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ADULT
EDUCATION
After the declaration
of the new Education Policy in 1986, the National Literacy mission
(NLM) was set up in 1988 with the objective of making 100 million
persons in the age group of 15-35 years literate by 1995 . Subsequently
the goal of NLM was revised to cover 100 million persons by
the year 1998-99. Apart from covering the 15-35 age group, children
in the 9 –14 age group are also being covered under the
literacy programme.
REVIEW
OF ANNUAL PLAN 1998-99
During 1998-99,
an outlay of Rs. 93.97 crores was provided by Planning Commission
for Adult Education Programme. The revised outlay for the year
was Rs.77.05 crores.
The Total Literacy
Campaign was the principal strategy adopted by the National
Literacy Mission (NLM) for eradication of illiteracy in the
country. The literacy campaigns are area specific, time bound,
and are delivered through voluntarism, cost effective and outcome
oriented methods. So far, 450 districts have been covered under
TLC in the States of Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Delhi, Goa,
Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Karnataka,
Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and West Bengal and Union Territories
of Chandigarh, Daman and Diu, Dadara and Nagar Haveli and Pondicherry.
Of these 250 campaigns have moved into post literacy and 65
to the continuing education stage. The campaigns covered and
estimated 148 million persons, among whom 121 million learners
were identified through survey. Of the 94 million persons enrolled,
72.55 million persons have been made literate (learners having
completed level III).
During the year,
58 existing Shramik Vidyapeeths continued to provide educational
and vocational training to numerous groups of adults and young
people living in urban and industrial areas and also to persons
who have migrated from rural to urban settings. Two hundred
and twenty five different vocational training programmes like
candle and agarbati making, computer courses, etc. were offered
through Shramik Vidyapeeths.
The Central Assistance
under the scheme of Strengthening of Administrative Structures
has been discontinued after 31st March 1998. Now the State Governments
and the Union Territories are expected to bear the financial
implications from their own resources. During the current financial
year, under the scheme of Rural Functional Literacy Programme,
only Rs. 60 lakh had been released to Jammu and Kashmir Government
till December 1998. It is proposed to be subsumed with TLC/
PLC Scheme.
ANNUAL
PLAN 1999-2000
In the Annual Plan
of 1999-2000, an outlay of Rs. 110 crores has been provided
for Adult Education. During the year the Total Literacy Campaign
will continue to be followed as a dominant strategy by the National
Literacy Mission. Special attention will be given to proper
planning and management of campaigns in the field.
Efforts will be
made to develop proper linkages-between different schemes of
the Department of Education viz. Elementary Education, District
Primary Education Programme; bridging the gap between the formal
and non-formal, non-formal and adult literacy. States may work
out district specific education plans which would facilitate
interventions both by the State as well as by the Central Government.
More material
will continue to be developed in regional languages and local
dialects. Attention will be given to provide adequate, quality
training to volunteers. The Directorate of Adult Education will
continue to extend resource support in the field of training
, basic/ post literacy material, media, monitoring and evaluation.
The existing Resource
Centres will be strengthened. More active cooperation of the
non-governmental organisations and the Panchayats and local
bodies would be sought particularly in the Hindi-speaking States
of Bihar, Rajasthan,Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.
According to the
latest 53rd round of NSSO Survey (December, 1997), literacy
rate in the country has improved from 52% to 62% from 1991 to
1997. It shows good progress in terms of literacy rates, in
case of some of the educationally backward States like Bihar,
Mahya Pradesh, , Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh where an increase
by 14.4%, 11.8%, 16.5% and 10.5% respectively, has been recorded.
SECONDARY
EDUCATION
During the year
under report, Secondary Education is being strengthened through
various schemes viz. Improvement of science education, environmental
education, population education, culture and values in education,
educational technology, physical education and sports. These
schemes are being strengthened both in terms of physical inputs
as well as financial inputs. The National Council of Educational
Research and Training (NCERT) as an apex resource organisation
assist and advice the Central and the State Governments on academic
matters related to school education. It has been providing technical
support in crucial areas of education, research and training.
