chandigarh,

Himachal sheds in particular) Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir,

Orissa

Poor hygiene Delhi, Rajasthan, Puducherry,

Poor community participation Most states - Delhi, Jharkhand, Manipur, Andhra Pradesh in

particular

Best practices: Several state governments have evolved practices to improve the implementation of theMDMS in their states. These include involving mothers of students in implementation of the scheme inUttarakhand and Jharkhand; creation of kitchen gardens, i.e., food is grown in the premises of the school, inAndhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Punjab and West Bengal; construction of dining halls in Tamil Nadu; and increasedcommunity participation in the implementation of the scheme Gujarat.

Analysis

Micronutrient deficiencies such as iron and vitamin A have an overwhelming impact in India. Amongst 7 to12 year old children in India over 86 per cent have been found to be consuming below the recommended levelof Vitamin A and over 46 per cent consuming insufficient iron. Micronutrient deficiencies can impair children'scognitive development, cause lack of concentration, school absenteeism and even illness.

A programme at this scale has some challenges but simple and innovative solutions have already been triedand proven. Among key areas which need to be strengthened for the MDM to achieve its desired objectives,are enhancing the nutritional value of the food and controlling disease among children.

Addressing micronutrient deficiencies through the MDM is an essential investment not only in improvingnutrition but also for welfare, human rights and economic development. A rigorous study in Guatemala foundthat boys under the age of three, who received a fortified complementary food, earned 46 per cent more thanothers who did not, when they grew up. Addressing hunger in school also makes for a more conducive learningenvironment.

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World Food Programme (WFP) has been working to support the government of India in finding solutions tostrengthen the country's food-based safety nets in order to address existing levels of malnutrition and foodinsecurity. Fortification is a good example of how we are working together.

#1. Fortification is a tried and tested process through which micronutrients are added to food items. Fortificationof staples such as rice and wheat with iron and Vitamin A have been successfully piloted in India withencouraging results. Cooked meals can also be fortified with micronutrient pre-mixes. At a reasonable cost,fortification can result in rapid improvement in the micronutrient status of a group. WFP,in partnership withthe government of Odisha, piloted iron fortification of MDM rice in one district. Within one year of the pilotthe prevalence of anaemia fell by 5 per cent. Another fortification pilot by WFP and government of Uttarakhand,in the Tehri Garhwal District, resulted in a reduction of iron deficiency anaemia among the children by over8 per cent in eight months.

#2. Integrating safe and hygienic practices in the MDM is essential to ensure any progress is not watereddown with the onset of diseases. This needs to be established throughout the food supply chain, duringpreparation and consumption. Cooking and storage facilities need to be hygienic, there needs to be a continuoussupply of water for hand washing and cleaning products, appropriate kit with aprons, gloves and caps for thecooks and safe food waste disposal. The importance of adequate toilets has already been flagged by thegovernment's ongoing push to build a toilet in every school.

#3. Improving school management: Further, change and support from school management, cooking staff andthe children themselves, is vital for the scheme to have the intended effect. It is essential that the cooking staffhave regular health checks and adopt hygienic standards such as washing their hands as well as those of thechildren before and after eating meals. Three important messages that need to be reiterated to all stakeholdersare clean hands, clean utensils, clean cooking and serving area.

To successfully improve nutrition, it is essential to have strategies and convergence across sectors includingfood, health, safe drinking water and sanitation. With one in three of world's malnourished children living inthis country, this investment is imperative for India. MDM is well placed to support the nutritional requirementsof a large number of India's children but some stark gaps regarding hygiene and the nutritional value of everymeal needs to be addressed to enhance the impact of this investment.

Special Programs For Education of Girl Child

NPEGEL - National Program for Education of Girls at Elementary Level

• This is a focused intervention of Government of India, to reach the "Hardest to Reach" girls, especiallythose not in school.

