Department of School Education & Literacy is implementing the centrally sponsored schemes of Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) at elementary level and Rashtriya Madhyamik Shikha Abhiyan (RMSA) at secondary level, whereby provision is made for inclusive education of children with special needs (CWSN), besides other components.

The Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan is the main programme for universalising elementary education for all children from 6-14 years of age. Its overall goals include universal access and retention, bridging of gender and social category gaps in education and enhancement of learning levels of children. SSA focuses on providing inclusive education to CWSN, wherein children with and without disabilities participate and learn together in the same class. Under SSA, an amount of Rs. 3000/- per child per annum is allocated for the interventions related to education of CWSN. The major interventions for the education of CWSN are identification, functional and formal assessment, appropriate educational placement, preparation of Individualized Education Plan, provision of free aids and appliances, transport and/or escort support, teacher training, appointment of resource teachers, therapeutical support and barrier free access. As per the Unified District Information System for Education (UDISE) 2015-16, 22.86 lakh CWSN are enrolled at elementary level of schooling.

Under SSA, during the year 2017-18, 3762 assessment camps have been conducted, 65596 CWSN provided assistive devices, 16731 visually impaired children provided Braille Books and 37741 low vision children have been provided large print books, till 30.09.2017. Further, transport and escort support has been provided to 92539 and 75889 CWSN respectively. Therapeutical support has been provided to 137507 CWSN and 222602 teachers have been given training on curricular adaptations.

At the secondary level, the Ministry is implementing the scheme of Inclusive Education for Disabled at Secondary Stage (IEDSS) as part of RMSA with an objective to provide all students with disabilities an opportunity to complete four years of secondary schooling (Class IX to XII) in an inclusive and enabling environment. Under IEDSS component, central assistance is provided for student oriented assistance @ Rs. 3000/- per child per annum, besides support for engagement of special teachers, equipping resource room, making school barrier free, orientation of parents, administrators, educationists etc. As per UDISE 2015-16, 2.79 lakh CWSN are enrolled at secondary and higher secondary level of schooling. An amount of Rs. 6689.40 lakh has been approved for student oriented activities under IEDSS in 2017-18.

This information was given by the Minister of State (HRD), Shri Upendra Kushwaha today in a written reply to a Rajya Sabha question.

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• Children Education Allowance Scheme for reimbursement of expenditure on education of school going children has been introduced for Railway employees from 1st September,2008 by merging Children Education Allowance and Reimbursement of Tuition Fee.
• Consequent to the introduction of Children Education Allowance Scheme Para1130 of IREM Vol.I providing for advance of one month’s pay for purchase of outfit for children attending the schools is deleted.  (Ref 6)

Eligibility Conditions

• Children Education Allowance can be availed by Railway employees upto a maximum of eldest two surviving children. (Ref 1,5&7)
•  A person appointed as ‘Trainee’ on compassionate ground shall be allowed Children Education Allowance as per the admissible rates. (Ref 12)
• Children Education allowance is admissible for more than two children if the number of children exceeds two as a result of second child birth resulting in twins or multiple births. (Ref 3)
• The reimbursement of Children Education Allowance is admissible also for the first child born after failure of sterilization operation (Ref 10)
• Reimbursement of educational expenditure of children from classes nursery (2 classes prior to Class I) to twelfth studying in a recognized school /institution will be allowed subject to upper age limit of 20 years.  Recognised school/institution in this regard means a Govt. school  or any educational institution whether in receipt of Govt. aid or not, recognized by the Central or State Govt. or Union Territory Administration or by University or a recognized educational authority having jurisdiction over the area where the institution is situated.   (Ref 1,7,8& 12)
• In  cases where minimum qualifications for admission in the two years Diploma course in Polytechnic is 10th Class and the student joins the polytechnic after passing X class, the reimbursement of tuition fees shall also be allowed for the 1st and 2nd year classes of the above course. (Ref 3)
• Even if a child fails in a particular class, the reimbursement of Children Education Allowance shall not be stopped. (Ref 1). However, if the child is admitted in the same class in another school, although the child has passed out of the same class in previous school or in the mid-session, CEA shall not be reimbursable (Ref 14).
• In case both the spouses are Government servants, only one of them can avail reimbursement under Children Education Allowance.(Ref 1)
• Hostel subsidy and Children Education Allowance cannot be availed concurrently.(Ref 1)
• Reimbursement should be made on the submission of original receipts on the basis of self-certification by the Railway employee.(Ref 1)
• In case of misplacement of receipts given by the school/institution towards charges received from the parents / guardian, reimbursement may be allowed if the employee produces a duplicate receipt, duly authenticated by the school authorities. (Ref 11)
• CEA is payable for the children of all Central Government employees including citizens of Nepal and Bhutan, who are employees of Government of India, and whose children are studying in the native place. However, a certificate may be obtained from the concerned Indian Mission that the school is recognized by the educational authority having jurisdiction over the area where the institution is situated. (Ref 14)

Items permitted for reimbursement(Ref 1)

