Workshops.-Regular. workshops are being conducted to impart training to Hindi-knowing employees of the Department of Education in noting and drafting in Hindi. Two such workshops were organised during 1976-77.

Setting up of Hindi Advisory Committee.-A Hindi Salahkar Samiti has been set up for the Ministry of Education and Social Welfare and the Department of Culture under the Chairmanship of the Union Education Minister, to advise the, Ministry on matters relating to the progressive use of Hindi for official purposes. The Committee held its last meeting on 10th December,

180

1976 and received a report on the action already taken by the Ministry for the progressive use of Hindi and for ensuring compliance with the provisions of the Official Language Act, 1963, as amended by the Official Language (Amendment) Act, 1967.

Visit of the Sub-Committee of the Parliamentary Committee on Official Language.-The Sub-Committee of the Parliamentary Committee on 2Official Language visited the Department of Education during end of December, 1976 to review the progress made in the use of Hindi for official purposes of the Union and to submit a report to the President making recommendations thereon. The Department arranged two meetings on 29th and 30th December, 1976 with the members of the Committee in which the Education Minister, Deputy Ministers, Education Secretary and other senior officers participated.

Student Welfare Measures.-The two major aspects of these measures relating to the student community are : (a) supply of essential commodities at controlled prices to the students in hostels and approved lodgings; and (b) supply of textbooks and stationery to the students at reasonable prices and the setting up of book banks. During the year, sustained efforts were made to ensure their effective implementation.

Supply of Essential Commodities.-The programme for the supply of essential commodities at controlled prices to the university and college hostels has two essential elements, viz., supply of foodgrains through the public distribution system and supply of other consumer articles through institutions at controlled and reasonable rates. The cooperative institutions have been making supplies of essential commodities to the university and college hostels. The essential consumer goods supplied by the cooperative institutions are foodgrains (non-control' d), pulses, spices, vanaspati and other edible oils, tea, coffee, sugar, washing soap, bread, eggs, butter, salt, controlled cloth, hosiery goods, paper and stationery, including exercise books, etc. The controlled items of foodgrains (wheat, rice, etc.) are supplied to the students' hostels through the public distribution system.

181

This scheme, which was originally intended for 43 selected cities, is now under implementation in students' hostels in all the States and Union Territories. 697 cooperative stores have been established to provide students' requirements for consumer articles, including books and stationery, in addition to a large number of consumer cooperative institutions in the States linked with the university/college hostels for supply of essential commodities at reasonable rates.

According to the reports received from States and Union Territories, arrangements are in operation for the supply of essential commodities to 4779 university/college hostels serving 3,67,662 hostellers. About 72 per cent of the estimated number of students in hostels and approved lodgings have thus been covered. 15 States/Union Territories, namely, Assam, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Manipur, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Orissa, Tripura, West Bengal, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Arunachal Pradesh, Chandigarh, Mizoram and Pondicherry have reported full coverage of students in university/ college hostels and approved lodgings benefiting 71,692 hostellers. The other coverages are : Andhra Pradesh 95 per cent, Delhi 93 per cent, Madhya Pradesh 92.5 per cent, Uttar Pradesh 91 per cent, Tamilnadu 87.5 per cent, Bihar 72 per cent and Goa 66 per cent. State Governments and Union Territories are continuing their efforts to bring under this programme as many hostellers; as possible so that the benefit could be widely shared by the student community.

The scheme of supply of essential commodities through the consumer cooperative institutions now covers all the different types of students' hostels in the country and, according to available information, in all, 14,093 hostels have been covered benefiting 10,73,841 hostellers.

The supply of essential commodities at controlled and con- cessional rates to the student community has helped in the reduction of mess bills, the average reduction being about Rs. 10 per head per month.

182

The State Governments and Union Territories review the progress of implementation of this programme periodically, in order to bring in corrective measures to ensure speedy achievement of targets. Bihar, Maharashtra, Manipur, Nagaland and Orissa have reported setting up of implementation committees, while Haryana, Meghalaya, Tamilnadu, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh have set up coordination machinery for reviewing the progress of implementation of programmes relating to students. Reports from the remaining States are awaited.

Supply of Books and Stationery at Controlled Prices.-Regular allocations of white printing paper at the concessional rate of Rs. 2,750 per tonne have been made to State Governments and Union Territories for the production of textbooks, reference and recommended books at all levels and instructions have been issued to them to ensure that the benefit of concessional price of paper is passed on to students in the form of reduced prices of such books. This, by and large, has helped the States to stabilise the prices of textbooks. Reduction in their prices has also been reported.

