7-Mar-2022: Ministry of Women And Child Development In Partnership With The Ministry Of Education and UNICEF Launches Campaign ‘Kanya Shiksha Pravesh Utsav’ To Bring Back Out of School Adolescent Girls To The Formal Education

On the eve of International Women’s Day, the Ministry of Women and Child Development (MoWCD), in partnership with the Ministry of Education and UNICEF, launched a landmark campaign Kanya Shiksha Pravesh Utsav to bring back out of school adolescent girls in India to the formal education and/or skilling system, here today. The event was graced by the Union Minister for Women and Child Development Smt. Smriti Zubin Irani, Minister of State, MoWCD, Dr Mahendrabhai Munjpara,and Minister of State, Ministry of Education (MoE) Smt. Annapurna Devi. The National and State Secretaries from MoWCD, MoE and representatives from across the country were also present. Furthermore, Anganwadi workers and adolescent girls from different parts of the country joined the event, and many more participated virtually. This included the participation of adolescent girls who shared their experiences about being reintegrated to school.

The campaign has been launched with the objective of enhancing enrolment and retention of girls between 11-14 years of age in school. The initiative intends to build on the existing schemes and programmes like Schemes for Adolescent Girls (SAG),Beti Bachao Beti Padhao (BBBP) and National Education Policy (NEP) to work on a comprehensive system for out of school girls. The campaign will be rolled out under the umbrella of MoWCD’s BBBP initiative by targeting more than 400,000 out of school adolescent girls as primary beneficiaries.

Emphasizing on the Government of India’s commitment to the education of girl children, the Union Minister Smt. Smriti Zubin Irani remarked that the government fully acknowledges the need to work with women and girls and commits to make sustained investment in health, education, protection, skill building including financial literacy, while empowering young women and girls, and promoting gender-equitable attitudes and practices among India’s children and youth.

Explaining the programme, Shri Indevar Pandey, Secretary, MoWCD announced that over 400 districts across all states will be funded under Beti Bachao Beti Padhao Scheme for outreach and awareness generation at grassroot level to sensitize communities and families to enroll adolescent girls in schools, over and above the funding from Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan and the Anganwadi workers (AWWs) will be further incentivised for counselling and referring out of school adolescent girls. He also emphasised the importance of collaborative efforts between MoWCD and MoE for identifying the beneficiaries and appropriate enrolment into formal schooling or vocational training programmes.

The Secretary of Department of School Education and Literacy, MoE, Smt. Anita Karwal shared comprehensive initiatives implemented under the Department that can be availed by adolescent girls, and the aim for ensuring integrated education services to create an inclusive environment and infrastructure for education.

The programme aims for a convergent approach between MoWCD and MoE with close partnership of international organisations. Stressing this, the Minister of State, MoE, Smt. Annpurna Devi said, “It has been crucial for Ministry of Education to prioritize girls’ enrolment in the past years but in the light of the last two years of pandemic, it becomes imperative to join our efforts and systemically leverage support for girls’ enrolment and retention in school, with a focus on supporting girls transitioning into secondary education and completion”.

Minister of State, MoWCD, Dr. Mahendra bhai Munjpara illuminated on several schemes for upliftment of girls in India. Schematic interventions such as Beti Bachao Beti Padhao which was launched in 2015 for overall goal of celebrating girl child and enabling education, Scheme for Adolescent Girls which focuses on reintegration of girls to formal schooling or skill building in order to enable employability, and Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0’s support to ensure schooling, skilling and safety.

Mr. Yasumasa Kimura, Deputy Representative, UNICEF India underlined the importance to such programmes, “Education for girls not only fulfils their right to learning and finding better opportunities in life and work, but it also contributes to building thriving and resilient societies that give all people – including boys and men – the opportunity to realize their full potential as individual and citizens of the world”.

The resounding support of the State Secretaries and the entire Integrated Child Development Scheme(ICDS) workforce of the country has showed great promise on the execution and implementation of the programme. This coupled with presence of adolescent girls in the event, who shared heart-warming stories of their resilience and courage on getting back to school. As Shreya a determined adolescent girl from Delhi puts it “My dream is to be an investigating officer. I am doing my small bit to ensure I continue to study and in small ways, reimagine my future and fulfil my dreams.”

All the attendees participated in taking a collective pledge as recited by the Union WCD Minister Smt. Smriti Zubin Irani for Kanya Shiksha Pravesh Utsav and the event concluded with all dignitaries signing the wall of pledge ‘Sankalp ki Deewar’ on this auspicious eve of International Women’s Day to mark the occasion as a promise that no girl is deprived of formal education or vocation.

18-Feb-2022: Government approves Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA) Scheme to continue till 31st March, 2026

The Government has approved the scheme of Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA) for continuation till 31.03.2026 or till further review, whichever is earlier. The proposal entails an expenditure of Rs. 12929.16 crore out of which Central Share is Rs. 8120.97 crores and the State Share is of Rs. 4808.19 crores. It has been envisaged to support around 1600 projects under the new phase of the scheme.

Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA), a Centrally Sponsored Scheme (CSS) is an overarching scheme, operating in mission mode for funding the state government universities and colleges to achieve the aims of equity, access and excellence.

