Punjab utilised only 1/3rd of Samagra Shiksha funds for digital infra in schools

The central government allocated ₹198.62 crore to the Punjab government between the financial years 2020-21 and 2024-25 under the integrated scheme for school education to establish 1,910 Information and Communication Technology (ICT) labs and 3,885 smart classrooms . Of this amount, ₹66.80 crore was utilised: Union minister of state for education Jayant Chaudhary said in the Lok Sabha

Punjab utilised only 33% of the funds allocated for digital infrastructure in schools under the Samagra Shiksha scheme over the past five years.

These funds were sanctioned under the ICT and Digital Initiatives component of Samagra Shiksha for government schools having classes 6 to 12 following the approval of the annual work plan and budget (AWP&B) proposal of the state government by the project approval board (PAB) of the Union ministry of education. (HT)

The central government allocated ₹198.62 crore to the Punjab government between the financial years 2020-21 and 2024-25 under the integrated scheme for school education to establish 1,910 Information and Communication Technology (ICT) labs and 3,885 smart classrooms in government schools in the state. Of this amount, ₹66.80 crore was utilised by the state government during this period, according to information provided by Union minister of state for education Jayant Chaudhary in the Lok Sabha in response to a question on digital infrastructure in schools across the country.

These funds were sanctioned under the ICT and Digital Initiatives component of Samagra Shiksha for government schools having classes 6 to 12 following the approval of the annual work plan and budget (AWP&B) proposal of the state government by the project approval board (PAB) of the Union ministry of education. Samagra Shiksha is jointly funded by the central and state governments on a 60:40 sharing basis.

In the PAB meeting last year, school education secretary Sanjay Kumar shared his concern about the high pendency in setting up ICT labs and smart classrooms, pointing out that the benefits of digital education can be leveraged only when these are made functional. Priority must be given to completing the pending ICT labs and smart classrooms, he told the officials.

As per the scheme’s financial provisions, a non-recurring grant of up to ₹6.40 lakh per school, depending on school enrolment, is allocated for the establishment of ICT labs whereas a non-recurring grant of ₹2.40 lakh is given for two smart classrooms per school along with the recurring grant of ₹38,000 per school per year for e-content and digital resources.

According to the ministry of education data, the central government sanctioned ₹102.62 crore over the past five years to establish 1,910 ICT labs. However, the Punjab government has spent only ₹66.80 crore so far, with ₹54 crore of that amount utilised in the 2023-24 financial year.

Similarly, an amount of ₹96 crore was allocated between 2021-22 and 2024-25 for the establishment of smart classrooms, but there has been no utilisation to date, showed the data shared by the education ministry. The state was allocated ₹71.53 crore in 2021-22, ₹17 crore in 2022-23, ₹7.20 crore in 2023-24, and ₹43 lakh in the current fiscal for smart classrooms.

A senior officer from the school education department said that the tendering process for establishing smart classrooms in government schools is currently underway. “The department will utilise the entire sanctioned amount, which will be carried forward as a spillover,” the officer said without providing further details.