**Executive Summary**
This document presents the objectives and features of the Samagra Shiksha Scheme, a centrally sponsored scheme for school education implemented by the Department of School Education and Literacy. The scheme, aligned with the National Education Policy 2020, aims to ensure quality and equitable education. The document also provides details on the central share approved and released to States/UTs, including Tamil Nadu, for the financial years 2022-23, 2023-24, and 2024-25.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **Scheme Overview:**
* Samagra Shiksha is an Integrated Centrally Sponsored Scheme for School Education implemented since 2018-19.
* The scheme aims to ensure quality and equitable education for all children.
* It has been extended for a period of five years from 2021-22 to 2025-26.
* Scheme is aligned with the recommendations of the National Education Policy 2020.
* **Objectives of the Scheme:**
* Support States and UTs in implementing NEP 2020.
* Support States in implementing the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act, 2009.
* Focus on Early Childhood Care and Education.
* Emphasis on Foundational Literacy and Numeracy.
* Thrust on Holistic, Integrated, Inclusive and activity based Curriculum and Pedagogy to impart 21st century skills among the students.
* Provision of quality education and enhancing learning outcomes of students.
* Bridging Social and Gender Gaps in School Education.
* Ensuring equity and inclusion at all levels of school education.
* Strengthening and up-gradation of State Councils for Educational Research and Training (SCERTs)/State Institutes of Education and District Institutes for Education and Training (DIET) as nodal agency for teacher training.
* Ensuring safe, secure and conducive learning environment and maintenance of standards in schooling provisions.
* Promoting skill education.
* **Major Features of the Scheme:**
* Universalising access to quality education by provision for new/ upgradation of schools from pre-primary to senior secondary level and strengthening of existing schools including provision of barrier free access for Divyang children.
* Support for mainstreaming of out of school children extended from elementary level to children in the age group of 16-19 years through open schooling.
* Provision of upgradation of Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalayas (KGBVs) to provide residential and schooling facilities upto Class-XII.
* Provision of free textbooks to all children and free uniforms to all girls, SC, ST and BPL boys at elementary level including primers/textbooks for tribal languages with bridging materials.
* Transport facility extended to secondary level @ upto ₹ 6000 per annum, for children in difficult sparsely populated areas.
* Residential schools/hostels named Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose Avasiya Vidyalayas in hilly terrain, small and sparsely populated areas for children without adult protection who are in need of shelter and care.
* Provision of upto₹ 500 per child per annum for Teaching Learning Materials, indigenous toys and games, play based activities for pre-primary sections in Government Schools.
* Support for NIPUN Bharat Mission on Foundational Literacy and Numeracy through provision of TLM upto ₹ 500 per child per annum, ₹150 per teacher for teacher manuals and resources, ₹ 10-20 lakh per district for assessment, Teacher training on FLN.
* Provision for qualitative and innovative interventions such as Holistic Progress Card (HPC), sports grant, library grant, composite school grant, teacher training, strengthening of TEIs, assessment cell, Bagless days, school complexes, internships with local artisans, curriculum and pedagogical reforms etc.
* Self-Defence training for girls under ‘Rani Laxmibai Atma Raksha Prashikshan'.
* Provision of upto 3500 per child with special needs, per year, studying in government, government aided and local body schools for aids and appliances, teaching material, home based education etc.
* Separate provision of stipend for CWSN girls @ ₹200 per month for 10 months, in addition to student component from pre-primary to senior secondary level.
* Annual identification camps for CWSN at block level @₹ 10000 per camp and equipping of Block Resource centres for rehabilitation and special training of CWSN, and training of special educators & Block Resource Persons.
* Academic support of BRCs and CRCs extended for pre-primary and secondary level.
* Enhanced emphasis on convergence with Skills and other Government departments/agencies undertaking development works for providing exposure and internships to children on different vocations.
* Support under Skill Education extended to Government aided schools also in addition to Government Schools and grant/number of job roles/sections linked to enrolment and demand.
* Provision of ICT labs, Smart classrooms including support for digital boards, virtual classrooms and DTH channels.
* Child tracking for tracking the learning level of children for students of Government and Government aided schools.
* Support States & UTs for implementation of provisions of RTE Act including reimbursement under Section 12(1) (c) of the Act.