Allocations have been made for requirements of school examinations and printing of school and college journals. 1,20,000 tonnes of white printing paper have been annually earmarked for the educational sector. During the period July-December, 1976 a total of 52,263 tonnes of white printing paper were allocated to State Governments for educational purposes. 31,361 tonnes have been allocated for the quarter January-March, 1977. The remaining quantity will be allocated in the quarter, April-June 1977, to facilitate the timely production of textbooks and exercise books, so that these are available to students before the academic session commences in June- July, 1977. So far, since July 1975 and up to December, 1976, 1,74,179 tonnes of paper have been allocated to States and Union Territories for such educational purposes.

183

To ensure a fair and equitable distribution of concessional paper a two-tier system has been evolved. A Central Co-ordination Committee works out from time to time the basis and principles for distribution of paper for educational purposes. State-level committees for distribution of paper have been entrusted with the responsibility of distributing the allocated paper to the various consumers, such as nationalised textbook boards, exercise books manufacturers, publishers, universities and school examination boards. There are 24 State-level committees functioning at present. Problems relating to the distribution of paper are discussed and resolved at regional meeting, of State Education Secretaries and conveners of the State- level committees. The State Governments are taking suitable action for timely and full utilisation of the white printing paper allotted to them.

As a result of the utilisation of the concessional paper, stabi- lisation of prices of books at the 1973 level, has been reported from Andhra Pradesh (up to classes I to X), Jammu & Kashmir (144 books for classes I to VIII), Karnataka (classes I to IX), Punjab (in the case of three-year degree course books).

Reduction in prices of textbooks ranging from 5 to 20 per cent has been reported from 15 States and 2 Union Territories', namely, Assam, Bihar, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Jammu & Kashmir, Kerala, Madyha Pradesh, Maharashtra, Manipur, Orissa, Rajasthan, Tamilnadu, Uttar Pradesh, Tripura, West Bengal, Mizoram and Delhi. In Nagaland textbooks are supplied to students at 50 per cent subsidised rates. The prices of some textbooks have also been reported to have been stabilised at July, 1975 level in Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Karnataka, Punjab, Jammu & Kashmir (in respect of 144 titles for classes I to VIII).

The Union Territories of Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Arunachal Pradesh, Chandigarh, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Goa, Daman and Diu, Lakshadweep and Pondicherry prescribe the textbooks which are in use in their neighbouring States; they also use the school textbooks produced by the National Council of Educational Research and Training and the Central Board of

184

Secondary Education, the prices of which are fixed at reasonable levels.

White printing paper at concessional rate is also allotted for the manufacture of exercise books. The pattern of the exercise books has been standardised in consultation with the Federation of Exercise Books Manufacturers and Paper Industry. A new page and price schedule has been evolved under which prices of exercise books of different denominations have been fixed, which are generally less by 4 to 7 per cent than those that prevailed in July, 1975. This pattern which has been operating from 1st January, 1976 has been adopted by all States and Union Territories. The minimum price of 48-page exercise books is 25 paise and that of the 240-page exercise books is Rs. 1.30. Bihar has reported that prices of exercise books have gone down by at least 8 per cent as compared to July, 1975 prices. A reduction of 5 per cent was done as on 1st July, 1976. In the case of 64 and 96 page exercise books, the State has fixed prices at rates lower than the all-India rates. The prices of exercise books of different denominations in UP are lower than those fixed at all-India level.

Exercise books are now available in sufficient quantity and there is a general satisfaction in the student community regarding prices and ready availability.

Book Banks : Colleges.-The programme of setting up of book banks is an integral part of the programme for the supply of textbooks to students at reasonable rates specially for the benefit of the weaker sections of society. The University Grants Commission, who are assisting the colleges in setting up such book banks, in addition to the earlier relaxation by making colleges with an enrolment of 100 students in degree classes eligible for assistance, have extended the scheme to cover professional colleges also. Since July, 1975, 1450 book banks have been opened with the financial assistance of Rs. 1,38,04,398 made available by the University Grants Commission as against 851 book banks set up with UGC assistance of Rs. 97,21,687 for the period between 1st April 1974 and 30th June, 1975. Book

185

banks have also been set up in engineering colleges, polytechnics and technical institutions. In all the States the total number of colleges which are eligible for UGC assistance is 2866. and up to 30th November, 1976, 2301 colleges have been covered under the scheme.

The UGC is placing high priority for the clearance of requests from the universities/colleges for the setting up of book banks. Soon it should be possible to cover all the colleges eligible for assistance under this scheme. Some State Governments have assisted colleges that are not eligible for UGC assistance, out of the State's own resources.