• Launched in 2003

• It is a component of SSA

• Where implemented 'In educationally backward blocks (EEB) where the level of rural female literacy isless than the national average and the gender gap is above the national average

• How it works -

• It provides additional support for enhancing girl's education over and above the investments for

girl's education through normal SSA interventions.

• The program provides for development of a "model school" in every cluster with more intensecommunity mobilization and supervision of girls enrolment in schools.

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• Gender sensitization of teachers, development of gender-sensitive learning materials, and provisionof need-based incentives like escorts, stationery, workbooks and uniforms are some of the endeavors

under the program.

KGBV - Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya

• Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya (KGBV) is a scheme for setting up residential schools at upper primarylevel for girls belonging predominantly to the SC, ST, OBC and minority communities.

• The scheme provides for a minimum reservation of 75% of the seats for girls belonging to SC, ST, OBCor minority communities and 25 % to girls from families that below poverty line.

• It was launched in 2004, But since 2007 (1st april 2007), the scheme was merged with Sarva ShikshaAbhiyan as a separate component of SSA program. (I.E. in 11th Plan it was merged with SSA). So atpresent it runs as a separate component under SSA.

• The scheme is being implemented in educationally backward blocks (EEB's) of the country. i.e. thoseblocks where the

• Female rural literacy is below the national average and

• Gender gap in literacy is above the national average.

Mahila Samakhya Program

1. The National Policy on Education, 1986 recognized that the empowerment of women is possibly the most

critical pre-condition for the participation of girls and women in the educational process. The Mahila

Samakhya programme was launched in 1988 to pursue the objectives of the National Policy on Education,

1986.

2. It recognized that education can be an effective tool for women's empowerment, the parameters of which

are:

a. enhancing self-esteem and self-confidence of women;

b. building a positive image of women by recognizing their contribution to the society, polity and

the economy;

c. developing ability to think critically;

d. fostering decision making and action through collective processes;

e. enabling women to make informed choices in areas like education, employment and health

(especially reproductive health);

f. ensuring equal participation in developmental processes;

g. providing information, knowledge and skill for economic independence; enhancing access to legal

literacy and information relating to their rights and entitlements in society with a view to enhance

their participation on an equal footing in all areas

The MS scheme recognizes the centrality of education in empowering women to achieve equality.

The Mahila Sanghas or women's collectives at the village level provide the women a space to meet, reflect,

ask questions and articulate their thoughts and needs to make informed choices.

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The Mahila Sanghas through various programmes and awareness campaigns have brought about a change inthe outlook of rural women and the effects can now be seen in various facets of life at home within the family,the community and at the block, and Panchayat levels.

The programme has also focused on awareness of the need to educate the children, especially girls, to give theequal status and opportunities which has resulted in a direct impact on enrolment and retention of girls inschools.

The Mahila Samakhya Scheme is currently being implemented in ten states, viz., Andhra Pradesh, Assam,Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand spread over 102districts and covering more than 21,000 villages.

Currently, DFID (UK) is providing assistance of 35 million sterling to this programme on the basis of a 90:10fund sharing pattern between DFID and Government of India for a seven year period from 2007-14.

Incentives To Girls For Secondary Education

1. To promote enrolment of girl child in the age group of 14-18 at secondary stage, especially those whopassed Class VIII and to encourage the secondary education of such girls, the Centrally Sponsored Scheme.National Scheme of Incentives to Girls for Secondary Education was launched in May,2008.

2. The Scheme covers:

a. All SC/ST girls who pass class VIII and

b. Girls, who pass class VIII examination from Kastrurba Gandhi Balika Vidyalayas (irrespective ofwhether they belong to Scheduled Castes or Tribes) and enroll for class IX in State/UT Government,Government-aided or local body schools in the academic year 2008-09 onwards.

c. Girls should be below 16 years of age ( as on 31st March) on joining class IX

d. Married girls, girls studying in private un-aided schools and enrolled in schools run by CentralGovernment are excluded.

