Delhi government to hold social audit of schools under Samagra Shiksha scheme

NEW DELHI: The Delhi government will carry out a social audit of its government schools under the Samagra Shiksha scheme for 2025-26 to ensure that all entitlements guaranteed under the Right to Education Act are provided to students in a timely and equitable manner.

The audit will cover about 60 per cent of government schools in the city. It will be done as per the revised guidelines issued by the Ministry of Education, Government of India, a circular from the Directorate of Education said. The total budget for conducting the audit in Delhi has been set at Rs 3.73 crore for 2025-26.

The selected institution will be responsible for training social auditors, conducting field visits, preparing reports and uploading findings online. The social audit will be conducted by universities, colleges or technical institutes having a National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) rating of B+ and above.

Also read Gender parity or safety risk? Maharashtra’s co-educational school mandate sparks debate

Delhi State Administrative University top choice

Preference will be given to Delhi's State Administrative University, it stated. The main purpose of the audit is to ensure that students are getting their entitlements under the Right to Education (RTE) Act and Samagra Shiksha in a fair and timely manner. It will also check the condition of school infrastructure such as classrooms, toilets, drinking water and electricity, besides reviewing the safety of students, especially girls, it reads.

As per the circular, the audit will also look into enrolment, attendance and retention of students, as well as the inclusion of children with special needs. It will involve parents, teachers and community members in assessing how schools are functioning. "The social audit is expected to help identify issues on the ground that may not be visible through routine monitoring and will help the government take corrective steps," an official said.

Samagra Shiksha is a centrally sponsored scheme launched in 2018 to improve school education from pre-primary to class 12. It combines three earlier schemes -- Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan and Teacher Education and has been aligned with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. The official added that the social audit will also help promote the government's "zero-tolerance policy" towards any negligence related to the safety and security of students in schools.