New Delhi: The Samagra Shiksha programme in Delhi has announced a social audit for the financial year 2025-26 to evaluate the functioning of govt schools and ensure transparency and quality in education.The initiative intends to cover around 60% of the govt schools in the city, engaging universities, colleges and technical institutes with a National Assessment and Accreditation Council rating of B+ or above to conduct the audit.According to the notice issued by Samagra Shiksha Delhi, it will cover 1,536 out of 2,560 govt-run schools, including those run by Directorate of Education, Municipal Corporation of Delhi, New Delhi Municipal Council and Delhi Cantonment Board.The exercise will independently assess how the scheme is being implemented at the ground level and identify gaps that may not be visible through regular administrative monitoring, said officials. “The social audit will help evaluate the actual implementation of Samagra Shiksha in schools and bring out field-level challenges. It is meant to strengthen transparency, accountability and community participation in the education system,” an official associated with the programme said.Samagra Shiksha, launched in 2018, is central govt’s integrated school education scheme from pre-primary to Class XII, focusing on improving infrastructure, learning outcomes and equity in access to education.A social audit is a participatory process where communities collectively monitor and evaluate govt programmes. For schools, it examines whether funds, entitlements and facilities promised under schemes are reaching students and being used effectively. “Unlike a financial audit, a social audit also looks at issues such as equity, access and safety in schools,” the official added.The audit will review several aspects of school functioning, including infrastructure such as classrooms, toilets, drinking water and electricity, the availability of teaching-learning materials and the utilisation of funds. It will also verify student enrolment, retention and completion rates, and check whether entitlements guaranteed under Right to Education Act are being provided in a timely manner.Another key focus will be student safety, including physical infrastructure safety, psychosocial wellbeing and cyber safety. It will emphasise a “zero tolerance” policy towards negligence affecting student safety, particularly for girls and vulnerable groups.The audit is also expected to strengthen the role of school management committees and local communities in overseeing its functioning. Officials said the process would involve interactions with teachers, parents, students and local representatives to understand their experiences and verify whether facilities and schemes are benefiting children. Participatory monitoring can help improve school development plans and ensure more responsive governance, said an official. According to the notification, Rs 373.7 lakh, around 0.5% of the state budget approved for Samagra Shiksha in 2025-26, has been earmarked for the audit.