3. A sum of Rs.3,000/- is deposited in the name of eligible girls as fixed deposit. The girls are entitled towithdraw the sum along with interest thereon on reaching 18 years of age and on passing 10th classexamination.

Scheme for Construction and Running of Girls' Hostel for Students of Secondary and HigherSecondary Schools

1. Introduction

a. This is a new Centrally Sponsored Scheme launched in 2008-09 and is being implemented from2009-10 to set up a 100-bedded Girls' Hostel in each of 3479 Educationally Backward Blocks(EBBs) in the country.

b. The Scheme has replaced the earlier NGO driven Scheme for construction and running of Girls'Hostels for Students of Secondary and Higher Secondary Schools, under which assistance wasprovided to voluntary organizations for running Girls' Hostels.

2. Objective

a. The main objective of the Scheme is to retain the girl child in secondary school so that girl studentsare not denied the opportunity to continue their study due to distance to school, parents' financialaffordability and other connected societal factors.

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b. Another objective of the Scheme is to make Secondary and Senior Secondary education accessibleto a larger number of girl students.

3. Target Group

a. The girl students in the age group of 14-18 yrs. studying in classes IX and XII belonging to SC,ST, OBC, Minority communities and BPL families will form the target group of the Scheme.

b. Students passing out of KGBV will be given preference in admission in hostels. At least 50% of

girls admitted will be from SC, ST, OBC and Minority communities.

Special Programs for Minority Education

Scheme to Provide Quality Education in Madrasas (SPQEM)

1. SPQEM seeks to bring about qualitative improvement in Madrasas to enable Muslim children attainstandards of the national education system in formal education subjects.

2. The salient features of SPQEM scheme are :

a. To strengthen capacities in Madrasas for teaching of the formal curriculum subjects like Science,Mathematics, Language, Social Studies etc. through enhanced payment of teacher honorarium.

b. Training of such teachers every two years in new pedagogical practices.

c. Providing Science labs, Computer labs with annual maintenance costs in the secondary and higher

secondary stage madrasas.

d. Provision of Science/Mathematics kits in primary/upper primary level madrassas.

e. Strengthening of libraries/book banks and providing teaching learning materials at all levels of

madrasas.

3. The unique feature of this modified scheme is that it encourages linkage of Madrasas with NationalInstitute for Open Schooling (NIOS), as accredited centres for providing formal education, which willenable children studying in such Madrasas to get certification for class 5, 8, 10 and 12. This will enablethem to transit to higher studies and also ensure that quality standards akin to the national educationsystem. Registration & examination fees to the NIOS will be covered under this scheme as also theteaching learning materials to be used.

4. The NIOS linkage will be extended under this scheme for Vocational Education at the secondary andhigher secondary stage of Madrasas.

5. For the monitoring and popularization of the scheme it will fund State Madrasa Boards. GoI will itselfrun periodic evaluations, the first within two years.

Scheme for Infrastructure Development In Minority Institutes (IDMI)

1. IDMI has been operationalized to augment Infrastructure in Private Aided/Unaided Minority Schools/Institutions in order to enhance quality of education to minority children.

2. The salient features of IDMI scheme are:

a. The scheme would facilitate education of minorities by augmenting and strengthening schoolinfrastructure in Minority Institutions in order to expand facilities for formal education to childrenof minority communities.

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b. The scheme will cover the entire country but, preference will be given to minority institutions(private aided/unaided schools) located in districts, blocks and towns having a minority population

above 20%,

c. The scheme will inter alia encourage educational facilities for girls, children with special needs andthose who are most deprived educationally amongst minorities.

d. The scheme will fund infrastructure development of private aided/unaided minority institutionsto the extent of 75% and subject to a maximum of Rs. 50 lakhs per institution for strengtheningof educational infrastructure and physical facilities in the existing school including additionalclassrooms, science / computer lab rooms, library rooms, toilets, drinking water facilities andhostel buildings for children especially for girls.

