NEP Facilitates Gender Inclusion Fund Favouring Girl, Transgender Students

New Delhi: The National Education Policy (NEP), 2020 has made provisions for setting up a Gender Inclusion Fund (GIF) especially for girls and transgender students to provide them equitable quality education, Minister of State for Education, Annpurna Devi said in a written reply in the Lok Sabha today.

According to a release issued by the Press Information Bureau, the NEP, 2020 focuses on ‘Equitable and Inclusive Education’ which strongly believes that no child should be denied educational opportunity because of their background and socio-cultural identities. It has taken into account the concerns of the Socio-Economically Disadvantaged Groups (SEDGs) which includes female and transgender individuals. The NEP also prescribes to approach gender as a cross-cutting priority to achieve gender equality in education with the partnership of states and local community organizations, the release stated.

Samagra Shiksha 2.0 for girls

The objectives of NEP for equitable and quality education for girls are being met through specific provisions under Samagra Shiksha 2.0 by allocating dedicated resources for the SEDGs. Under Samagra Shiksha, various interventions have been targeted to provide quality education to girls, which include opening of schools in the neighbourhood to make access easier for girls, free uniform and text-books to girls up to class VIII, additional teachers and residential quarters for teachers in remote/hilly areas, appointment of additional teachers including women teachers, stipend to Children With Special Needs girls from class I to class XII, separate toilets for girls, teachers' sensitization programmes to promote girls participation, gender-sensitive teaching-learning materials including text books among others, as per the release.

To reduce the gender gap at all levels of school education, Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalayas (KGBVs) have been sanctioned in Educationally Backward Blocks. KGBVs are residential schools from class VI to XII for girls belonging to disadvantaged groups such as SC, ST, OBC, Minority and Below Poverty Line (BPL). As on June 30, 2023, a total of 5,639 KGBVs have been sanctioned in the country with the enrolment of 6.88 lakh girls. The task of up-gradation of the KGBVs was started in the year 2018-19 and till the year 2022-23, a total of 357 KGBVs have been approved for up-gradation to Type-II (class 6-10) and 2010 KGBVs have been approved for up-gradation to Type-III (class 6-12), the PIB release added.