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Journalism of Courage
The HRD Ministry’s Sarva Siksha Abhiyan (SSS) project expected to bring universalisation of education took off today. Among the 12 states which have been chosen for the text-run, Uttar Pradesh leads the SSS plan allocation list with Rs 384.48 crore, followed by Tamil Nadu with Rs 184.22 crore.
During the Tenth Plan period, elementary education has been allocated an outlay of Rs 28,750 crore and a sum of Rs 17,000 crore. This is in addition to Rs 4,000 crore under the continuing District Primary Education Programme (DPEP) earmarked for implementation of the scheme. The allocation for the scheme during the current financial year is Rs 3,060 crore.
The SSS programme will be launched in 274 districts of 14 states. ‘‘They have been chosen on the basis of low female literacy level recorded during the last census,’’ Secretary (elementary education) S.C. Tripathi said. At the end of the SSS programme, which is targetted at the 6-14 agegroup in school, state or district level certification will be provided to those who successfully complete the programme. ‘‘As far as the Central Government is concerned there is no dearth of political will or administrative preparedness to implement the programme,’’ Tripathi said. The Ministry will be employing autonomous research bodies funded by the government, such as the ICSSR, to evaluate the programme.
Apart from the SSS, a special initiative for girls in 2,198 educationally backward blocks is being brought in the Tenth Plan to ensure their participation in elementary education.