Secondary Education

Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan

1. This scheme was launched in March, 2009

2. Objective of the scheme -

a. to enhance access to secondary education and to improve its quality.

b. to achieve an enrolment rate of 75% from 52.26% in 2005-06 at secondary stage of implementationof the scheme by providing a secondary school within a reasonable distance of any habitation.

c. improving quality of education imparted at secondary level through making all secondary schoolsconform to prescribed norms, removing gender, socio-economic and disability barriers, providinguniversal access to secondary level education by 2017, i.e., by the end of 12th Five Year Plan and

achieving universal retention by 2020.

3. The Government of India approved the following revised norms of RMSA, with effect from 01.04.2013under which the following Centrally Sponsored Schemes of Secondary Education are subsumed under theumbrella RMSA -

a. Information and Communication Technology (ICT)@ School,

b. Girls' Hostel,

c. Inclusive Education for Disabled at Secondary Stage(IEDSS) and

d. Vocational Education(VE)

e. The above mentioned schemes are now a component of RMSA

4. Implementation Mechanism Of The Scheme -

a. The scheme is being implemented by the State government societies established for implementationof the scheme. The central share is released to the implementing agency directly. The applicable

State share is also released to the implementing agency by the respective State Governments.

Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in schools

1. The Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in schools have been subsumed in the RashtriyaMadhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA). Now ICT in Schools is a component of the RMSA.

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2. The Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in Schools was launched in December, 2004 andrevised in 2010 to provide opportunities to secondary stage students to mainly build their capacity on ICTskills and make them learn through computer aided learning process. The Scheme is a major catalyst tobridge the digital divide amongst students of various socio economic and other geographical barriers. TheScheme provides support to States/UTs to establish computer labs on sustainable basis.

3. Components - The scheme has essentially four components:

a. The first one is the partnership with State Government and Union Territories Administrations forproviding computer aided education to Secondary and Higher Secondary Government andGovernment aided schools.

b. The second is the establishment of smart schools, which shall be technology demonstrators.

c. The third component is teacher related interventions, such as provision for engagement of anexclusive teacher, capacity enhancement of all teachers in ICT and a scheme for national ICT

award as a means of motivation.

d. Fourth one relates to the development of a e-content, mainly through Central Institute of EducationTechnologies (CIET), six State Institutes of Education Technologies (SIETs) and 5 Regional Institutes

of Education (RIEs), as also through outsourcing.

Scheme of Inclusive Education for Disabled at Secondary Stage (IEDSS)

1. Timeline

a. The Scheme of Inclusive Education for Disabled at Secondary Stage (IEDSS) has been launched

from the year 2009-10.

b. This Scheme replaces the earlier scheme of Integrated Education for Disabled Children (IEDC)and provides assistance for the inclusive education of the disabled children in classes IX-XII.

c. This scheme now subsumed under Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA) from 2013.The States/UTs are also in the process of subsuming under RMSA as RMSA subsumed Scheme.

2. Aim - To enabled all students with disabilities, to pursue further four years of secondary schooling aftercompleting eight years of elementary schooling in an inclusive and enabling environment.

3. Objectives

4. The scheme covers all children studying at the secondary stage in Government, local body and Government-aided schools, with one or more disabilities as defined under the Persons with Disabilities Act (1995) andthe National Trust Act (1999) in the class IX to XII, namely blindness, low vision, leprosy cured, hearingimpairment, locomotory disabilities, mental retardation, mental illness, autism, and cerebral palsy and mayeventually cover speech impairment, learning disabilities, etc.

5. Components

a. Student-oriented components, such as medical and educational assessment, books and stationery,uniforms, transport allowance, reader allowance, stipend for girls, support services, assistive devices,boarding the lodging facility, therapeutic services, teaching learning materials, etc.

b. Other components include appointment of special education teachers, allowances for generalteachers for teaching such children, teacher training, orientation of school administrators,establishment of resource room, providing barrier free environment, etc.

