Setting up of 3500 model schools at block level through State Govt

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:

• 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.
• 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).
• Jammu & Kashmir will be allowed to revise the cost based on SSoR for the already sanctioned 19 model schools, as a one time exception.
• 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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