Samagra Shiksha 2.0 is the second phase of the Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan. This scheme is an integrated education scheme launched in 2018 by the Ministry of Education (earlier Ministry of Human Resource Development). The scheme unifies school education from pre-primary to Class 12 and aims to provide inclusive, equitable, and quality education.
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs approved its continuation till 2025–26. The scheme has been realigned with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and the Sustainable Development Goal for Education (SDG-4). This scheme extensively covers:
- 1.16 million schools
- 15.6 crore+ students
- 57 lakh+ teachers
The scheme merges three earlier programmes:
- Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) – Primary education
- Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA) – Secondary education
- Teacher Education (TE) – Capacity-building of teachers
Why was Samagra Shiksha Introduced?
Before 2018, school education in India was managed through multiple schemes, each focusing on different stages. This led to overlaps, duplication, and inefficiency. The government introduced Samagra Shiksha to:
- Streamline resources under one umbrella
- Treat education holistically as a continuum from pre-school to Class 12
- Align policies with global goals such as SDG-4
- Incorporate NEP 2020 reforms into school education
How is Samagra Shiksha 2.0 Different from the Earlier Version?
The first phase (2018–2021) mainly focused on unifying SSA, RMSA, and Teacher Education. Samagra Shiksha 2.0 (2021–2026) expanded its scope with new features:
- Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT): Child-centric benefits like textbooks, uniforms, and transport allowances directly transferred to students.
- Pre-Primary Education: Funding for teaching-learning material, indigenous toys, and training for pre-primary teachers and Anganwadi workers.
- Encouragement of Indian Languages: Appointment of language teachers and provision of bilingual teaching-learning material.
- Digital Push: ICT labs, smart classrooms, digital boards, DIKSHA platform, DTH channels, and virtual classrooms.
- NIPUN Bharat Initiative: To strengthen foundational literacy and numeracy (FLN) in children aged 3–9 years.
- Holistic Progress Card (HPC): 360-degree assessment covering cognitive, affective, and psychomotor domains.
- Support for Out-of-School Children: Financial assistance to help children aged 16–19 complete schooling through open learning.
- Sports and Physical Education: Additional grants to schools where students win medals at the Khelo India Games.
- Vocationalisation of Education: Skills and career-oriented courses from Class 6 onwards.
- Social Audits: 20% of schools audited annually for transparency.
What are the Objectives of Samagra Shiksha 2.0?
The scheme is designed with a multi-dimensional vision for school education:
- Holistic Development
- Inclusive Access
- Learning Outcomes
- Teacher Development
- Digital and Smart Learning
- Infrastructure Strengthening
- Accountability and Governance
- Child Rights and Safety
How does Samagra Shiksha 2.0 Align with NEP 2020?
The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 introduced a visionary framework for transforming education in India by emphasizing early childhood education, foundational learning, multilingualism, digital inclusion, and vocational exposure.
To align with this vision, Samagra Shiksha 2.0 integrates key recommendations of NEP 2020 into its design and implementation.
| NEP 2020 Emphasis | Samagra Shiksha 2.0 Integration |
| Early childhood care and education (ECCE) | Funding pre-primary classes in government schools |
| Foundational literacy and numeracy (FLN) | Launching NIPUN Bharat initiative |
| Multilingual education | Encouraging bilingual textbooks and appointment of language teachers |
| Digital learning | Provision for ICT labs, smart classrooms, and virtual learning tools |
| Vocational skills | Supporting vocational training from Class 6 onwards; introducing Bagless Days for internships with local artisans |
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What are the Key Differences between Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan and Samagra Shiksha 2.0?
The key difference s between the Samagra Shiksha and Samagra Shiksha 2.0 are as follow:
| Aspect | Samagra Shiksha (2018) | Samagra Shiksha 2.0 (2021–26) |
| Launch Year | 2018 | 2021 (approved till 2025–26) |
| Core Idea | Unified SSA, RMSA, and Teacher Education under one umbrella scheme. | Expanded and upgraded to align with NEP 2020 and SDG-4. |
| Coverage | Pre-primary to Class 12, focusing on holistic school education. | Pre-primary to Class 12, but with new additions like ECCE, vocationalisation, DBT, and digital learning. |
| Main Objective | Holistic, equitable, and quality education across all stages of schooling. | Holistic + innovation-oriented, with emphasis on learning outcomes, digital initiatives, and accountability mechanisms. |
| Focus Areas | Infrastructure, teacher training, digital education (basic), inclusivity. | Adds Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT), NIPUN Bharat for FLN, vocational education, internships, language promotion, and holistic progress cards. |
| Teacher Development | Training through SCERTs, DIETs, and NISHTHA programme. | Strengthened with master trainers for pre-primary teachers, continuous digital training, and NEP-based capacity building. |
| Digital Push | ICT labs, DIKSHA platform, Operation Digital Board. | ICT labs + Smart classrooms + Digital boards + Virtual classrooms + DTH channels (especially post-COVID). |
| Monitoring & Assessment | Strengthened UDISE+ data, periodic surveys like NAS. | PARAKH assessment centre, Holistic Progress Card (HPC), Social Audits (20% schools/year). |
| Inclusion of Out-of-School Children | Focus on mainstreaming children into schools. | Special funding support for children aged 16–19 years via open schooling (Rs. 2000 per grade). |
| Support for Girls | Upgradation of Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalayas (KGBVs). | Expansion of KGBVs up to Class 12, self-defence training, stipends. |
| Vocational Education | Introduced at Classes 9–12. | Expanded from Class 6 onwards, with internships, bagless days, and skill-building. |
| Sports & Co-curricular | Sports integrated, basic grants. | Khelo India linkage Extra Rs. 25,000 grant if students win medals. |
| Funding Pattern | 60:40 Centre–States (general), 90:10 (NE/Himalayan states), 100% (UTs without Legislature). | Same funding pattern, but with increased allocations and DBT mode. |
How does the Scheme Support Children with Special Needs (CwSN)?