Review exercises have been undertaken by the Ministry of Human
Resource Development in schemes like CLASS project (computer
education programme), provision of girls hostels, education
of minorities, special education, technological aids, strengthening
of teacher education programmes.
The Education Division
of the Planning Commission took active part in these review
exercises. It is expected that Ministry of Human Resource Development
may propose upgraded schemes in the area of vocationalisation
of secondary education and computer education. As an on going
scheme, the State Councils of Education, Research and Training
(SCERTs), and Institutes of Education (SIEs) in the States are
being strengthened in order to raise their institutional capacity
for research, development and training components in secondary
education. In addition, Institutes of Advanced Studies in Education
(IASEs) and Colleges of Teacher Education (CTEs) are likely
to be upgraded with additional funding, with revised norms.
Vocationalisation
of secondary education is being implemented through the State
Governments/Uts, except UT of Lakshadweep. In order to strengthen
the Vocational Education (VE) programme at 10+2 stage, a better
interaction with industry is required so that it could ensure
quality amd social credibility. However , at this stage both
central and state governments need to put extra effort in this
direction. In the computer education programme, some states
have taken initiative to have a tie up with National level/State
level computer training institutes and educational institutes.
These institutes will provide computer education training programme
for secondary students either on the campus of the Secondary/Sr.
Secondary schools or in their own campuses by providing their
own faculty, software and in some cases even hardware. This
may help the State Government to reduce their costs of training
as well as facilitate administrative logistics.
Higher
Education
Annual Plan 1998-99
Students enrolled
in universities and colleges were 70.78 lakhs. At the post graduate
level, the student enrolment was 11.69 lakhs. The thrust on
Environment and Vocationalisation of Education at the higher
levels was renewed.
There was a significant
achievement in enrolment of women students i.e. 24.46 lakh in
1998-99. But at the Post-graduate level, the enrolment of women
remain static(34%). The enrolment of women students is highest
in Kerala(53.6%), followed by Punjab(51.5%), Goa(51.4%), Delhi
and Pondicherry(45.3%) each). States like Haryana, Himachal
Pradesh, Maharashtra and West Bengal also had higher enrolment
of women as compared to the national average of 34.6% .
The University
Grants Commission(UGC) continued its programmes for development
of under-graduate and post graduate education.
The Pay Review
Committee was set up by UGC which submitted its report to the
Commission on 28th May 1997. Consequently, the UGC finalised
and also notified the scheme of revised scales and service conditions
on 24 Dec, 1998 which aimed at attracting talent to teaching
in university and colleges, awarding merits and promoting excellence
in the profession. UGC has instructed the State Governments
to adopt these scales for their university and college teachers.
The Task Force
was also constituted by Govt. of India to examine the relevant
provisions of UGC Act with a view to suggest amendments in order
to provide suitable safeguards against the incidence of fake
universities and to empower the commission to cope with the
emerging challenges with confidence and to strengthen and restructure
the Commission. Task Force submitted its report in Feb. 1999.
The scheme of Research
and Studies in emerging and in Inter disciplinary areas continued
its support to the courses like super-conductivity Atmospheric
Science, Environmental Education computer Application, etc.
Total number of universities supported under the super-conductivity
programme was 35, upto Nov. 1998.
As a part of International
Cooperation, during 1998-99, 372 research projects were approved
by the Ministry of HRD. There was significant increase in the
number of bilateral international conference/symposia/with foreign
universities.
The Commission
released development grants to eligible State Universities,
amounting to Rs.330.35 crore during 1998-99.
Annual
Plan 1999-2000
The programme
introduced during the period of Ninth Plan 1997-2002 will be
continued during the year 1999-2000. Emphasis will be given
to the Information Technology Programmes in the universities
and colleges. An outlay of Rs. 445.94 crore has been approved
for the universities and other schemes of higher education.
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