Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education

The reform process initiated in 2010-11, after enactment and implementation of Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act, 2009, was continued during the year 2011-12. The Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) framework of implementation and norms for planning interventions were revised to correspond with the provisions of the RTE Act. New interventions were approved under SSA for providing uniforms, transportation and residential facilities. Further, the fund sharing pattern between the Centre and States was revised to provide for higher central shares in the SSA outlays for States. Grants under the 13th Finance Commission became available specifically for elementary education. Government also notified the National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE) as the academic authority for laying down teacher qualifications. NCTE notified the minimum teacher qualifications in the Official Gazette and also issued guidelines for conducting Teacher Eligibility Tests. New buildings were sanctioned for 28,197 primary and 6,742 upper primary schools during the period 2010-12; 39,502 primary and 11,952 upper primary schools were opened; 4,97,992 additional class rooms, 2,48,605 toilets and 24,924 drinking water facilities were provided. 6,82,788 posts of teachers were sanctioned across various states.

Mid Day Meal in Schools

Under the Mid Day Meal Programme, 10.52 crore children were provided hot cooked meals in 12.18 lakh elementary schools in the country during 2011-12. 22.5 lakh cook cum helpers have been engaged to prepare and serve mid day meals to the school children. More than 10.50 lakh schools have been provided with kitchen devices and 5.35 lakh kitchen-cum-stores have been constructed to ensure safety of food and ensure hygienic meals for the children.

Teacher Education

The Government has approved a revised Teacher Education Scheme with an outlay of ` 6308.45 crore for the 12th Plan period, to be shared between the Centre and the States in the ratio of 75:25. The North Eastern states contribute only 10 percent share. The main components of the revised scheme include strengthening of State Councils for Educational Research and Training Institutes for Advanced Studies in Education, Colleges of Teacher Education and District Institutes of Education and Training Establishment of Block Institutes of Teacher Education in 196 identified SC/ST/Minority concentration districts as elementary preservice teacher education institutions is a new element of the Teacher Education Scheme.

Promoting literacy – Saakshar Bharat

The National Literacy Mission was recast and its new variant Saakshar Bharat launched on 8th September, 2009. The programme strives to impart functional literacy to non-literates, enable neo-literates to continue their learning beyond basic literacy and acquire equivalence to the formal educational system. Since its launch, Saakshar Bharat has been sanctioned in 372 low female literacy districts across the country. The Mission is expected to benefit around 7 crore non-literates in over 1.6 lakh Gram Panchayats in these districts.

Strengthening Secondary Education

Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan was launched in March, 2009 with the objective to universalize access to secondary education and improve its quality.
During the year 2011-12, opening of 3,956 new secondary schools (Classes IX-X) and strengthening of 15,567 existing secondary schools were approved. Under the scheme for setting up of 6,000 model schools at Block level at the rate of one school per block, as benchmark of excellence to provide quality education to talented rural children, 835 model schools were sanctioned during 2011-12. A scheme for construction and running of girls’ hostels for students of secondary and higher secondary schools in about 3,500 educationally backward blocks of the country was launched in November, 2008.
Upto 2011-12, approval to set-up 1,925 such hostels has been given. The scheme of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in schools is being implemented to bridge the digital divide in schools. Setting up the requisite infrastructure to impart computer literacy and computer aided learning has been approved for 4752 government and government aided secondary and higher secondary schools. National Awards were conferred on 298 elementary and secondary teachers on 5th September, 2011 in due recognition of the meritorious public service rendered by them.

Higher Education

The main policy objectives in higher education continue to be improvement of access, along with equity and excellence, enhancing the relevance of higher education through curriculum reforms, vocationalisation, networking and information technology and distance education, along with reforms in the governance structure. Following Bills have been introduced in the Parliament:

• Higher Education and Research Bill, 2011 provides for the establishment of an over-arching authority called National Commission for Higher Education and Research for determining, maintaining and coordinating standards in Higher Education. The Bill has been introduced in the Rajya Sabha and has been referred to the Parliamentary Standing Committee.

