RTE Act In Delhi: Government Lacked Effective Planning In Implementation, Says CAG

New Delhi: The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) said in its report tabled in Delhi assembly on Friday that the Government lacked effective planning for implementing the RTE Act in Delhi. It also said that the govt failed to complete the mandatory household survey to collect and maintain a database of all children from their birth till they attain the age of 14 years and link it with the mapping of schools for the purpose of determining and establishing neighborhood schools. In the absence of such crucial data base, it was not possible for the Government to ensure enrolment of every child in the age group of 6 to 14 years in school. No specific targets for enrolment of children were fixed by GNCTD and local bodies, said the CAG report.

Other Highlights from CAG report

• There were delay and short release of funds by the Union Ministry of Human Resource Development and the Directorate to the 'Universalization of Elementary Education Mission' (UEEM). 
• Enrolment in class 1 in the Government and aided schools decreased by 23 per cent from 2,04,884 in 2010-11 to 1,56,911 in 2015-16 while the almost static position in respect of overall enrolment (including private schools) during 2010-16 was not consistent with the increase in the population of Delhi during the same period.
• Provisions relating to special training of children and for children with disabilities or those belonging to weaker sections and disadvantaged groups were not adhered to. 
• Despite the need to augment infrastructure, 18.29 crore sanctioned during 2015-16 to UEEM for construction of additional rooms and toilets remained unutilized as of June 2016 while 69 to 81 per cent of construction works of classrooms, halls, toilets and boundary walls remained unexecuted in North and South Municipal Corporations.
• In Directorate schools, 8,579 posts (22 per cent) out of 38,916 sanctioned posts of teachers and librarians were vacant as of July 2016.
• Uniforms, text books and writing materials were not distributed to all the students of 34 selected Delhi Municipal Corporations (DMCs) schools, and where provided, issued with delay. 
• Institutional mechanisms envisaged under the Act for monitoring the implementation of the RTE Act were ineffective as various advisory and monitoring committees were either not constituted or did not meet regularly.

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