Upto 60% Off on UPSC Online Courses

Avail Now

Savya Shiksha Abhiyaan Aim, Objective, Function And Achievement

Madhavi Gaur September 30, 2023 08:22 14681 0

Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan is a crucial government program that wants to make sure every child from 6 to 14 years old gets free and mandatory education. To learn more about SSA check out this article.

Savya Shiksha Abhiyaan Aim, Objective, Function And Achievement

Savya Shiksha Abhiyaan

Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan is an important government program that wants all children from 6 to 14 years old to go to school. It provides free and mandatory education for them in a specific time.

For those preparing for the UPSC IAS exam, Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan is a crucial topic in the Social Justice part of General Studies Paper-2. This article looks closely at Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, its main goals, how it works, special features, and why it matters for the UPSC exam.

What is Savya Shiksha Abhiyaan?

Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) stands as a cornerstone in the government’s efforts to achieve Universalisation of Elementary Education (UEE). Launched in 2001, this flagship program received constitutional support with the recognition of free and compulsory education for children aged 6-14 as a fundamental right under Article 21 A of the Indian Constitution. Administered by the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD), Government of India, SSA has been in operation since 2000-2001.

Enroll now for UPSC Online Course

This article serves as a valuable resource for IAS Exam GS-II aspirants, providing essential insights into Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan’s objectives and impact.

Aim of Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA)

The Aim of SSA are:

1. To give free education to all children aged 6-14.
2. Remove differences between different areas and communities by involving the community in school management.
3. Teach children good values so they care about each other instead of only thinking about themselves.
4. Understand the importance of taking care of children from 0 to 14 years old.
5. Give children a chance to learn and grow in their surroundings, helping them develop spiritually and materially.

Key Facts about Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) for UPSC

  • SSA is recognized as an inclusive ‘Education for All’ initiative.
  • Atal Bihari Vajpayee, the former Indian Prime Minister, pioneered the SSA program.
  • The Central Government, in collaboration with State Governments, is actively executing this initiative.
  • Initially targeting fulfillment by 2010, SSA’s timeline has been extended.
  • SSA aims to establish educational infrastructure for approximately 193 million children across 1.1 million habitations.
  • The 86th Amendment Act to the Indian Constitution provided legal support to SSA, making education free and compulsory for children aged 6-14.
  • The New Education Policy 2020 aims to integrate two crores out-of-school children into the mainstream.
  • The National Education Policy of 2019 highlighted an estimated 6.2 crore out-of-school children between 6 and 18 years old in 2015.
  • ‘Padhe Bharat Badhe Bharat’ operates as a sub-programme under SSA.
  • The government’s ‘Shagun’ portal, developed in collaboration with the World Bank and the Ministry of HRD, monitors the SSA program.

Enroll now for UPSC Online Classes  

 

Aspect Details
Full Form Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan
Year of Launch 2001
Government Ministry Ministry of Human Resources and Development (MHRD)
Official Website MHRD SSA

SSA, often termed as an ‘Education for All’ movement, was spearheaded by former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. It operates through a partnership between the Central Government and State Governments. Initially aiming to achieve its objectives by 2010, SSA’s timeline was later extended.

Objectives of Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan

Following the enactment of the Right To Education Act in 2010, SSA adopts a comprehensive strategy to achieve its objectives. The overarching goals of SSA are outlined as follows:

  1. Establishing new schools in areas lacking educational facilities.
  2. Enhancing the infrastructure of existing schools.
  3. Providing alternative schooling options.
  4. Constructing new schools.
  5. Adding additional classrooms, toilets, and drinking water facilities to schools.
  6. Administering school improvement grants.
  7. Supplying free textbooks and uniforms to children.
  8. Increasing the number of teachers in schools facing shortages, with additional teachers allocated to such institutions.
  9. Enhancing the skills and capabilities of existing teachers through extensive training.
  10. Developing teaching-learning materials through maintained grants.
  11. Strengthening academic support structures at the cluster, block, and district levels.
  12. Providing life skills education alongside quality academic instruction.
  13. Promoting girls’ education to alter the status of women, extending to the education of differently-abled or special needs children. The Ministry of Human Resources and Development emphasizes that SSA aims to provide equal educational opportunities to individuals belonging to SC, ST, Muslim Minority, Landless Agricultural Labourers, etc.
  14. Understanding the educational needs of traditionally excluded categories.
  15. Bridging the digital divide by offering computer education to children.

The primary areas of focus under the Universalization of Elementary Education (UEE) include universal access, universal enrollment, universal retention, and ensuring quality elementary education for all children.