* **Financial Details:**
* Details of total Central Share approved and released to States/UTs and for Tamil Nadu under Samagra Shiksha for the last three financial years (2022-23, 2023-24, 2024-25) are provided.
* **Fund Release:**
* The release of the Central share depends on the submission of utilization certificates, audit reports, physical and financial progress reports, State contributions, and compliance with scheme norms.
**Impact Analysis**
**States and Union Territories (UTs)**
* **Impact:** Receive financial assistance to implement various components of the Samagra Shiksha scheme. The annual plans are prepared by the States and UTs based on their requirements and priority and this is reflected in their respective Annual Work Plan and Budget (AWP&B).
* **Action Required:** Prepare annual plans, submit utilization certificates, audit reports, physical and financial progress reports, State contributions, and compliance with scheme norms to ensure timely release of funds.
**Students**
* **Impact:** Benefit from improved access to quality education, enhanced learning outcomes, and inclusive classroom environments.
* **Action Required:** Participate actively in the educational programs and utilize the available resources effectively.
**Teachers**
* **Impact:** Receive training and resources to improve their teaching skills and contribute to the overall quality of education.
* **Action Required:** Engage in professional development activities and implement innovative teaching methods.
**Schools and Educational Institutions**
* **Impact:** Receive support for infrastructure development, curriculum enhancement, and overall improvement of the learning environment.
* **Action Required:** Implement the scheme guidelines effectively and utilize the available resources to enhance the quality of education.
Key Entities Referenced
Samagra Shiksha Scheme: An integrated centrally sponsored scheme for school education in India, aimed at improving access, infrastructure, and quality of education.
National Education Policy 2020 (NEP 2020): A policy document providing recommendations for education in India, which Samagra Shiksha Scheme aligns with.
Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act, 2009: The act that Samagra Shiksha supports the implementation of.
Tamil Nadu: A state in India specifically mentioned in the context of fund allocation and release under the Samagra Shiksha Scheme.
Department of School Education and Literacy: The department under the Ministry of Education responsible for implementing the Samagra Shiksha Scheme.
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF EDUCATION
DEPARTMENT OF SCHOOL EDUCATION AND LITERACY
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO-1358
ANSWERED ON –08/12/2025
OBJECTIVES OF SAMAGRA SHIKSHA SCHEME
1358. Dr. Kalanidhi Veeraswamy:
Shri Malaiyarasan D:
Will the Minister of EDUCATION be pleased to state:
(a) the features and objectives of the Samagra Shiksha Scheme;
(b) the total funds sanctioned, allocated and released under this Scheme, especially for
TamilNadu during the last three financial years especially in Kallakurichi Lok Sabha
Constituency;
(c) whether a major portion of the sanctioned funds is still withheld by the Government;
(d) if so, the details of such withheld funds and the reasons therefor;
(e) the total amount of funds pending for release and the expected timeline for disbursal; and
(f) the steps taken by the Government to ensure timely release of funds to Tamil Nadu and to
address any implementation bottlenecks?
ANSWER
MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION
(SHRI JAYANT CHAUDHARY)
(a): The Department of School Education and Literacy is implementing an Integrated
Centrally Sponsored Scheme for School Education - Samagra Shiksha since 2018-19. The
scheme has been aligned with the recommendations of the National Education Policy, 2020
with the aim to ensure that all children have access to quality education with an equitable and
inclusive classroom environment. The scheme has been extended for a period of five years i.e.,
from 2021-22 to 2025-26.
The major objectives of Samagra Shiksha Scheme are: (i) Support States and UTs in
implementing the recommendations of the National Education Policy 2020 (NEP 2020); (ii)
Support States in implementation of Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education
(RTE) Act, 2009; (iii) Focus on Early Childhood Care and Education; (iv) Emphasis on
Foundational Literacy and Numeracy; (v) Thrust on Holistic, Integrated, Inclusive and activity
based Curriculum and Pedagogy to impart 21st century skills among the students; (vi) Provision
of quality education and enhancing learning outcomes of students; (vii) Bridging Social and
Gender Gaps in School Education; (viii) Ensuring equity and inclusion at all levels of school
education; (ix) Strengthening and up-gradation of State Councils for Educational Research and
Training (SCERTs)/State Institutes of Education and District Institutes for Education andTraining (DIET) as nodal agency for teacher training; (x) Ensuring safe, secure and conducive
learning environment and maintenance of standards in schooling provisions and (xi) Promoting
skill education.
