The government is committed to ensure universal secondary education by 2017 in the country. To achieve the target a new centrally sponsored scheme -Rashtriya Madhyamic Shiksha Abhiyan is in place from 2009-10. It will ensure access to secondary education by providing secondary schools within a reasonable distance of every habitation. Official sources said that government has sanctioned 9799 new secondary schools and improvement in the existing infrastructure of 35547 secondary schools.

AIR correspondent adds that as per the Working Group Report on Secondary Education for the 12th Five Year Plan, there is a requirement of about 20 thousand new secondary schools, with an estimated outlay of about 30 thousand crore rupees.