The AIE component of the SSA aims at covering and bringing to mainstream out-of-school children by providing them elementary education on the basis of district-specific and need-based strategies.

Out of the Rs 2,500 per child budget approved by the Union government, Rs 150 had been earmarked to get books printed for them. As per a communiqué by Director General School Education (DGSE) and SSA Project Director Krishan Kumar to the deputy commissioners across the state, the actual cost of providing textbooks has come out to be Rs 50 per student. It was decided to use remaining Rs 100 to provide sweaters to students of AIE centres being run by state government and NGOs, Kumar said. The SSA authority had more than Rs 41 lakh to spend on the initiative.

Underlining that winter season had already set in and no such provision could be made earlier due to "paucity of funds", the SSA authority is pressing on to procure sweaters by January 15. The authority has decided that a committee comprising Additional Deputy Commissioner (D) as chairman, District Education Officer (Elementary Education) as member secretary and DEO (Secondary Education), Circle Education Officers and District Development Project Officers, all three as members, may procure sweaters after calling quotations.