The major features of Samagra Shiksha Scheme for improving the access, infrastructure and
quality of education throughout the country are:
Universalising access to quality education by provision for new/ upgradation of schools
from pre-primary to senior secondary level and strengthening of existing schools
including provision of barrier free access for Divyang children.
Support for mainstreaming of out of school children extended from elementary level to
children in the age group of 16-19 years through open schooling.
Provision of upgradation of Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalayas (KGBVs) to provide
residential and schooling facilities upto Class-XII.
Provision of free textbooks to all children and free uniforms to all girls, SC, ST and BPL
boys at elementary level including primers/textbooks for tribal languages with bridging
materials.
Transport facility extended to secondary level @ upto ₹ 6000 per annum, for children
in difficult sparsely populated areas.
Residential schools/hostels named Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose Avasiya Vidyalayas
in hilly terrain, small and sparsely populated areas for children without adult protection
who are in need of shelter and care.
Provision of upto₹ 500 per child per annum for Teaching Learning Materials, indigenous
toys and games, play based activities for pre-primary sections in Government Schools.
Support for NIPUN Bharat Mission on Foundational Literacy and Numeracy
through provision of TLM upto ₹ 500 per child per annum, ₹150 per teacher for teacher
manuals and resources, ₹ 10-20 lakh per district for assessment, Teacher training on FLN.
Provision for qualitative and innovative interventions such as Holistic Progress Card
(HPC), sports grant, library grant, composite school grant, teacher training, strengthening
of TEIs, assessment cell, Bagless days, school complexes, internships with local
artisans, curriculum and pedagogical reforms etc.
Self-Defence training for girls under ‘Rani Laxmibai Atma Raksha Prashikshan’.
Provision of upto ₹ 3500 per child with special needs, per year, studying in government,
government aided and local body schools for aids and appliances, teaching material, home
based education etc.
Separate provision of stipend for CWSN girls @ ₹ 200 per month for 10 months, in
addition to student component from pre-primary to senior secondary level.
Annual identification camps for CWSN at block level @₹ 10000 per camp and
equipping of Block Resource centres for rehabilitation and special training of CWSN, and
training of special educators & Block Resource Persons.
Academic support of BRCs and CRCs extended for pre-primary and secondary level.
Enhanced emphasis on convergence with Skills and other Government
departments/agencies undertaking development works for providing exposure and
internships to children on different vocations. Support under Skill Education extended to Government aided schools also in addition to
Government Schools and grant/number of job roles/sections linked to enrolment and
demand.
Provision of ICT labs, Smart classrooms including support for digital boards, virtual
classrooms and DTH channels.
Child tracking for tracking the learning level of children for students of Government and
Government aided schools.
Support States & UTs for implementation of provisions of RTE Act including
reimbursement under Section 12(1) (c) of the Act.
(b): The details of total Central Share approved by the Project Approval Board (PAB) and
total Central Share released to States/UTs and for Tamil Nadu under Samagra Shiksha during
the last three financial years is given below:
(Rs.in Crore)
2022-23 2023-24 2024-25
Central Central Central Central Central Central
share share share share share share
approved Released approved Released approved Released
Country-all
44493.94 32151.94 45647.55 32382.79 47475.67 34458.21
States/UTs
Tamil Nadu 2117.60 2107.23 2127.65 1876.16 2153.15 0.00*
Source: PAB minutes and PFMS
*The Central Share of Rs. 362.81 Crore of FY 2024-25 of Tamil Nadu was released in FY 2025-26
(c) to (f): The Department of School Education & Literacy is implementing the Centrally
Sponsored Scheme of Samagra Shiksha in partnership with all the States and UTs. Financial
assistance is provided to all States and UTs for various components for implementation of the
interventions under Samagra Shiksha as per norms. Accordingly, the annual plans under
Samagra Shiksha are prepared by the States and UTs based on their requirements and priority
and this is reflected in their respective Annual Work Plan and Budget (AWP&B). These plans
are then appraised and approved/estimated by Project Approval Board (PAB) in consultation
with the States and UTs as per the programmatic and financial norms of the scheme. The release
of Central share depends on the submission of the utilisation certificates, audit reports in respect
of funds released earlier, physical and financial progress reports, State contributions and
compliance with the scheme norms.
****