Book Banks : Schools.-Establishment of book banks in schools has been comparatively a new experiment taken in hand. According to the latest reports, 1,69,256 book banks have been set up in the schools in the States of Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Orissa, Punjab, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Tamilnadu, Tripura, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Delhi, Chandigarh, Goa, Mizoram and Pondicherry. The Government of Andhra Pradesh have issued instructions for setting up book banks in all secondary schools and in all junior and degree colleges where they have not been set up so far. Bihar, Jammu & Kashmir and Maharashtra have initiated action in this matter, Bihar proposes to establish 500 book banks in all government and selected non-government high schools in the State particularly in the tribal and backward areas in the first phase. All girls' schools are also likely to be provided with book banks in the first phase. The State Government also proposes to supply to selected primary schools bound volumes of textbooks at an estimated cost of Rs. 16 lakh.

Uttar Pradesh has made provision for the establishment of book banks in 1,989 intermediate colleges, 1701 high schools, and 942 junior high schools. A set, of books is made available to 15 students per class in classes VI to VIII, 25 in classes IX and X, 30 in classes XI and XII. A nominal fee of approximately 15 paise per month in respect of students up to high school classes

186

is charged. It is expected that the publishers will give 20 per cent commission on books purchased for these book banks. The Union Territories of Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Lakshadweep have provision of free supply of textbooks to school children.

The State Governments are making sustained efforts to cover as many schools as possible under this programme. According to the information received so far, the number of students benefited by book banks have been : Assam-36,098, Haryana 1,65,902, Himachal Pradesh- 11,892, Tamilnadu--5,87,676, Tripura-1,03,654, Chandigarh-5,007, Delhi---51,960, Pondicherry-9,042 and Rajasthan-7,59,373.

B. CLEARING HOUSE FUNCTIONS

Statistics and Planning Division Monitoring Cell.-A separate cell has been established in the Ministry of Education since June, 1976 for the monitoring and evaluation of educational programmes included under the tribal sub-plan for an integrated tribal development project prepared for the tribal areas. Under this programme the Research Officer in charge of the cell visited, during August and September, 1976, Rajasthan and Kerala. Suggestions based on the discussion held with the authorities of these States have been forwarded to the State Governments concerned for necessary action. During the remaining months of the year it was proposed to undertake a similar review of Maharashtra, Orissa and Goa, Daman & Diu.

The Division continued its work relating to collection, compi- lation and publishing of educational statistics during the year.

The following publications were brought out :

(i) Expenditure on Education as shown in Central and State Annual Budgets, 1973-74 to 1975-76.

(ii) Pay-scales of School Teachers in India--1974-75.

(iii) Selected Information on School Education in India-1974-75.

187

(iv) Selected Information on School Education in India--1975-76.

(v) Pay-scales of School Teachers in India-1975- 76.

(vi) Expenditure on Education as shown in Central and State Annual Budgets 1974-75 and 1976-77.

(vii) Selected Educational Statistics-1975-76.

(viii) Education in Universities in India-1967-68.

(ix) Education in India-1968-69.

(x) Education in India-1969-70.

(xi) Directory of Institutions for Higher Education 1973-74.

Publications.-The Publication Unit brought out, during the period between March 1976 and February 1977, 34 publications among which there were 5 bilingual (Hindi and English) ones. These include two English quarterly journals, 'The Education Quarterly' and 'Indian Education Abstracts'. 'The Education Quarterly' entered during the year into its 28th year of publication, while 'Indian Education Abstracts' into its 21st year of publication. Notable among the titles brought out during the year are :

(i) 10+2+3-A Major Change in School Education.

(ii) Resolutions of the Standing Committee of the CABE.

(iii) Unesco and India-Three Decades of Cooperation.

(iv) Kathakali.

(v) Our Cultural Fabric-Indian Poetesses--Past and Present.

The Hindi publications brought out during the year number 15 including the quarterly issues of the two Hindi journals 'Shiksha Vivechan' and 'Sanskriti'.

Students Information Service.--The Students Information Service Unit compiles and disseminates information on higher

188

education in India and abroad for the benefit of the student community and attends to their enquiries on various subject-fields.

During the year, the Unit attended to 6196 enquiries pertaining to facilities for higher education in India and abroad. 2261 persons visited the Unit to get information personally and consult the Reference Library attached to the Unit containing calendars/ handbooks/prospectuses and other informative literature on courses offered by Indian and foreign universities/institutions. 1503 additions were made to the Reference Library by way of latest calendars, prospectuses and other literature acquired from several universities/institutions.

41 compilations on different topics/subjects on higher education. were brought out/revised during the year. Two handouts were prepared containing detailed relevant information in respect of medical and engineering first degree courses.

Students Advisory Bureau attached to universities were supplied with informative material to help them to deal with enquiries received by them from students.