Year End Review of Ministry of Human Resource Development
The challenge ahead is large. The ministry of Human Resource Development is seeking reform in the education sector both at the school education level and at the higher education level. At the school education level, the implementation of the Right to Education Act is the largest area of attention.
At the higher education level, the reform is being driven by the process of legislation which aims at putting in place a structure which encourages autonomy and growth, with an adequate regulatory framework to check malpractices.
The National Commission for Higher Education and Research
The Higher Education and Research Bill, 2011 was introduced in the Rajya Sabha on 28th December, 2011. This Bill proposes to create a National Commission for Higher Education and Research which will be an over-arching body to maintain and coordinate the standards in higher education in the country. The Bill seeks to promote autonomy of higher educational institutions and universities for free pursuit of knowledge and innovation and to provide for comprehensive and integrated growth of higher education and research keeping in view the global standards of educational and research practices. The Commission will facilitate determination, co-ordination, maintenance and continued enhancement of standards of higher education and research including university education, vocational, technical, professional and medical education other than agricultural education. There are four salient elements envisaged in this Bill:
- National Commission for Higher Education and Research
- A General Council:
- The Collegiums of Scholars:
- Board for Research Promotion and Innovation
Progress under RTE
Since the commencement of the RTE Act, 38,754 primary schools, 11,918 upper primary schools and 4, 98 lakh additional classrooms have been sanctioned under SSA. On National Education Day (Nov 11), a year long community mobilization programme was launched to generate awareness about the Act and the rights it vests in the people.
In another development in this regard,, guidelines have been issued to exempt Madrasas, Pathshalas and other institutions imparting religious instruction from the provisions of Right to Education Act. There are about 3,000 vedic pathashalas (schools) in India
Some statistical indicators
Sl. No. | Item | States |
1 | Notification of State RTE Rules | Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Mizoram, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Punjab, Tripura, Tamil Nadu, U.P. Delhi, Kerala have notified their State RTE Rules; Gujarat, Goa, Karnataka, Uttarakhand, |
2 | Constitution of SCPCR/ REPA | Madhya Pradesh, |
3 | Prohibition of detention, expulsion | A&N Islands, Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Chandigarh, Delhi, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, J&K, Jharkhand, Kerala, Lakshadweep, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Orissa, Puducherry, Punjab, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu, Tripura, Uttarakhand, |
4 | Prohibition of corporal punishment, mental harassment | A&N Islands, Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Bihar, Chandigarh, Chhattisgarh, Delhi, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, J&K, Jharkhand, Kerala, Lakshadweep, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Nagaland, Orissa, Puducherry, Punjab, |
5 | No board examination till completion of elementary education | A&N Islands, Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Bihar, Delhi, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, J&K, Jharkhand, Kerala, Lakshadweep, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland, Orissa, Puducherry, Punjab, |
Low Cost Access-cum –Computing Device
Shri Kapil Sibal, the Union Minister for Human Resourced Development launched ‘Aakash’, a low cost access cum computing device, in October. This device was also distributed among 500 children on the occasion. The final landed price of $49.98/unit of this device (which translated to INR 2276 at the exchange rate at the time of the order) includes taxes, levies, and charges like freight and insurance, servicing and documentation etc. The Government will also be providing price subsidy to the students on this price. The device will be distributed to students through the institutions at which they are studying.
This current phase is a pilot to procure 100,000 devices. This pilot aims to help in sorting out the production related issues. These devices are now being distributed to students all over the country so that they can be extensively tested in various climatic and usage conditions. The feedback obtained from the testing will form an input into the design of the next version of the device.
Entrance Exam Reforms
The report of the Ramasami committee for a country-wide common examination for admission to undergraduate programmes in sciences and engineering submitted its report which was deliberated at the IIT council. The basis for reform in the examination process that reduces dependency on coaching, aligning the testing process to Class XII syllabus, reducing the multiplicity of tests to one was considered. Weightage would be given to the marks obtained by a student in Class XII Board examinations would be given after scientific statistical normalization of the performance vis-Ã -vis the average performance of other students appearing in the respective Board examinations, whether CBSE or State Boards. There could be a single national examination to test for aptitude and advanced domain knowledge or for aptitude alone to supplement the weightage given to performance in Class XII. Six options were placed before the Council for consideration and views of the members were sought. Based on the views expressed, the report would be finalised by Dr Ramasami in a month. The report would also be placed before CABE and State Education Ministers for a final decision so that the new system could be put in place by academic session 2013-14 later, in its meeting, the Council of NITs considered the proposal formulated by Dr. T. Ramasami Committee on Alternate System for Admission to undergraduate programmes in Science and Engineering in the country as presented before the IIT Council and endorsed the same.
The CBSE, For the 11th AIEEE to be held in 2012 after the success of Online Exam on pilot basis last year, and to give students a flexible schedule of examination, has decided to conduct Online Examination (i.e. CBT Mode) from 7th – 25th May, 2012 in 22 cities. In these cities, the exam will only be in an online mode. :
AICTE in order to reduce the burden of students attending to multiple examinations launches the first National level Common Management Admission Test (CMAT)-2012 and facilitate institutions to select suitable students for admission to all management programs approved by AICTE for year 2012-13. This initiative has been taken to address the issue of physical, mental and financial stress being imposed on the students through number of entrance examinations conducted by the institutions for admission to Management Programs in AICTE approved institutions based on relevant judgments in the Hon’ble Supreme Court.