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6. Implementing Agency

a. The School Education Department of the State Governments/Union Territory (UT) Administrationsare the implementing agencies. They may involve NGOs having experience in the field of educationof the disabled in the implementation of the scheme.

7. Financial Assistance

a. Central assistance for all items covered in the scheme is on 100 percent basis.

b. The State governments are only required to make provisions for scholarship of Rs. 600/- perdisabled child per annum.

Vocationalization of Secondary Education

• The Centrally Sponsored Scheme of Vocationalization of Secondary Education at + 2 level is beingimplemented since 1988. The revised scheme is in operation since 1992-93.

• The Scheme provides for financial assistance to the States to set up administrative structure, area vocationalsurveys, preparation of curriculum, text book, work book curriculum guides, training manual, teachertraining programme, strengthening technical support system for research and development, training andevaluation etc. It also provides financial assistance to NGOs and voluntary organizations towardsimplementation of specific innovative projects for conducting short-term courses.

• Based on the recommendations of various Committees/Review Groups, the existing Scheme is beingrevised

Model School

1. Note - The Model School Scheme Has Been Delinked From The Support Of The Government Of IndiaAnd As Such The Scheme Stands Transferred To States/UTs For Further Appropriate Action.

2. The Model School scheme aims to provide quality education to talented rural children through setting upof 6,000 model schools at the rate of one school per block as benchmark of excellence.

3. The scheme has the following objectives:

a. To have at least one good quality senior secondary school in every block.

b. To have a pace setting role

c. To try out innovative curriculum and pedagogy

d. To be a model in infrastructure, curriculum, evaluation and school governance

4. The scheme envisages setting up of (i) 3,500 schools in as many educationally backward blocks (EBBs)through State/UT Governments, and (ii) remaining 2,500 schools under Public-Private Partnership (PPP)mode in blocks which are not educationally backward.

National Means cum-Merit Scholarship Scheme

1. The Centrally Sponsored Scheme "National Means-cum-Merit Scholarship Scheme (NMMSS)" was launchedin May, 2008.

2. The objective of the scheme is to award scholarships to meritorious students of economically weakersections to arrest their drop out at class VIII and encourage them to continue the study at secondary stage.

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Scholarship of Rs.6000/- per annum (Rs.500/- per month) per student is awarded to selected studentsevery year for study in classes from IX to XII in Government, Government aided and local body schools.

3. For academic year 2013-14 onward, separte examination for selection of students for NMMS Scholarshipsis being conducted by the State Governments. Scholarships are disbursed by the State Bank of Indiadirectly into the accounts of students on quarterly basis.

4) Higher Education

Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA)

1. Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA) is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme (CSS), launched in 2013aims at providing strategic funding to eligible state higher educational institutions.

2. Funding

a. The central funding (in the ratio of 65:35 for general category States and 90:10 for specialcategory states) would be norm based and outcome dependent.

b. The funding would flow from the central ministry through the state governments/union territoriesto the State Higher Education Councils before reaching the identified institutions.

c. The funding to states would be made on the basis of critical appraisal of State Higher EducationPlans, which would describe each state's strategy to address issues of equity, access and excellencein higher education.

3. The salient objectives of RUSA are to;

a. Improve the overall quality of state institutions by ensuring conformity to prescribed norms andstandards and adopt accreditation as a mandatory quality assurance framework.

b. Usher transformative reforms in the state higher education system by creating a facilitatinginstitutional structure for planning and monitoring at the state level, promoting autonomy inState Universities and improving governance in institutions.

c. Ensure reforms in the affiliation, academic and examination systems.

d. Ensure adequate availability of quality faculty in all higher educational institutions and ensurecapacity building at all levels of employment.

e. Create an enabling atmosphere in the higher educational institutions to devote themselves toresearch and innovations.

f. Expand the institutional base by creating additional capacity in existing institutions and establishingnew institutions, in order to achieve enrolment targets.

g. Correct regional imbalances in access to higher education by setting up institutions in un?served& underserved areas.

h. Improve equity in higher education by providing adequate opportunities of higher education toSC/STs and socially and educationally backward classes; promote inclusion of women, minorities,and differently abled persons.