Enroll now for UPSC Online Coaching 

Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan Functions And Beneficiaries

  1. Making School Accessible: It ensures that every child, especially those between 6 to 14 years old, gets free education, uniforms, and books.
  2. Improving Schools: It helps schools become better by giving them regular funds to upgrade their facilities.
  3. Training Teachers: Teachers get special training and access to new teaching materials to improve their teaching methods.

Achievement of Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan

  1. More Kids in School: The number of students in elementary schools increased from 18.79 crores in 2009-10 to 19.67 crores in 2015-16.
  2. Better Teacher-Student Ratio: The Pupil Teacher Ratio (PTR) got better, going from 32 in 2009-10 to 25 in 2015-16.
  3. Almost Everyone in School: Nearly all kids are in school – 99.21% for primary and 92.81% for upper primary levels.
  4. Fewer Kids Out of School: The number of kids not in school went down from 134.6 lakh in 2005 to 60.64 lakh in 2015.
  5. Improvement in Gender Equality: Girls and boys are getting more equal chances in education, with a Gender Parity Index (GPI) of 0.93 for primary and 0.95 for upper primary levels.

Enroll now for UPSC Online Course

Challenges of Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan

  1. Parents Still Unsure: In some parts, parents, especially in remote areas, are still not sure about sending their kids to school, even with free education.
  2. Hidden Costs: Even though education is free, some extra costs are there, which poor parents can’t manage, stopping their kids from going to school.
  3. Learning Issues: A report by Pratham says many students in class III and IV can’t read at their grade level.
  4. Not Enough Teachers: There’s a lack of around 6,89,000 teachers to meet the rules of the Right to Education.
  5. Low Attendance: Because of less accountability in SSA, some students don’t attend regularly, impacting their learning. Despite efforts, 1.4 million students still leave school between 6-11 years old.

Coordination of Various Ministries & Schemes

The harmonization of initiatives and interventions from diverse Ministries/Departments is a fundamental principle in the implementation of Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) to accomplish its objectives. The schemes/programs of other ministries/departments identified for convergence with SSA include:

  1. Ministry of Health & Family Welfare (MoH&FW) –
    • Provision of services to the Model Cluster School.
    • Conducting regular general health check-ups through Government hospitals, referral hospitals, or Primary Health Centers (PHC).
  2. Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) –
    • Expansion of the Mid-day Meal Scheme to all eligible schools.
    • Facilitation of age-appropriate admissions.
    • National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS).
  3. Ministry of Women & Child Development (MWCD) –
    • Facilitation of pre-school learning and enrollment.
    • Extension of Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS) benefits to enrolled school children.
  4. State PWDs –
    • Provision of geo-spatial technologies for school mapping and social mapping exercises at the grassroots level.
  5. Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment and Ministry of Tribal Affairs (MoSJ& E and MOTA) –
    • Convergence of funds for constructing residential facilities.

Enroll now for UPSC Online Classes  

SSA and District Primary Education Programme (DPEP) The District Primary Education Programme, initiated in 1994 as a centrally-sponsored scheme, aimed to rejuvenate the primary education system. It was the inaugural program with a specific focus on universalizing elementary education, adopting an area-specific approach with a district as the unit of planning.

Key aspects of DPEP include

  • 85 percent of the project cost was supported by the Central Government, with 15 percent provided by the concerned State Government.
  • The program covered 18 states.
  • International organizations such as the World Bank, UNICEF, etc., provided external assistance to the Central Government.

Before 2010, the time-bound aims of SSA were as follows

  1. Ensuring all children complete five years of elementary schooling by 2007.
  2. Ensuring all children complete eight years of schooling by 2010.
  3. Bridging gender and social category gaps at the primary schooling stage by 2007 and at the elementary education level by 2010.

Enroll now for UPSC Online Coaching 

SSA – Universalization of Elementary Education

Constitutional Basis Education Mandate
Constitutional Mandate of 1950 The State is directed to provide free and compulsory education to all children until they reach 14 years of age. Note: The mandate encourages the State to achieve this within ten years of the commencement of the Indian Constitution.
National Education Policy, 1986 The policy emphasizes the universal retention of children in schools until they reach 14 years of age. It also resolves to provide free and compulsory education of satisfactory quality to children up to the age of 14 before India reaches the 21st Century.

