SRINAGAR: The Jammu and Kashmir Government has said 67 AAYAs have been engaged in schools in the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi constituency, while the remaining 29 sanctioned positions are under process.
The School Education Department, in a reply to a starred question by MLA Baldev Raj Sharma, said AAYAs had been engaged in schools having kindergarten classes from the 2023-24 financial year.
It said the engagements were made in accordance with guidelines issued under Order No. 07 of CHIRAG-2023 dated January 9, 2023, followed by Order No. 150-CHIRAG of 2023 dated September 21, 2023.
According to the department, 96 AAYA positions have been sanctioned for the constituency across the Reasi and Chinkah education zones, of which 67 have been filled. The Reasi zone has a sanctioned target of 84, with 65 engagements completed, while Chinkah has a target of 12.
The department said AAYAs for schools up to the upper-primary level are engaged by the concerned Zonal Education Officer, while the headmaster and principal undertake the process for high and higher secondary schools respectively.
It said the remaining engagements in the sanctioned schools were under process and would be completed at the earliest.
Under the prescribed guidelines, the selection of AAYAs is restricted to the village or ward where the approved school is located. The eligibility criteria include being a female domicile of the concerned village or ward and belonging to the Below Poverty Line category.
The minimum educational qualification is Class 8, although a candidate with a lower qualification may be considered if no eligible candidate is available in the village or ward. The prescribed age limit is 18 to 45 years.
The guidelines provide preference among BPL candidates to widows and divorced women. A September 2023 order subsequently withdrew the provision giving preference to the “poorest of the poor” and clarified that, where no selection is made from the first two categories, an older female candidate belonging to the BPL category and within the prescribed age limit may be considered.
The AAYA is paid an honorarium of Rs 5,000 per month, subject to subsequent approval under the Project Approval Board of Samagra Shiksha.
The prescribed duties include assisting children during arrival and departure, maintaining hygiene, helping teachers prepare classroom activities and assisting children with meals under PM POSHAN, besides other tasks assigned for their care.