4. Components

a. RUSA would create new universities through upgradation of existing autonomous colleges and conversionof colleges in a cluster. It would create new model degree colleges, new professional colleges and

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provide infrastructural support to universities and colleges Faculty recruitment support, faculty improvementsprogrammes and leadership development of educational administrators are also an important part of thescheme. In order to enhance skill development the existing central scheme of Polytechnics has beensubsumed within RUSA. A separate component to synergise vocational education with higher educationhas also been included in RUSA. Besides these, RUSA also supports reforming, restructuring and buildingcapacity of institutions in participating state.

5. Institutional Hierarchy

a. RUSA is implemented and monitored through an institutional structure comprising the NationalMission Authority, Project Approval Board and the National Project Directorate at the centre and theState Higher Education Council and State Project Directorate at the state level.

5) Skill Development

Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship

1. It was created in 2014

2. Agencies like NSDC and NSDA come under it

3. It will coordinate with other ministries who are handling skill schemes.

4. Will devise training curriculum in key sectors and will issue certificates to trained personnel.

Skill India Mission

1. A national multi-skill programme called Skill India is proposed to be launched.

2. It would skill the youth with an emphasis on employability and entrepreneur skills.

3. It will also provide training and support for traditional professions like welders, carpenters, cobblers,masons, blacksmiths, weavers etc.

4. Convergence of various schemes to attain this objective is also proposed.

NSDA - National Skill Development Agency

1. About it -

a. It subsumes the Office of Adviser to the PM - National Council on Skill Development)

b. NSDA is an autonomous body

2. Functions

a. Take all possible steps to meet skilling targets as envisaged in the 12th Five Year Plan and beyond;

b. Will coordinate the skill development efforts of the Government and the private sector to achievethe skilling targets;

c. The NSDA will anchor and operationalize the National Skills Qualifications Framework (NSQF)

to ensure that quality and standards meet sector specific requirements;

d. and facilitate the setting up of professional certifying bodies in addition to the existing ones.

e. Be the nodal agency for State Skill Development Missions;

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f. It will endeavor to bridge the social, regional, gender and economic divide

i. by ensuring that the skilling needs of the disadvantaged and marginalized groups like SCs,STs, OBCs, minorities, women and differently-abled persons are taken care of through thevarious skill development programmes and

ii. by taking affirmative actions as part of advocacy by the NSDA.

g. Raise extra-budgetary resources for skill development from various sources such as internationalagencies, including multi-lateral agencies, and the private sector;

h. Evaluate existing skill development schemes with a view to assessing their efficacy and suggestcorrective action to make them more effective;

Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Antyodaya Yojana for Urban and Rural Poor

1. Introducation

a. Union Government on 25 September 2014 launched Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Antyodaya Yojanafor urban and rural poor.

b. The Yojana aims at alleviating urban and rural poverty through enhancement of livelihoodopportunities through skill development and other means.

c. Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Antyodaya Yojana has two components

i. Urban component - to be implemented by the Union Ministry of Housing & Urban PovertyAlleviation

ii. Rural component (named as Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushalya Yojana) - to beimplemented by the Union Ministry of Rural Development.

2. Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushalya Yojana

a. Aim

i. To train 10 lakh (1 million) rural youths for jobs in three years, that is, by 2017.

b. Features

i. The minimum age for entry under the Yojana is 15 years

ii. Skill development training centers to be launched

iii. The skills imparted under the Yojana will now be benchmarked against international standardsand will complement the Prime Minister's Make In India campaign.

iv. Will also the address the need for imparting training to the differently-able persons and

v. Will rope in private players including international players to impart the skills to the ruralyouths.

c. Economic survey 2014-15

i. It is a placement-linked skill development scheme for poor rural youth.

ii. A total of 51,956 candidates have been skilled under the DDU-GKY, of which 28,995 havebeen placed till November during 2014-15.

