Schools under Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan to be renamed after Subhas Chandra Bose: Education Ministry

Schools and hostels under the Ministry of Education’s Samagra Shiksha scheme will now be renamed after Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, officials said on Friday.

The Ministry of Education, in a statement, said the association of these schools with Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose will “act as an inspiration” to children and also motivate teachers, staff and administration to enable them to achieve high standards of excellence.

“The Ministry of Education has decided to name residential schools and hostels funded under Samagra Shiksha of MoE as ”Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose residential schools and hostels”,” it said.

“This will also help create awareness about the facility of these residential schools and hostels in difficult areas and inspire these schools to achieve high standards of quality education,” the statement added.

The Ministry of Education under Samagra Shiksha provides financial assistance to states and union territories for opening and running of residential schools and hostels in hilly terrain, small and sparsely populated areas for children who are in need of shelter and care, in addition to the provision of regular schools.

“The objective is to ensure universal enrolment and provide schooling facilities in areas, which are sparsely populated (mostly tribal areas) where opening of schools may not be viable, and for children in urban areas who are in need of care and protection.

“The residential facilities are also provided to child labour rescued, migrant children who belong to poor landless families, children without adult protection, separated from their families, internally displaced persons, and children from the areas of social and armed conflict and natural calamities, the statement said.

Preference is given to educationally backward blocks (EBBS), left wing extremism (LWE) affected districts, special focus districts (SFD) and the aspirational districts identified by NITI Aayog, it said.

In these residential schools and hostels, in addition to regular school curriculum, interventions for all-round development of children such as provision of specific skill training, physical self-defense, medical care, community participation, monthly stipend are also made available to children.

A total of 1,063 residential facilities (383 residential schools and 680 hostels) have been sanctioned to states and union territories so far. PTI