Consider the following statements 1. In India, elementary education is now a Fundamental Right for all children in the age group of 6-14 years. 2. The programme of Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan has been launched only in northern and western India. Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?

Statement 1 is correct. The 86th Constitutional Amendment Act of 2002 inserted Article 21A into the Constitution, making elementary education a Fundamental Right for all children in the age group of 6-14 years [c1, c2]. This provision mandates that the State provide free and compulsory education to this specific age group [c3, t5]. Statement 2 is incorrect. Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) is a flagship program of the Government of India launched to achieve the universalization of elementary education across the entire country, not just in northern and western India [c4, t10]. SSA serves as a nationwide intervention to provide quality basic education and was later aligned with the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act, 2009, which extends to the whole of India [t3, t6]. Therefore, only the first statement is accurate.

Sources

1. [1] Introduction to the Constitution of India, D. D. Basu (26th ed.). > Chapter 8: FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS AND FUNDAMENTAL DUTIES > Fundamental Rights and Fundamental Duties IJl > p. 133
2. [2] Indian Polity, M. Laxmikanth(7th ed.) > Chapter 8: Fundamental Rights > D I Right to Education > p. 90
3. [3] Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 39: After Nehru... > Social Welfare Measures and Legislations > p. 767
4. [4] Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 39: After Nehru... > Economic and Social Steps > p. 757
5. [5] https://www.indiacode.nic.in/bitstream/123456789/19014/1/the_right_of_children_to_free_and_compulsory_education_act_2009.pdf