CwSN are given special scholarships, assistive devices, and accessible materials. The scheme also focuses on girls with special needs, ensuring inclusive education.
Additional provisions include:
- Escort allowance
- Reader allowance
- Transport facilities
- Residential schools like Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalayas (KGBVs) upgraded up to Class 12
What Role does NIPUN Bharat Play Under Samagra Shiksha 2.0?
Launched in July 2021, NIPUN Bharat (National Initiative for Proficiency in Reading with Understanding and Numeracy) aims to:
- Ensure that every child achieves foundational literacy and numeracy by Grade 3
- Provide Rs. 500 per child annually for learning material
- Allocate Rs. 150 per teacher for resources and manuals
- Provide Rs. 10–20 lakh per district for assessments
How is Technology Integrated into Samagra Shiksha 2.0?
Digital education is a cornerstone of the scheme. Initiatives include:
- ICT labs and smart classrooms
- Digital boards and DIKSHA platform
- DTH channels and virtual classrooms
- Operation Digital Board to enhance tech-enabled learning
These steps became even more relevant post-COVID-19, ensuring continuity of education.
What is the Funding Pattern of Samagra Shiksha 2.0?
Samagra Shiksha operates as a Centrally Sponsored Scheme. The cost-sharing pattern is:
- 60:40 → Centre : States (general rule)
- 90:10 → Centre : Northeastern & Himalayan States
- 100% Central Funding → Union Territories without Legislature
This cooperative model ensures flexibility and ownership for states and UTs.
How does the Scheme Ensure Accountability and Monitoring?
- PARAKH: National Assessment Centre for reviewing student outcomes.
- Holistic Progress Card: Captures multiple aspects of student development.
- Social Audit: Covers 20% of schools annually, ensuring transparency.
- Use of UDISE+: Strengthened education database for monitoring.
Key Takeaways
| Aspect | Details |
| Launch Year | 2018 (Phase 1), 2021 (Phase 2 till 2025–26) |
| Ministry | Ministry of Education |
| Coverage | Pre-primary to Class 12 |
| Merged Schemes | SSA, RMSA, Teacher Education |
| Core Objective | Holistic, inclusive, and equitable school education |
| Special Focus | Girls, CwSN, vocational skills, digital learning |
| Key Initiatives | NIPUN Bharat, DBT, ICT labs, Holistic Progress Card, PARAKH |
| Funding Pattern | 60:40 (Centre: States), 90:10 (NE & Himalayan States), 100% (UTs without Legislature) |
| Alignment | NEP 2020 and SDG-4 |
Also Check:
Questions Based on Samagra Shiksha Scheme 2.0
Q1. When was Samagra Shiksha Scheme first launched?
a) 2015
b) 2016
c) 2018
d) 2020
e) 2021
Answer: c) 2018
Q2. Which three schemes were merged to form Samagra Shiksha?
a) SSA, RMSA, Mid-Day Meal
b) RMSA, SSA, Teacher Education
c) SSA, RMSA, NIPUN Bharat
d) PM Poshan, SSA, RMSA
e) Teacher Training, RMSA, Beti Bachao
Answer: b) RMSA, SSA, Teacher Education
Q3. Under Samagra Shiksha 2.0, what is the main objective of NIPUN Bharat?
a) Digital literacy
b) Vocational training
c) Foundational literacy and numeracy
d) Teacher capacity building
e) Girls’ education
Answer: c) Foundational literacy and numeracy
Q4. What is the funding ratio for Samagra Shiksha in most states?
a) 50:50
b) 60:40
c) 70:30
d) 90:10
e) 100%
Answer: b) 60:40
Q5. Which assessment body is supported under Samagra Shiksha 2.0?
a) NCERT
b) CBSE
c) PARAKH
d) SCERT
e) NIOS
Answer: c) PARAKH
Q6. Which initiative under Samagra Shiksha provides Rs. 500 per child annually?
a) PM Poshan
b) NIPUN Bharat
c) Beti Bachao Beti Padhao
d) Operation Digital Board
e) UDISE+
Answer: b) NIPUN Bharat
Q7. What does the Holistic Progress Card (HPC) aim to measure?
a) Teacher salaries
b) Financial literacy
c) 360-degree learner development
d) School infrastructure
e) Government spending
Answer: c) 360-degree learner development
Q8. Which age group of out-of-school children gets support under Samagra Shiksha 2.0?
a) 10–14 years
b) 12–16 years
c) 16–19 years
d) 6–10 years
e) 5–8 years
Answer: c) 16–19 years
Q9. Operation Digital Board is linked with which scheme?
a) Digital India
b) NEP 2020
c) Samagra Shiksha
d) National Skill Mission
e) PM e-Vidya
Answer: c) Samagra Shiksha
Q10. Which sports initiative is supported under Samagra Shiksha 2.0?
a) Fit India Movement
b) Khelo India
c) Bharat Yatra
d) Youth Sports Scheme
e) Mission Olympics
Answer: b) Khelo India
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