- The National level test will be conducted online for nine days from 20th to 28th February in two shifts at 61 cities/locations.
- The common admission test will reduce the burden on candidates due to appearance in multiple tests.
- CMAT scores will help students get admissions in AICTE approved Institutes/University Departments in all management programmes catering to more than four lakh sanctioned seats of AICTE approved management institutions.
IIT Reforms
A Committee constituted under the chairmanship of Dr Anil Kakodkar, to prepare a roadmap for taking IITs to global excellence, was presented to the IIT Council. After detailed deliberations on the recommendations in which various opinions were expressed, the Council decided to constitute an Empowered Task Force for implementation of the recommendations for enhancing the autonomy of the IIT system with the intention of expanding the research output of IITs to produce 10,000 Ph.D graduates annually from around 1000 presently and increase faculty strength from around 4000 presently to 16000 by 2020. This would enable a large pool of researchers in technology to be fostered along with developing advanced technology manpower needs for promoting economic growth. The Council felt that a national benefit has to be derived from the investment through public funds on each IIT student. Therefore, every student at the time of obtaining employment after graduation could enter into an agreement with the IIT for agreeing to pay back part of the expenditure made on him or her over a suitable period. Students who do not obtain any employment or who proceed for a career in research shall not be expected to arrive at such agreement. In so far as modifications to the governance structure are concerned, the Council felt that the issue would be revisited in the next meeting. Each IIT was requested to prepare an accountability mechanism for regulating the exercise of administrative autonomy.
IIM Reforms
Every three years there should be an external review of each IIM which could be discussed in the IIM-Council. This was decided in a meeting of the IIM council chaired by Shri Kapil Sibal, Union Minister of HRD. IIMs Calcutta, Lucknow, Kozhikode have put the annual work plan system and teaching requirements along with faculty peer review in place in different ways. In IIM Bangalore, the process of devising a faculty review system after consultations is underway.
In order to expand the search for management solutions in problems of relevance to the nation and society, it was felt that IIMs have to take the lead in conducting programmes and organize curricula in areas such as energy management, academic institution management, health management, agriculture management etc. in the meeting of IIM Directors, it was decided to set up a Task Force for establishing the contours of such programmes.
National Vocational Education Qualification Framework
Vocational education has been an important area of concern in providing choices to youth for skills development in relation to the needs of the economy. The Coordination Committee set up by the Ministry, with the involvement of the National Skill Development Corporation and the Institute of Applied Manpower Research Bihar , Shri PK Shahi, was constituted to prepare a roadmap for implementation of the National Vocational Education.
Qualification Framework: The committee has submitted its report and it has been accepted.
First Indo-US Higher Education Summit in Washington
Shri Sibal, Union Minister for Human Resource Development and the US Secretary of State, Ms. Hilary Clinton launched the expanded U.S.-India Higher Education Dialogue as an annual bilateral event to map out strategies for partnership in the field of education between the two countries, in Washington Summit
- A continued expanded U.S.-India Higher Education Dialogue with representatives from government, academia, and business that would interact on a periodic basis to inform and underpin the Dialogue.
- Support for the following goals:
- Promoting strategic institutional partnerships for further strengthening and expansion of collaboration in the priority areas of higher education, including science and engineering, social sciences, and humanities, and addressing societal challenges in areas such as cyber security, energy, environment, health and agriculture;
- Encouraging expansion and deepened collaboration in research and development in the above areas between academic institutions of the two countries through existing initiatives;
- Fostering partnerships in the areas of vocational education and skills enhancement to meet the needs of today’s world;
- Exploration of models for ‘educational institutions for the 21st Century’ (such as ‘meta’ universities);
- Further strengthening programs for student and faculty enrichment and exchange, and development of leadership in academia at all levels;
- Welcoming the involvement of the private sector in the two countries to support and deepen collaboration with the higher education community, faculty exchanges, skills development, and institutional partnerships.
- Strengthening educator enrichment and exchange programs (with the Government of India indicating its intention to sponsor initially up to 1,500 faculty and junior scholars to leading universities and research institutes in the United States) to promote development of human resources while also enhancing broader interaction between the two countries.
International Conference on Education
The Ministry of Human Resource Development organized a three-day International Conference on “Women’s Literacy for Inclusive and Sustainable Development’ from 8-10th September. The President Smt. Pratibha Devisingh Patil inaugurated the Conference. Fourteen countries including India Brazil , China , Indonesia , Egypt , Nigeria , Mexico , Pakistan , Bangladesh , Afghanistan , Sri Lanka , Maldives , Bhutan and Nepal besides India
The three-day Conference had sessions on subjects such as Centrality of Women’s Literacy to Inclusive and Participative Development, Emerging International Perspective on Adult Education and Lifelong Learning, Innovations in Design & Delivery of India’s Adult Literacy Programme and International Cooperation for Promoting Adult Education. An Outcome Document was put out at the conclusion of the conference.
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