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‘Samagra Shiksha Scheme 2.0’ to continue till 2026:

GS Paper 2:

Topics Covered: Issues related to Education.

 

‘Samagra Shiksha Scheme 2.0’

Context:

The Centre has approved the continuation of the ‘Samagra Shiksha Scheme’ for school education for the next five years till March 31, 2026. The scheme has also been revamped now with the addition of new Components/initiatives based on the recommendations of the NEP 2020.

 

Components of the Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) 2.0:

  1. In order to enhance the direct outreach of the scheme, all child-centric interventions will be provided directly to the students through DBT [or direct benefit transfer] mode on an IT-based platform over a period of time.
  2. This DBT would include RTE entitlements such as textbooks, uniforms and transport allowance.
  3. Keeping with the NEP’s recommendations on encouraging Indian languages, it has a new component for appointment of language teachers, which includes salaries, and training costs as well as bilingual books and teaching learning material.
  4. It will have the NIPUN Bharat initiative for foundational literacy and numeracy, which will get an annual provision of ₹500 per child for learning materials, ₹150 per teacher for manuals and resources and ₹10-20 lakh per district for assessment.
  5. As part of digital initiatives, there is a provision for ICT labs and smart classrooms, including support for digital boards, virtual classrooms and DTH channels.
  6. It includes a provision to support out of school children from age 16 to 19 with funding of ₹2000 per grade to complete their education via open schooling.
  7. It also has a provision for an incentive of up to ₹25000 for schools that have two medal-winning students at the Khelo India school games at the national level.

 

Samagra Shiksha:

  1. Samagra Shiksha is an integrated scheme for school education extending from pre-school to class XII to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education at all levels of school education.
  2. It subsumes the three Schemes of Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA), Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA) and Teacher Education (TE).
  3. The main emphasis of the Scheme is on improving the quality of school education by focussing on the two T’s – Teacher and Technology.
  4. The scheme mainly aims to support States in the implementation of the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act, 2009.
  5. The Scheme is being implemented as a Centrally Sponsored Scheme. It involves a 60:40 split in funding between the Centre and most States.

 

InstaLinks:

Prelims Link:

  1. About Samagra Shiksha.
  2. New components.
  3. About RTE.
  4. Article 21A.
  5. About the National Education Policy, 2020.

Mains Link:

Discuss the significance of RTE.

Sources: the Hindu.