LOK SABHA
Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan
110. SHRI MANNE SRINIVAS REDDY
Will the Minister of EDUCATION be pleased to state:
(a) whether the Government is reviewing and monitoring the performance of the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) regularly and if so, the details thereof;
(b) whether instances of irregularities in the implementation of the scheme have been reported and if so, the details thereof and the action taken by the Government so far to address such irregularities, State/ UT-wise; and
(c) the other steps taken/being taken to implement the scheme effectively in future?
(SHRI DHARMENDRA PRADHAN)
(a) to (c): A Statement is laid on the Table of the House.
STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (A) TO (C) OF LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 110 TO BE ANSWERED ON 06TH DECEMBER, 2021 ASKED BY SHRI MANNE SRINIVAS REDDY, HON’BLE MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT REGARDING “SARVA SHIKSHA ABHIYAN”
(a) to (c): The erstwhile Centrally Sponsored Scheme of Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) programme was under implementation since 2000-2001 for universalization of elementary education throughout the country. Now, SSA along-with other two centrally sponsored schemes of Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA) and Teacher Education (TE) have been subsumed under a new Integrated Scheme for School Education – Samagra Shiksha, launched in the country from 2018-2019. It is an overarching programme for the school education sector extending from pre-school to class XII and aims to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education at all levels of school education.
The Centrally Sponsored Scheme of Samagra Shiksha has an inbuilt concurrent evaluation and monitoring system. The Samagra Shiksha Manual on Financial Management and Procurement contains detailed procedures on fund flow arrangements, accounting, financial reporting, internal control and audit, external audit, procurement procedures, etc. Annual Reports of the State Implementing Societies for implementation of the scheme at State / UT level are also laid on the Table of the Parliament every year. Appropriate corrective action is taken by the State Governments whenever instances of irregularities come to light in the execution of the scheme.
To ensure effective implementation of Samagra Shiksha, there are robust monitoring systems in place which includes an annual audit by an independent Chartered Accountant empanelled with the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India, a regular CAG audit, a system of concurrent financial reviews, as well as regular internal audit. An All India Performance Audit on Implementation of RTE Act. 2009 was conducted by the Comptroller & Auditor General of India (C&AG) for the period extending from 2010-11 to 2015-16 and accordingly Report No. 23 of 2017 has been laid on the Table of the Parliament on 21.07.2017.
The Ministry of Education convenes periodic meetings with State Education Ministers and Secretaries to review the programme. Educational data is collected through a Unified District Information System for Education (UDISE+) every year to assess the progress. National Achievement Surveys (NAS) are conducted at periodic intervals to assess the learning levels of children. PRABANDH System is the online monitoring platform of Samagra Shiksha for enhancing transparency of the scheme, highlight the achievements, increase accountability of different stakeholders and implementing agencies, especially States and UTs, thereby improving the performance of implementation of the Samagra Shiksha. Performance Grading Index(PGI) is designed to catalyse transformational change in the field of school education, to propel States and UTs towards undertaking multipronged interventions to bring about the much-desired educational outcomes.