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3. Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Antyodaya Yojana for urban areas

a. Increased Coverage

i. Currently, all the urban poverty alleviating programmes covered only 790 towns and cities.

ii. Under the Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Antyodaya Yojana (DAY) for urban areas extendsthecoverage to all the 4041 statutory cities and towns, there by covering almost the entireurban population.

b. The scheme will focus on

i. Imparting skills with an expenditure of 15000 rupees to 18000 rupees on each urban poor,

ii. City Livelihood Centres will be setup to impart market-oriented skills,

iii. Promotion of self-employment through setting up individual micro-enterprises,

iv. Enabling urban poor form Self-Help Groups,

v. Construction of permanent shelters for urban homeless and provision of other essential services.

Industrial Training Institution

1. ITIs are key components of the vocational training system in the country.

2. These institutes are imparting training in 57 engineering and 50 non-engineering trades to those who havepassed either 8th or 10th class examination

3. How many at present ' 5,000 + in 2008.

a. Of these, 1896 are State Government-run ITIs while

b. Remaining (3218 ITIs) are private.

4. Role of center and state

a. Center lays down standards and conducts trade testing & certification for both public and

private ITIs.

b. State Governments are responsible for managing the ITIs.

Scheme of Support to NGOs for Adult Education and Skill Development

1. The Programme of Action (POA) to operationalize National Policy on Education, 1986, inter-alia,envisaged development of a genuine partnership between the Government and non- GovernmentOrganizations (NGOs) and stipulated that government would take positive steps to promote their widerinvolvement in eradication of illiteracy by providing due support to them.

2. To promote Adult Education, particularly in 15-35 age group, through voluntary sector, the Departmentof School Education and Literacy, Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India,has been providing support to Voluntary Agencies (VA) through two separate schemes, namely

a. Assistance to Voluntary Agencies in the field of Adult Education -

i. it is conceptualized as an overarching programme to encourage innovation and creativity inliteracy and continuing education. It includes establishment of State Resource Centers fortechnical and academic support to adult education.

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b. Jan Shikshan Sansthans -

i. They provide vocational education skill development training to those having no or rudimentarylevel of education.

3. The Government have now decided to merge both the schemes and rename the modified scheme as"Scheme of Support to Voluntary Agencies for Adult Education and Skill Development" and continue tosupport the Voluntary Agencies on project to project basis. Thus the new scheme subsumes the erstwhileNGO based schemes of the National Literacy Mission.

4. Scheme Objective - The main objective of the scheme is to secure extensive, as well as, intensive involvementof voluntary sector in the endeavours of the Government to promote functional literacy, skill developmentand continuing education, particularly in 15-35 age group, under the over all umbrella of National LiteracyMission (NLM). The Scheme will, thus, strive to achieve, through voluntary effort, the overall objectivesof NLM, which include:

a. Achieving self-reliance in literacy and numeracy

b. Becoming aware of the causes of their deprivation and moving towards amelioration of theircondition through organization and participation in the process of development

c. Acquiring skills to improve the economic status and general well being

d. Imbibing the values of national integration, conservation of the environment women's equality,observance of small family norms, etc.

5. Components Of This Scheme:

a. State Resource Centers

b. Jan Shikshan Sansthan

c. Assistance to Voluntary Agencies

6) Teachers Education

Teacher Education Scheme

• Centrally sponsored scheme of teacher education was launched in 1987-88 with, inter - alia, the followingcomponent:

• Establishment of district institute of education & training (DIETs) by upgradation of existingElementary Teacher Education Institutions (ETEIs) wherever possible, and

• Establishment of new DIET where necessary.

