The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) today approved the implementation of revised scheme of quality improvement in schools. In the 10th plan, the scheme has an outlay of Rs 115 crore, and the revision has been done to address concerns in the original scheme and make it more flexible to suit the regional requirements, government sources said.Under the revised scheme, the component of improving science education in the schools would be transferred to state governments and Union Territories as state sector schemes. The allocation of Rs 5 crore made by the Planning Commission for the new scheme for educational libraries would also be utilised for science education, according to a government release.The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) would be allotted funds under four heads—of environment orientation to school education, national population education project, introduction of yoga in school and international science olympiad in mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology and informatics. Hostel and other construction activities would be deleted from the list of items for financing yoga programmes.