New phase of RUSA targets to reach out the unserved, underserved areas; remote/ rural areas; difficult geographies; LWE areas; NER; aspirational districts, tier-2 cities,  areas with low GER etc., and to benefit the most disadvantaged areas and SEDGs.

The new phase of the scheme has been designed to implement some of the recommendations and aims of the New Education Policy, which suggests some key changes to the current higher education system to revamp and re-energize it and thereby deliver quality higher education, with equity and inclusion.

Under the new phase of the scheme, State Governments will be supported for Gender inclusion, Equity Initiatives, ICT, Enhancing employability through vocationalisation & skill upgradation. States will also be supported for creation of new Model Degree Colleges. State Universities will be supported for Multi-Disciplinary Education and Research. Grants will be provided for strengthening both accredited and non-accredited Universities and Colleges for undertaking various activities including teaching-learning in Indian languages.

1-Mar-2021: Union Education Minister chairs a review meeting on Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan

Union Education Minister chaired a review meeting on Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA) in New Delhi today. Secretary, Higher Education Shri Amit Khare along with senior officials of the ministry attended the meeting.

During the meeting Shri Pokhriyal asked the officials to strengthen the RUSA Scheme and to draw plans on educating additional 3.5 crore students to increase GER to 50% by 2035. A total of 7 crore students with employable skills that suits local conditions should pass out from our colleges and Universities, he added.

He further said that to reach the last mile students, online distance learning and infrastructure development should be encouraged across the country. The Minister stressed that education should lead to local employment. Education in Degree College should be aligned with “One district one product” plan.

Shri Pokhriyal also said that University Grants Commission will monitor the progress of work done by Institutions which received funding under RUSA Scheme. The Minister will review the RUSA Scheme in every three months.

6-Aug-2018: NITI Aayog identified 117 districts as Aspirational Districts for RUSA Scheme

NITI Aayog has identified 117 districts as ‘Aspirational Districts’. These districts have been selected on the basis of composite index which includes published data of deprivation enumerated under Socio-Economic Caste Census, Health &Nutrition, Education and Basic Infrastructure.

During the second phase of the Centrally Sponsored Scheme of Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA), central assistance is provided for opening of new Model Degree Colleges(MDCs) in  ‘Aspirational Districts’ identified by NITI Aayog and in unserved & underserved districts in North Eastern and Himalayan States. The Project Approval Board (PAB) of RUSA has approved central support for one MDC each in 70 such districts including 6 in Odisha.

An Expert Committee constituted by the University Grants Commission (UGC) had identified 374 Educationally Backward Districts (EBDs) where Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) in higher education was less than the national average of 12.4% based on 2001 census data.

During the first phase of RUSA, central assistance to States has been provided for creation of one Model Degree College each in 60 EBDs including 8 in Odisha.

The central support provided under the component of new MDCs is infrastructural in nature in which funds are released for creation of Colleges with requisite infrastructure such as appropriate number of class rooms, library, laboratory, faculty rooms, toilet blocks and other essential requirements for technologically advanced facilities. Further, under this component, a commitment is given by the State Governments that all recurring expenditure (including salaries) in respect of the MDC being established, will be borne by the respective State Government.

Additionally, under a separate component of RUSA viz., Faculty Recruitment Support, central support is provided for creation of additional posts of Assistant Professors subject to specific norms and approved period of the scheme (i.e. upto 31st March 2020). Further, under this component, a commitment is required to be given by the State Governments to take over liability of such faculty positions after 31st March 2020.

21-Mar-2018: Cabinet approves continuation RUSA

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has given its approval for continuation of Centrally Sponsored Scheme of Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA) from 1.04.2017 to 31.03.2020.

Major impact and Targets:

1. RUSA seeks to increase the Gross Enrolment Ratio of the country to 30% by 2020
2. It also seeks to increase the spending on higher education by the State Governments
3. The scheme, in its 2nd phase, aims at creation of 70 new model degree colleges and 8 new professional colleges; Enhancing quality and Excellence in 10 select State universities and 70autonomous colleges, providing infrastructural support to 50 universities and 750 colleges etc.
4. Improving access, equity and accessibility of higher education in Slates through reforms such as academic reforms, governance reforms, affiliation reforms etc.
5. Improve equity in higher education by providing adequate opportunities of higher education to socially deprived communities; promote inclusion of women, minorities, SC/ST/OBCs and differently abled persons.
6. To identity and fill up the existing gaps in higher education, by augmenting and supporting the State Governments' efforts.
7. Promote a spirit of healthy competition amongst states and institutions to excel in quality higher education, research and innovation.

Funding ratio: The project cost in the public funded institutions for all sub-components is shared between the Central Government and State Governments in the ratio of 90:10 for North-Eastern States, J&K, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, 60:40 for other States and UTs with Legislature and 100:0 for UTs without Legislature.

Background: RUSA is an overarching scheme, operated in a mission mode for funding the state universities and colleges in order to achieve the aims of equity, access and excellence. It seeks to improve the overall quality of existing State higher educational institutions by ensuring their conformity to prescribed norms and standards.

Transformative reforms such as governance, academic, affiliation and accreditation reforms are pre-requisites in the implementation of the scheme in State higher educational institutions.

The funding to States is based on critical appraisal of State Higher Education Plans. These plans are required to address each State's strategy to address issues of equity, access and excellence in higher education.

All funding under the RUSA are norm based and future grants are outcome dependent.

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