Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalayas

The Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalayas (KGBVs) are sanctioned in Educationally Backward Blocks (EBBs) with rural female literacy below the national average as per Census 2001, provided such residential schools are set up only in those EBBs which do not have a residential school at upper primary level for girls under any other scheme of the Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment or the Ministry of Tribal Affairs. As on 30-09-2012, 9.18% of the girls enrolled in KGBVs are from the minority community.

 

 Socio-economic reasons and reluctance of the community to send girls to residential schools are the main reasons for low enrolment amongst educationally backward minorities. In order to promote elementary education amongst girls interalia, opening of schools in the neighbourhood to make access easier for girls, appointment of additional teachers including women teachers, free textbooks, free uniforms, separate toilets for girls, mid-day meal programme to improve nutrition levels, early childhood care and education centres in/near schools in convergence with ICDS programme, gender sensitization of teachers, gender-sensitive teaching-learning materials and intensive community mobilization efforts to promote girls education, are being undertaken by the Government.

In 2009-10 no new proposals from States/UTs were received for opening of KGBVs. In 2010-11 and 2011-12, 999 and 31 proposals respectively, were received and all were sanctioned by the Government of India. In the current year, of the 34 proposals received, only 09 were sanctioned because of a backlog of incomplete KGBVs in several states.