• The main objectives of the Teacher Education Scheme are as follows:

• Speedy completion of DIET/CTE/IASE/ SCERT projects sanctioned but not completed up to the9th Plan period, optimally functional and operational.

• Sanction and implementation of fresh DIET/CTE/IASE/SCERT projects to the extent necessary.

• Improvement in the quality of programmes to be undertaken by DIETs, etc. especially thoseof pre-service and in-service training, so as to enable them to effectively play their nodal role ofimproving quality of elementary and secondary education in their respective jurisdiction, asmeasured in terms of levels of learner achievements.

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Pandit Madan Mohan Malviya National Mission on Teachers and Teaching

1. In December 2014, NDA government launched Pandit Madan Mohan Malviya National Mission on

Teachers & Teaching with an outlay of Rs. 900 crores during XII Plan.

2. Background of launch - As teachers hold the key for success of educational development, thus attention

has to be focused on the preparation of teachers and their working conditions in classrooms, schools and

colleges, as also their continuous professional development, ensuring that best talent in the country are

made available to shape the future generations.

3. Aim -

a. to ensure a coordinated approach so as to holistically address the various shortcomings relating to

teachers and teaching across the educational spectrum ranging from school education to higher

education including technical education; using the best international practices for excellenc;

b. empower teachers and faculty through training, re-training, refresher and orientation programmes

in generic skills, pedagogic skills, discipline specific content upgradation, ICT and technology enabled

training and other appropriate interventions.

4. The Mission envisages to address comprehensively all issues related to teachers, teaching, teacher preparation,

professional development, Curriculum Design, Designing and Developing Assessment & Evaluation

methodology, Research in Pedagogy and developing effective Pedagogy.

5. The Mission will provide an integrated platform for building synergies among all the existing initiatives,

providing oversight to the existing activities and also carry out new activities aimed at gap filling so that

a comprehensive vehicle for Teacher/Faculty related programmes and schemes is created.

Adult Education and lateral Education

National Population Education Project

• The National Population Education Project was launched in April 1980 with the overarching objective of

institutionalizing population education in the school education and teacher education systems to contribute

to the attainment of population education in the school education and teacher education systems to

contribute to the attainment of population and development goals of the country.

• Up to 2002, this was implemented as externally aided project which was fully funded by the United

Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).

• It was being implemented in the university education and adult education sector as well.

• In view of the achievements and significance of the project, Government of India decided to continue it

in the 10th Five Year Plan with a more focused objective of integrating the elements of reconceptualised

framework of population education in school curriculum.

• UNFPA decided to support a concomitant project focused on adolescent reproductive and sexual health

(ARSH) from 2004.

• During 2006-07, the NPEP was implemented as an integral part of Adolescence Education programme,

launched by ministry of human resource development in 2005 in collaboration with National AIDS Control

Organisation.

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Jan Shiksha Sansthans

• Jan Shiksha Sansthans (JSSs) are established to provide vocational training to non-literate, as well as schooldropouts by identifying skills as would have a market in the region of their establishment.

• JSSs impart skill development training in nearly 394 vocational courses in Cutting and Tailoring, BeautyCulture and Health Care, Fashion Design, Electrical and Electronics, Automobile Repairs, Soft Toysmaking, Agriculture Allied Courses, Cottage Industry Courses, Handicrafts, Bakery and Confectionary,Textile Technology, Leather Technology and Building Technology.

Open Schooling System

• It is necessary to design, create and establish alternative Educational provisions for some prospectivelearners who will not be able to take advantage of formal schooling during stipulated school hours.

• The Open Schooling Programmes up to predegree level are being offered by the National Institute of OpenSchooling (NIOS) and 10 State Open Schools (SOSS).

• The States that have set up SOSS are West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu,Karnataka, Kerala,Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Haryana, Punjab, and Jammu and Kashmir.

• The open schools network when fully developed should be able to cater to at least 15% students insecondary education.

• The open schooling network needs to be expanded to ensure that every state providesOpen SchoolingFacility through its regional language.