Tag: delhi government schools news

NEW DELHI: Of the 10.83 lakh government schools in the country, over 42,000 lack drinking water supply and 15,000 have no toilets, said union minister of education Ramesh Pokhriyal on Thursday.

Responding to a written question in the Rajya Sabha, the minister to a question on whether the Government has set any time bound targets to provide drinking water and sanitation facilities in all the schools said: “Education is in the concurrent list of Constitution and most of the schools are under jurisdiction of concerned States and UTs. States and UTs have been repeatedly advised to ensure that all the schools, including those under the non- Government sector (private, aided schools, etc.) in their jurisdiction should have provision for separate toilets for boys and girls; and safe and adequate drinking water facilities for all children.”

Quoting the data from the Unified District Information System for Education (UDISE), while responding to the question on the total number of schools in the country that do not have adequate drinking water and sanitation facilities as on December 2020, Pokhriyal said: “As per UDISE, 2018-19, out of 10,83,747 total number of government schools in the country, 10,41,327 government schools have drinking water facility and 10,68,726 government schools have toilets,” he said in his written reply.”

Sharing the details including the funds earmarked for the purpose and the target of completion, the minister said that the department of school education and literacy has launched an integrated centrally sponsored scheme for school education – Samagra Shiksha from 2018- 19, which subsumes the three erstwhile Schemes of Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA), Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA) and Teacher Education (TE). Under Samagra Shiksha, States and UTs are supported for strengthening of existing government schools, and for creation and augmentation of infrastructure facilities including drinking water and toilets as per proposals received from respective State/UT. The scheme also provides for an annual recurring composite school grant varying up to Rs 1,00,000 per annum depending upon the number of students, for all government schools, out of which at least 10% is to be spent on activities related to Swachhata Action Plan for hygiene and sanitation.