SCs, STs gained from RTE: Pallam

Venkat Parsa New Delhi: Union HRD Minister M M Pallam Raju said major gains have accrued to SCs and STs in education since the implementation of the Right to Education (RTE). Pallam Raju said that under Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA), enrollment of SC children has increased substantially. There was also significant drop in the number of out-of-school SC children from 8.2 per cent in 2005 to 5.9 per cent in 2009. Similarly there is reduction in the percentage of out-of-school ST children from 9.5 per cent in 2005 to 5.2 per cent in 2009. Addressing the National Monitoring Committee for Education of SCs, STs and persons with disabilities, Pallam Raju said in higher education, too, the Central Educational Institutions Act provides 15 per cent and 7.5 per cent reservation to SC and ST students, respectively. To ensure that the benefits of various schemes of the Government reach directly to SC/ST students, the Ministry of Human Resource Development has earmarked an amount of over Rs 12,000 crore under SC Sub-Plan and Rs 6,533 crore under Tribal Sub-Plan during 2013-14. Talking about education of children with special needs, the Union Minister said that RTE-SSA sought to ensure that every child with special needs, irrespective of the kind, category and degree of disability, is provided meaningful and quality education. Over 93 per cent of the identified children with special needs have been covered through various strategies, he said. The meeting was attended by Minister of State for HRD Shashi Tharoor, HRD Secretary Bhattacharya, members of the National Monitoring Committee, academics and senior officers of the Central and State Governments.