• The National Authority for Regulation and Accreditation of Higher Educational Institutions Bill, 2010, provides for mandatory accreditation of all higher education institutions and has been introduced in the Parliament.

• A Bill to prohibit and punish malpractices and adoption of unfair practices in technical and medical educational institutions and in the university system, to protect the interest of students and applicants seeking admission, has been introduced in the Parliament.

• A Bill to establish a two-tier structure of Educational Tribunals at the State and National level to adjudicate on the entire gamut of disputes arising in higher education has been introduced in the Parliament and has been passed by Lok Sabha. The Bill has been amended based on the recommendations of the Parliamentary Standing Committee and will be introduced in the Rajya Sabha.

• The Foreign Educational Institutions (Regulation of Entry and Operation) Bill, 2010, for regulating the entry and operation of foreign educational institutions in India has been introduced in Parliament on which the Parliamentary Standing Committee has submitted its report.

• A Bill for creation of a National electronic database of Academic Awards and its maintenance by an authorized depository has been introduced in the Lok Sabha, which has been referred to the Parliamentary Standing Committee (PSC).

To increase access, improve quality and to remove regional imbalances in higher education, sixteen Central Universities have been established, including conversion of three state universities in the states of Chattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Uttarakhand into Central Universities, under the Central Universities Act, 2009. All Universities have since commenced academic activities.A provision has been made for central assistance for setting up of a model degree college in each of the identified 374 educationally backward districts where Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) for higher education is less than the national GER. Out of 153 proposals received, 78 have been approved and 42 are under process.

In view of the felt need for expansion of facilities for high quality management education, during XIth Five year Plan, seven new IIMs have been established. Rajiv Gandhi Indian Institute of Management (RGIIM), Shillong established in Shillong (Meghalaya), commenced its academic session from 2008-09. IIM Rohtak (Haryana), IIM Ranchi (Jharkhand), IIM Raipur (Chattisgarh) commenced their academic sessions from 2010-11, while IIM Tiruchirappalli (Tamil Nadu), IIM Kashipur (Uttrakhand) and IIM Udaipur (Rajasthan) have commenced their academic sessions from 2011-12.

All the 8 new IITs in the States of Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan, Orissa, Punjab, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh have since commenced their academic activities with student intake of 120 each in B.Tech. programmes. The Scheme for setting up of 20 new IIITs in Public Private Partnership mode has since made considerable headway, with 15 State Governments having identified land for setting up of the Institute. In four cases, the State Governments have also identified industry partners. A grant was provided to set up 26 new polytechnics during the year 2011-12. In addition, the second and third installments were given to 85 and 92 polytechnics. 127 existing polytechnics were provided first installment and 166 were provided with second installment for strengthening. 148 polytechnics were provided grant for women’s hostels.
National Mission for Information & Communication Technology (ICT) in Education Under the Mission, up to March 2012, Virtual Private Networks and internet connections have been provided to 392 universities and 18,189 colleges/polytechnics across the country.

AAKASH

The Low Cost Access-cum-computing Device, `AAKASH’ was launched on 5.10.2011 at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi. Initiation of second phase of Technical Education Quality Improvement Programme (TEQIP) Based on the achievements of TEQIP Phase-I, TEQIP Phase-II is being implemented with the assistance of the World Bank at a total cost of ` 2430 crore. The Government of India contribution is ` 1895.50 crore out of which ` 1395.50 crore will be reimbursed by the World Bank. The State share will be ` 518.50 crore and the share of private unaided institutions will be ` 16 crore. The funding pattern will be 75:25 between the centre and the participating States and for North Eastern States it will be 90:10.

National Institutes of Technology (NITs) With the aim of providing at least one NIT in each of the larger States/ UTs, the Government has since established 10 new NITs at Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, Goa, Delhi, Uttarakhand and Puducherry. First academic session has commenced from the year 2010-2011 and as on date there are approximately 1600 students pursuing undergraduate programmes. So far land has been finalized in case of seven NITs. A Bill for incorporatingt hese NITs under the NIT Act, 2007 is at final stages of enactment.

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