Initiatives under Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA)

SSA has undertaken various initiatives to fulfill its objectives, some of which include:

Enroll now for UPSC Online Course

 

Initiative Aim
Padhe Bharat Badhe Bharat To enhance the reading and writing skills of Class I and Class II children, along with improving their mathematics skills. It has a twin-track approach: Early Reading and Writing with Comprehension focuses on language development through reading and writing comprehensions, while Early Mathematics aims to generate interest in mathematics related to the physical and social world.
Shagun Portal Launched in 2017 to monitor the progress of Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan.
Shaala – Siddhi School Standard Evaluation Programme that aids in achieving the goals of SSA.
Swachh Vidyalaya National Campaign – Clean India: Clean Schools. The aim is to ensure that every school in India has functioning and well-maintained water, sanitation, and hygiene facilities.

Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan remains pivotal in India’s educational landscape, striving for universal elementary education and fostering a positive impact on various aspects of the schooling system. The convergence of ministries and schemes reflects a collaborative approach to achieve its overarching objectives.

Must Read
NCERT Notes For UPSC UPSC Daily Current Affairs
UPSC Blogs UPSC Daily Editorials
Daily Current Affairs Quiz Daily Main Answer Writing
UPSC Mains Previous Year Papers UPSC Test Series 2024

 

Print Friendly, PDF & Email

Savya Shiksha Abhiyaan FAQs

Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) is the primary initiative of the Indian government to fulfill the Universalization of Elementary Education (UEE) within a set period. This mission is in accordance with the 86th amendment to the Constitution of India, which declares free and compulsory education as a Fundamental Right for children aged 6-14 years.

Children between the ages of 6 and 14 have the right to receive free and mandatory education under the Right to Education. The Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) is in charge of the SSA initiative, which has been active since the year 2000-2001.

The goal of the program is to enhance the position of women in society by encouraging education for girls. Additionally, it aims to bridge the digital gap by offering computer education to children. The program also focuses on improving school infrastructure and facilities.

The main features of Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) include: Establishing Upper Primary Schools: Setting up schools that go beyond the primary level. Building More Classrooms and Schools: Creating extra classrooms and schools to accommodate more students. Providing Free Textbooks: Ensuring that all children receive textbooks without any cost. Maintaining and Repairing School Buildings: Taking care of the upkeep and repairs of school structures.

Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan began in 2001 with the leadership of Atal Bihari Vajpayee, India's former Prime Minister. The goal was to offer elementary education to all children aged 6 to 14.
/*
*/

Archive Calendar

Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun
 1
2345678
9101112131415
16171819202122
23242526272829
3031  

by month

Need help preparing for UPSC or State PSCs?

Connect with our experts to get free counselling & start preparing

 Final Result – CIVIL SERVICES EXAMINATION, 2023.   Udaan-Prelims Wallah ( Static ) booklets 2024 released both in english and hindi : Download from Here!     Download UPSC Mains 2023 Question Papers PDF  Free Initiative links -1) Download Prahaar 3.0 for Mains Current Affairs PDF both in English and Hindi 2) Daily Main Answer Writing  , 3) Daily Current Affairs , Editorial Analysis and quiz ,  4) PDF Downloads  UPSC Prelims 2023 Trend Analysis cut-off and answer key

THE MOST
LEARNING PLATFORM

Learn From India's Best Faculty

      

 Final Result – CIVIL SERVICES EXAMINATION, 2023.   Udaan-Prelims Wallah ( Static ) booklets 2024 released both in english and hindi : Download from Here!     Download UPSC Mains 2023 Question Papers PDF  Free Initiative links -1) Download Prahaar 3.0 for Mains Current Affairs PDF both in English and Hindi 2) Daily Main Answer Writing  , 3) Daily Current Affairs , Editorial Analysis and quiz ,  4) PDF Downloads  UPSC Prelims 2023 Trend Analysis cut-off and answer key

Quick Revise Now !
AVAILABLE FOR DOWNLOAD SOON
UDAAN PRELIMS WALLAH
Comprehensive coverage with a concise format
Integration of PYQ within the booklet
Designed as per recent trends of Prelims questions
हिंदी में भी उपलब्ध
Quick Revise Now !
UDAAN PRELIMS WALLAH
Comprehensive coverage with a concise format
Integration of PYQ within the booklet
Designed as per recent trends of Prelims questions
हिंदी में भी उपलब्ध

<div class="new-fform">







    </div>

    Subscribe our Newsletter
    Sign up now for our exclusive newsletter and be the first to know about our latest Initiatives, Quality Content, and much more.
    *Promise! We won't spam you.
    Yes! I want to Subscribe.