Samagra Siksha Scheme to boost inclusive school education in India

NEW DELHI, JULY 21: The Department of School Education and Literacy, MHRD has launched the Samagra Sikhsha Scheme- an integrated scheme for school education on July 19, 2018. Upendra Kushwaha, Minister of State (HRD) stated that this centrally sponsored scheme will be enacted throughout the country from the year 2018-19. Three former schemes namely Sarba Siksha Abhiyan (SSA), Rashtriya Madhyamik Sikhasha Abhiyan( RMSA) and TE( Teacher Training) will be incorporated into this newly conceived initiative. Samagra Siksha Scheme endeavours for the betterment of school education and aims to come up with tactics to enhance the learning outcomes at all levels of school education.

Samgra Siksha Scheme will be intervening to achieve these goals across different stages of school education. They are

• Universal Access including Infrastructure Development and Retention
• Gender and Equity
• Inclusive Education
• Quality
• Financial Support for Teacher salary
• Digital Initiatives
• Entitlement under the Rights of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act, 2009 including uniforms, textbooks and etc.
• Pre-school Education
• Vocational Education
• Sports and Physical Education
• Strengthening of Teacher Education and Training,
• Monitoring
• Programme Management.

To execute the aforementioned propositions, a 20% increase in the allocation has been granted over the current sum. For the period of April 1, 2018 to March 31, 2020, a total of Rs. 75,000 crore will be spent for this scheme. The distribution plan of the whole grant is as follows:

1. For strengthening of Libraries- Rs. 20,000 per school
2. Composite School Grant-Rs. 25,000-1 Lakh. It is to be allocated on the basis of school enrollment
3. Annual grant for school equipment- Rs. 5000( For primary school), Rs. 10,000( For Upper Primary), Rs. 25,000( For Secondary and Senior Secondary Schools),
4. Allocation for children for special needs- 3,500 per child per annum
5. Allocation for uniforms- Rs. 600 per child per annum
6. For textbooks- Rs. 250/400 per child per annum
7. Upgradation of Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya
8. Strengthening of SCERT and DIET and
9. Enhancing the usage Digital technology