The Centrally-Sponsored Scheme of District Primary Education Programme (DPEP) was launched in 1994 as a major initiative to revitalise the primary education system and to achieve the objective of universalisation of primary education.

DPEP adopts a holistic approach to universalise access, retention and improve learning achievement and to reduce disparities among social groups. Adopting an ‘area-specific approach’ with district as the unit of planning, the key strategies of the programme have been to retain the sensitivity to local conditions and ensuring full participation of the community. It also seeks to strengthen the capacity of national, state and district institutions and organisations for planning, management and professional support in the field of primary education.

DPEP is based on the principle of ‘additionality’ and is structured to fill in the existing gaps by providing inputs over and above the provisions made under Central and State Sector schemes for primary education. The State Governments are required to at least maintain expenditure in real terms at base year level.

The programme components include construction of classrooms and new schools, opening of Non-formal/Alternative Schooling Centres, appointment of new teachers, setting up early-childhood education centres, strengthening of State Councils of Educational Research and Training (SCERTs)/District Institute of Educational Training (DIETs), setting up of Block Resource Centres/Cluster Resource Centres, teacher training, development of Teaching Learning Material, Research based interventions, special interventions for promoting education of disadvantaged groups, girls, SC/ST, etc., initiatives for providing integrated education to disabled children and distance education for teacher training have also been incorporated in the DPEP Scheme.

Under the Programme parameters, investment per district is limited to Rs 40 crore over a project period of 5-7 years. There is ceiling of 33.3 per cent on civil works component and 6 per cent on management cost. The remaining amount is required to be spent on quality improvement activities.

DPEP is an externally aided project 85 per cent of the project cost is met by the Central Government and the remaining 15 per cent is shared by the concerned State Government. The Central Government share is resourced through external assistance. At present External Assistance of about Rs 6,938 crore composing Rs 5,137 as credit from IDA and Rs 1,801 crore as grant from EC/ DFID/UNICEF/Netherlands has been tied-up for DPEP.

Presently DPEP is in operation in nine States covering 123 districts. DPEP at its peak was operational in 273 districts in 18 States. However, with the progressive closure of the programme, it is now existing only in 123 districts.

The programme is supervised through periodic Supervision Missions such as joint review Missions, Project Management Information System (PMIS), Educational Management Informatics System (EMIS), Programme Impact Studies, etc. The reviews and various evaluatory studies of the programme have brought out that the programme has resulted in significant increase in enrolment, improvement in learning achievement, reduction in repetition rates/drop-outs with increased community involvement, improvements in classroom processes, etc.

• Major Achievements of DPEP :
  
  
  1. DPEP has so far opened more than 1,60,000 new schools, including almost 84,000 alternative schooling (AS) centres. The AS centres cover nearly 3.5 million children, while another two lakh children are covered by Bridge Courses of different types
     
     
  2. The school infrastructure created under DPEP has been remarkable. Works either complete or in progress include 52758 school buildings, 58,604 additional classrooms, 16,619 resource centres, 29,307 repair works, 64,592 toilets, and 24,909 drinking water facilities
     
     
  3. The Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) for Phase-I states was around 93 to 95 per cent for the last three years. After the adjustment for the Alternative Schools/ Education Guarantee Centres enrolment, the GER in the 2001-02 works out above 100 per cent. In the districts covered under subsequent phases of DPEP, the GER including enrolment of AS/EGS was above 85 per cent
     
     
  4. The enrolment of girls has shown significant improvement. In DPEP-I districts, the share of girls enrolment in relation to total enrolment has increased from 48 per cent to 49 per cent, while this increase in the subsequent phases of DPEP districts has been from 46 per cent to 47 per cent
     
     
  5. The total number of differently-abled children enrolled is now more than 4,20,203 which represents almost 76 per cent of the nearly 5,53,844 differently-abled children identified in the DPEP States
     
     
  6. Village Education Committees/School Management Committees have been set-up in almost all project villages/habitations/schools
     
     
  7. About 1,77,000 teachers, including para-teachers/Shiksha Karmis have been appointed
     
     
  8. About 3,380 resource centres at block level and 29,725 centres at cluster level have been set-up for providing academic support and teacher training facilities.
     

URL - http://www.india.gov.in/sectors/education/education3.php#6