•     Tuition Fee
•     Admission fee
•     Laboratory fee
•     Special fee charged for agriculture, electronics, music or any other subject.
•     Fee charged for practical work under the programme of work experience. Fee paid for the use of any aid or appliance by the child.
•     Library fee
•     Games/sports fee.
•     Fee for extra-curricular activities.
•     Reimbursement for purchase of one set of text books and notebooks in an academic year(Ref 14).
•     Reimbursement for purchase of two sets of uniforms and one set of school shoes in an academic year (Ref 14).
•     VidyalyaVikasNidhi charged by KendriyaVidyalayas (Ref 7)
•     CEA may be allowed in case of children studying through “Correspondence or Distance Learning” also (Ref 8)
•     Development Fee/Parents’ Contribution charged by the school/institution in lieu of tuition fee(Ref 11)
•     Fee charged directly by the school/institution for catering to the special needs of the child with disabilities, duly certified by the school authorities(Ref 11)

Following are not permitted for Reimbursement

•     Expenses  on coaching classes in a Tuition /Coaching Centre would not be admissible.  (Ref 4)
•     No reimbursement is permissible for Annual Charges and Transportation fees.  (Ref 14)
•     Reimbursement of school bags, pens/pencils, water bottle, stationery etc., may not be allowed. (Ref 14)

Amount of Reimbursement

•     The annual ceiling fixed for reimbursement of Children Education allowance is Rs.15000/- per academic year. (Ref 9)
•     Reimbursement can be claimed once every quarter.
•     A Railway employee is allowed to get 50% of the overall annual ceiling in the first quarter and the remaining amount in third and or fourth quarter. Frontloading of the entire amount in the first and second quarters is not allowed. An employee can claim full amount subject to the annual ceiling amount in the last quarter.(Ref 10 & 11)
•     The above limits would be automatically raised by 25% every time the Dearness Allowance on the revised pay structure goes up by 50%.(Ref 1)
•     Any enhancement in the ceiling of reimbursement per annum due to increase in DA by 50% shall be applicable on pro-rata basis from the date of increase in DA, subject to actual expenditure during the quarter. (Ref 11)

Disabled Children

•     Reimbursement of Education Allowance for disabled children upto 22 years (having a minimum Disability of 40% ) of Government employees shall be payable at double the normal rates prescribed.  (Ref 2& 3)
•     The annual ceiling for reimbursement of education allowance for disabled children of Government employees will be Rs. 30,000/- per annum per child(Ref 2&9)
•     Children Education Allowance in case of a physically /mentally handicapped child studying in any institution aided or approved by the Central/State Govt. or UT Administration or whose fees are approved by any of these authorities shall be reimbursed irrespective of whether the institution is ‘recognized’ (Ref 3)

CEA during leave, suspension

•     Children Education Allowance shall be admissible to a Govt. servant under suspension or on leave ( including extra ordinary leave). However any period which is treated as ‘dies non’ the Govt. servant shall not be eligible for the Allowance for the period. (Ref 3)

CEA in case of new appointment, Death in service, Retirement, Removal

•     Employees who join service in the middle of academic year would be entitled to the Allowance on a pro-rata basis for each completed month per child.  (Ref 4)
•     In case of retirement, discharge, dismissal or removal from service  -CEA/hostel subsidy shall be admissible till the end of the academic year in which the Railway employee ceases to be in service due to retirement, discharge, dismissal or removal from service in the course of an academic year. The payment shall be made by the office in which the Govt. Servant worked prior to these events. (Ref 8)
•     Dying in harness – If a Govt. servant dies while in service, the Children Education Allowance or hostel subsidy shall be admissible in respect of his/her children till such time the employee would have actually received the same, subject to the condition that other terms and conditions are fulfilled. The payment shall be made by the office in which the Govt. servant was working prior to his death. (Ref 8)

References

1.   Railway Board’s letter No. E(W)2008/ED-2/4 dated 1.10.2008 (RBE No.135 /08) PC-VI No. 24
2.   Railway Board’s letter No. E[W]2008/ED-2/5 dated 13.10.2008    (RBE No. 150/08) [PC-VI No. 33]
3.   Railway Board’s letter No. E[W]2008/ED-2/4 dated 18/19.12.2008 (RBE No. 197/08)
4.   Railway Board’s letter No.E[W]2008/ED-2/4 dated 04.05.2009 [RBE No.78/09]
5.   Railway Board’s letter No.E(W)2008/ED-2/4 dated 10.6.2009 [RBE No.100/09] PC-VI No.109/09
6.   Railway Board’s letter No.F[E]Spl.2005/ADV./6/1 dtd 25.08.2009[RBE No.147/09]ACS No. 211/09
7.   Railway Board’s letter No.E[W]2008/ED-2/4 dated 04.01.2010    [RBE No.01/10] PC VI No. 175
8.   Railway Board’s letter No. E(W) 2008/ED-2/4 dated 22.02.2011 (RBE No. 25/2011), PC-VI No. 249
9.   Railway Board’s letter No. E(W)2008/ED-2/4 dated 01.06.2011 (RBE No. 78/2011) (PC-VI 261)
10. Railway Board’s letter No. E(W)2008/ED-2/4 dated 28/09/2011 (RBE No. 132/2011)
11.  Railway Board Letter No:   E(W)2008/ED-2/4 dated 04.04.2012 (RBE No:   45/2012)   PC-VI No.288
12. Railway Board’s letter No. E(NG)I1/1998/RC-1/64 dated 14.09.2012 RBI NO. 102/2012
13. Railway Board Letter No:   E(W)2008/ED-24 dated 31/08/2012      PC-VI No. 298/2012 (RBE No:  93/2012)
14. Railway Board’s letter No.E(W2008/ED-2/4        Dated          07.06.2013 (RBE No.  55/2013) PC-VI No.319

Source:  http://indianrailwayemployee.com/content/children-education-allowance-cea

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