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Skip to: conclusions | recommendations The audit report highlights among other things alarming gaps in policy implementation process as far as Universalisation of Elementary Education (UEE) for the SC and ST sections of population is concerned. What follows is a compilation of some observations of CAG that deserve the attention of policy researchers. As per the 2001 Census, the SCs and STs constituted 16.23 and 8.2 per cent respectively of the country’s population. The literacy rate of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes were 55 and 47 per cent according to the census against the national literacy rate of 65 per cent. Several educational schemes are implemented by the Union government with the objectives of enabling the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes to upgrade their educational levels, increasing enrolment and retention, reducing drop out rates etc. Seven and eight schemes respectively are being implemented by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment and the Ministry of Tribal Affairs for the benefit of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. These schemes cover a variety of benefits such as scholarships, construction of hostels and schools, establishment of book banks, provision of remedial and special coaching and sanction of grant-in-aid to voluntary organisations working for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. Deficiencies such as poor utilisation of funds, non-availing of the benefits of schemes by different states, imbalances in the release of funds, unspent balances, delays in the release of funds and diversion of funds etc were observed across most of the schemes. Two indicators of educational development i.e gross enrolment rate (GER) and gross dropout rate (GDR) displayed an adverse trend in respect of Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe boys and girls. The gap in GDR between general candidates and Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe candidates which was 6.7 per cent and 15.1 per cent in 2001-02 deteriorated to 10.4 and 16.6 per cent in 2003-04 respectively. See Tables at link above. Gross enrolment ratio is the percentage of the estimated child population in the age group 6 to 14 years enrolled in classes I-VIII. Since the enrolment in these stages may also include underage and overage children, the total percentage may be more than 100 per cent in some cases. The GER of both Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe boys and girls in 2003-04 decreased with reference to 2001-02 in several states. Gross dropout rate represents the percentage of student who drop out from a given grade or cycle or level of education in a given cycle/school year. The drop out rate in respect of Scheduled Caste boys and girls increased in 2003-04 with reference to 2001-02 in several states. The increase ranged from 0.04 to 28.98 per cent in 2003-04. Similarly, the drop out rate for Scheduled Tribes boys & girls also increased in 2003-04 in several states with reference to 2001-02. The gap between general candidates and Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe was 6.7 per cent and 15.1 per cent in 2001-02 and rose to 10.4 and 16.6 in 2003-04 respectively. The CAG concluded that implementation of the educational schemes by both the Ministries was not satisfactory. Weaknesses in financial management such as inaccurate/ unrealistic budgeting, non-utilisation of funds, inter-state imbalances in release of central assistance, non-availment of central assistance, unspent balances, delayed/short/non release of funds and diversion of funds were noticed across all the schemes. In respect of the Pre-matric scholarship scheme for the children of those engaged in unclean occupations and Post-matric scholarship scheme, deficiencies at the implementation stage included short coverage of beneficiaries, payment of scholarship to ineligible beneficiaries, delays in payment of scholarship, excess payment of scholarship, deficiencies in the system of selection of beneficiaries etc. In the case of the ‘Scheme for the establishment of Ashram schools in tribal subplan areas’, construction of schools was delayed in several cases and maintenance of schools was not given enough priority by the state governments. Effectiveness of the scheme for ‘Upgradation of Merit of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes’ suffered due to delays in release of funds. Implementation of the Book bank scheme suffered from lacunae such as short establishment of book banks, procedural irregularities in the purchase of books, purchase of inappropriate books and delays in purchase. The ‘Scheme of Hostels for SC/ST community students’ suffered due to delays in completion of construction, lack of facilities, non-utilisation of facilities etc. In respect of the ‘Coaching and allied scheme for STs and for weaker sections including SCs, OBCs and Minorities’, deficiencies included defunct PETCs, inadequate number of sessions, non-availability of basic facilities, poor record maintenance etc. In respect of schemes implemented through NGOs funds were not recovered from blacklisted NGOs and NGOs deviated from the conditions governing sanction of grants-in-aid. Funds were sanctioned for projects in unidentified districts. Appropriate monitoring mechanism was absent for pre and post matric scholarship schemes, the state governments did not ensure submission of periodical reports/returns regarding various schemes from the implementing authorities. Neither of the two Ministries prepared databases of beneficiaries for monitoring purposes. Inspection was not conducted in a systematic manner and independent evaluation was not conducted at the Union Government level and in most of the states. Internal audit of the schemes was also not conducted at the Union level and also in many states. Further information
[30 July 2008] - In 2007, the Controller and Auditor General of India came out with a Performance Audit of Educational Development of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in India.