Parliament Question: One Country One Education

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF EDUCATION DEPARTMENT OF SCHOOL EDUCATION & LITERACY LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO- 1361 ANSWERED ON- 28.07.2025 ONE COUNTRY ONE EDUCATION †1361. Shri Ramashankar Vidharthi Rajbhar: Will the Minister of EDUCATION be pleased to state: (a) whether the Government proposes to close or merge schools in many States of the country including the Uttar Pradesh and if so, the reasons therefor and the possible impacts thereof; (b) whether the Government proposes to unify the State Board and CBSE Board under the "One Country, One Education" policy and if so, the steps taken by the Government so far; (c) whether the Government has taken cognizance of the fact that there is a huge shortage of teachers in many schools, dilapidated condition of buildings and lack of digital education and the action plan of the Government to address these issues; and (d) whether any policy is in place to appoint counselors in all the schools in view of increasing exam stress and suicide incidents? ANSWER MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION (SHRI JAYANT CHAUDHARY) (a): Education is in the Concurrent list of the Constitution and the opening, merger/closing of schools are within the purview of respective State Government and UT Administration-which are the appropriate Government under the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act, 2009. The National Education Policy 2020 underscores that although consolidation of schools is an option that is often discussed, it must be carried out very judiciously, and only when it is ensured that there is no impact on access (Para 7.4). Similarly, to ensure universal access to elementary schools, the RTE Act mandates the establishment of schools by the appropriate government within defined area or neighbourhood limits (Section 6). Therefore, to achieve better learning outcomes and appropriate Pupil-Teacher Ratios (PTR) across upper primary and secondary levels, some states have adopted appropriate strategies to establish the larger schools as per aspirations of the public The aim of the school complex/cluster is to ensure greater resource efficiency and more effective functioning, coordination, leadership, governance, and management of schools in the cluster. (b): The Government of India is committed to ensuring equitable and high-quality education for all students across the country, in alignment with the vision of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. While there is no proposal to unify all school boards under a single board such as CBSE, theGovernment is taking comprehensive steps to promote curricular and assessment equivalence among State Boards and Central Boards to ensure that all children have equal learning opportunities, regardless of the board they study under. (c): The recruitment and rational deployment of teachers come under the purview of the respective State Governments/UT Administration. The Central Government through the Centrally Sponsored Scheme of Samagra Shiksha, provides financial assistance to the States and UTs to maintain appropriate Pupil-Teacher Ratio (PTR) for various levels of schooling, as per norms prescribed in the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act, 2009, as amended from time to time. Under the Samagra Shiksha Scheme financial support is provided to the State/ UTs for creation of infrastructure and basic facilities for the components like, construction of additional classrooms, toilets for Girls & Boys with running water facilities as well as CwSN toilets, boundary walls, Science Labs, Computers Labs, Library Room, Ramps, Major Repairs, Supply of Furniture etc. In this regard, the States and UTs prepare their Annual Work Plan and Budget (AWP&B) based on their requirements and priorities and submit to the Ministry of Education prior to the beginning of every financial year. The same is considered and appraised/approved by Project Approval Board (PAB) in consultation with the States and UTs as per the schematic/ programmatic and financial norms of the Scheme and availability of budgetary resources. Ministry of Education implements ICT and Digital initiatives under Samagra Shiksha to enhance digital learning in Government schools across the country. The initiatives aim to enhance the quality of education by integrating technology into teaching and learning processes. Under the initiatives, funds are provided for setting up ICT Labs and Smart Classrooms according to the requirement of State submitted in the Annual Work Plan & Budget (AWP&B). (d): National Education Policy 2020 stipulates student support as one of the cornerstones of the quality learning. Along with providing suitable resources and infrastructure, the policy recommends availability of counselling systems to ensure student’s physical, psychological and emotional well- being enabling them to handle stress and emotional adjustment. NCERT has developed and launched National Curriculum Framework for the Foundational Stage (NCF-FS) and National Curriculum Framework for School Education (NCF-SE). Both the NCFs integrate the mental well-being of students. Further, Ministry of Education, has launched an initiative, Manodarpan, with the aim to provide psychosocial support to students, their families and teachers across the country, for mental health and well-being. All activities undertaken under the Manodarpan initiative are aimed towards supporting the metal health and well-being of students from schools, including those students who are preparing for competitive examinations. ****