Page 705 - ES 2020-21_Volume-1-2 [28-01-21]

332 Economic Survey 2020-21 Volume 2

Focus on Digital Education:
• Enhanced use of digital technology in education through smart classrooms, digital boards and
DTH channels and ICT infrastructure in schools from upper primary to higher secondary level.
• Support to “DIKSHA”, a digital platform which offers teachers, students and parents engaging
learning material relevant to the prescribed school curriculum.

Strengthening of Schools:
• Improve the Quality of Infrastructure in Government Schools at all levels.
• Enhanced Transport facility to children from classes I to VIII for universal access to schools.
• Composite school grant increased from ` 14,500-50,000 to ` 25,000- 1 lakh and to be allocated on
the basis of school enrolment, with atleast 10 per cent allocation for Swachhta activities – support
‘Swachh Vidyalaya’

Focus on Girl Education:
• Upgradation of Kasturba Gandhi BalikaVidyalayas (KGBVs) from Class 6-8 to Class 6-12.
• Self-defence training for girls from upper primary to senior secondary stage

• Stipend for Children with Special Needs (CWSN) girls to be provided from Classes I to XII. –
earlier only IX to XII.

• Enhanced Commitment to ‘Beti Bachao Beti Padhao’
Focus on Inclusion:
• Allocation for uniforms under RTE Act enhanced from ` 400 to ` 600 per child per annum.
• Allocation for textbooks under the RTE Act, enhanced from ` 150/250 to ` 250/400 per child per
annum. QR coded Energized textbooks introduced.

• Allocation for CWSN increased from ` 3000 to ` 3500 per child per annum. Stipend of ` 200 per
month for Girls with Special Needs from Classes 1 to 12.
• Special training for age appropriate admission of out of school children at elementary level.
Focus on Skill Development:

• Vocational education for Class 9-12 as integrated with the curriculum and to be made more
practical and industry oriented.

Focus on Sports and Physical Education
• Sports Education to be an integral part of curriculum and every school will receive sports
equipment’s at the cost of ` 5000 to ` 25,000 to inculcate and emphasize relevance of sports.
Focus on Regional Balance:
• Promote Balanced Educational Development
• Preference to Educationally Backward Blocks (EBBs), LWE affected districts, Special Focus
Districts (SFDs), Border areas and the 115 aspirational districts identified by NITI Aayog
• Under the Samagra Shiksha scheme, a National Mission to improve learning outcomes at the
elementary level through an Integrated Teacher Training Programme called NISHTHA
(National Initiative for School Heads’ and Teachers’ Holistic Advancement) was contextualized
and made 100 per cent online according to the needs of teaching and learning during the COVID-19
pandemic.