The
Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has approved setting up of 3500 model
schools in Educationally Backward Blocks (EBBs) in 27 States/UTs with certain
modifications. This is under the scheme for setting up of 6000 model schools
at block level as a benchmark of excellence.
This
decision will ease the extra financial burden of the State / UT Governments
resulting in effective implementation of the scheme and will also ensure flow
of funds through the State / UT Governments.
For
the year 2013-14, an amount of Rs.1000 crore has been allocated under the
scheme. Any financial liability arising out of continuation of the present
sharing pattern of 75:25 would be taken care of within the said allocation.
Each
school will have 560 students. The total beneficiaries for 3500 schools would
therefore be 19.60 lakh students.
The
modifications approved are as follows:
(i) Continuation of 75:25 sharing pattern between
the Centre and the States during the 12th Five Year Plan in respect of all
States/UTs except for Special category States and upgraded ashram schools in
all States, for which the sharing pattern is 90:10 during the 12th Five
Year Plan.
(ii) State Schedule of Rates (SSoR) will be adopted with
effect from the current year (2013-14) subject to the condition that unit cost
between the SSoR and the CPWD (zonal) rates, whichever is lower should be
adopted for the purposes of appraisal and approval of cost of construction.
Adoption of SSoR will include the sanctions accorded during 2013-14 (financial
sanction for 234 schools in Andhra Pradesh and six schools in Tripura).
(iii) Jammu & Kashmir will be allowed to revise
the cost based on SSoR for the already sanctioned 19 model schools, as a one
time exception.
(iv) Recurring grants including salary of teaching and
non-teaching staff has been sanctioned based on actual expenditure made by the
States/UTs for running model schools with effect from the current financial
year 2013-14.
Background:
The
Model School Scheme was launched in November, 2008. The objective of the scheme
is to set up one senior secondary school of high quality in 6000-blocks as a benchmark
of excellence. 3500 of these schools are to be set up under State/UT Governments
in EBBs and the remaining 2500 schools are to be established under the Public
Private Partnership (PPP) mode in blocks which are not educationally backward.
The State Sector component of the scheme is operational since the launch of the
scheme.
The
major impact of the scheme will be availability of quality senior secondary
education to meritorious rural / semi-urban students, thereby nurturing talent.
These schools are expected to act as pace-setting institutions of excellence
and to have a demonstration effect on neighbouring schools.
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SC/SM