Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalayas (KGBVs) were sanctioned under the erstwhile Sarva Shikha Abhiyan (SSA) as residential schools at upper primary level for girls belonging to disadvantaged groups such as SC, ST, OBC, Minority and Below Poverty Line (BPL) families. The Girls Hostel Component of erstwhile Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA) which was operational till the year 2017-18 provided hostel facility for girl students in the age group of 14-18 years, studying in classes IX to XII and belonging to SC, ST, OBC, Minority communities and Below Poverty Line families.

Under the newly launched Integrated Scheme of School Education-Samagra Shiksha, effective from the year 2018-19, provision has been made to upgrade the existing KGBVs at upper primary level to upto senior secondary level with a capacity of 150-250 girls in convergence with the erstwhile Girls Hostel Scheme. The scheme envisages to provide access and quality education to girls from disadvantaged groups by setting up residential schools from upper primary to senior secondary level and to ensure smooth transition of girls from elementary to secondary and up to class XII wherever possible by ensuring the facility of at-least one residential school for girls from classes VI-XII in every Educationally Backward Blocks.

There are 3703 KGBVs in the country which were sanctioned under the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA), out of which 3697 KGBVs are operational, enrolling 3.78 lakh girls.  Out of the total of the 2549 Girls Hostels sanctioned under the Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA), 1314 Girls Hostels are functional enrolling 1.20 lakh girls.

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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NB/AKJ/YP/AK/RS-2626