NEW DELHI: The Union Education ministry on Monday shared in the Lok Sabha that a total of Rs 1,35,702.61 lakhs have been released to the government of National Capital Territory of Delhi between the financial year 2015-16 and 2023-24 for the improvement of infrastructure in schools in the national capital.
The information was shared by the ministry while replying to a question posed by Parvesh Sahib Singh Verma, Member of Parliament from Delhi, in regard to the steps being taken by the Union government to improve the physical and digital infrastructure in Delhi schools and the initiatives taken or to be taken to improve the quality of teaching in these schools.
It was told that a sum of Rs 36,967.91 lakhs were released under erstwhile schemes—Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan, Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan and Teacher Education. “These three schemes have been merged now under Samagra Shiksha Scheme and a sum of Rs 98,734.70 lakhs have been released under this scheme between the financial year 2018-19 and 2023-24. Further, as per the data, a total of 940 Smart Classrooms and 1,106 Information and Communication Technology (ICT) labs are functional in Delhi,” the education ministry shared.
Samagra Shiksha Scheme of the Ministry of Education supports creation of school infrastructure facilities both through direct programme funding and also in convergence with other relevant schemes of the Central and State Governments. “Annual Work Plan and Budget (AWP&B) is then appraised and approved/estimated by Project Approval Board in consultation with the Samagra Shiksha Delhi as per the programmatic and financial norms of the scheme and availability of budgetary resources,” the ministry said.
On the quality of education, education ministry replied that Samagra Shiksha focuses on improvement in quality of education by providing support for different interventions to government of NCT, like in-service training of teachers and school heads, conduct of achievement surveys at National and state/union territory level, composite school grant to every school for providing a conducive learning environment, grants for library, sports and physical activities, support for Rashtriya Avishkar Abhiyan, ICT and digital initiatives, school leadership development programme, remedial teaching for academically weaker students, support for Padhe Bharat Badhe Bharat, among others.
Funds being released under 3 central schemes Member of Parliament from Delhi Parvesh Sahib Singh Verma has asked the ministry over the steps being taken by the Union government to improve the physical and digital infrastructure in Delhi schools and the initiatives taken or to be taken to improve the quality of teaching in these schools. It was told that a sum of Rs 36,967.91 lakhs were released under erstwhile schemes—Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan, Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan and Teacher Education and Rs 1,35,702 in total between 2015 and 2023.
