West Bengal Report-IPAI.pdf - Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan

189Total 503.40 192.27 422.1011.2 KASTURBA GANDHI BALIKA VIDYALAYA (KGBV)11.2.1 The government of India, in an attempt to reduce genderdisparities through educational opportunities launched a Schemein August-2004 called “Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya”. Itseeks for setting up residential schools at upper primary level forgirls belonging predominantly to the SC, ST, OBC and minoritiesin different areas. The scheme of the KGBV ran as a separateprogramme but in harmony with the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA),“National Programme for Education of Girls at Elementary Level(NPEGEL) and Mahila Samikhya (MS) “upto March 2007. However,since April 2007 (2007-08) the scheme merged with the SSAProgramme as a separate Component.The Scheme was applicable since inception (2004) inEducationally Backward Blocks (EBBS) having rural female literacybelow 46.13 per cent (National average as per census 2001) andgender gap in literacy over 21.59 per cent (National average –Census 2001). Among these blocks residential schools would be setup in areas with concentration of ST, SC, OBC and minority