PILOT PROJECTS, CLEARING HOUSE FUNCTIONS AND SOCIAL SCIENCE RESEARCH
The need for integrated area development or district planning has been emphasised by the Planning Commission time and again. Its importance was also undernamed by the Education Commission Report (1964-66). In 1969, the State Governments accepted the proposal of the Ministry of Education that a few selected districts should be taken up in each State where the concept of district planning, inclusive of the integration of educational and economic planning, should be worked out in detail. The intention is to effect two types of integration, functional and spatial, which are themselves integrated at the district level where educational programmes would be linked effectively with economic development and where various innovative projects in the field of education could be tried out in selected institutions and areas so that in the light of experience, the programmes could be taken up in other districts as well.
A number of Study Groups was set tip to finalise the programmes of the selected pilot projects to be taken up in one district in each of the States and the State Governments were advised to select districts where these programmes could be introduced.
The accent in these pilot projects would be on the following:
(a) Identifying and trying out concrete programmes for linking up the educational structure in the district with its overall economic and social development, with special reference to employment, productivity and social justice.
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(b) To start an experiment in the vocationalisation of education and work experience at the school stage.
(c) To start experiments in dealing with problems of wastage and stagnation in schools, the lag in girls' education, the handicaps faced in the education of scheduled castes and scheduled tribes and other backward communities, of part-time and continuing education for school drop outs and of liquidating adult illiteracy and promoting educational programmes of weaker and talented students, intensive use of radio, etc.
In these projects, the objectives would be achieved with minimum additional financial in-puts, while making optimum use of the existing physical and manpower facilities and by mobilising public co-operation and support for different items in the programmes.
The following two types of pilot projects have been initiated:
(i) Intensive Educational District Development Projects.
(ii) Educational District Development Projects.
Under the Projects, various programmes will be covered broadly under the following three categories:
(i) Equalisation of Educational Opportunities. This involves provision of educational facilities for children of the age-group 6-14; part-time and continuation education; special programmes for girls and Scheduled Castes Children, adult literacy, pre-school education and integrated system of school education;
(ii) Making Education more Efficient. This involves in- troduction of programmes like intensive use of radio sets, institutional planning and development of school
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complexes, improvement in science education in rural primary schools, strengthening of guidance and career advising services in schools etc.;
(iii) Making Education More Relevant. This involves, in- troduction of work experience programmes in schools, vocational and technical courses with a general educa- tion bias etc.
Intensive Educational District Development Projects. Intensive Educational District Development Projects have been initiated in one district each in Bihar (Darbhanga), Maharashtra (Jalgaon), Mysore (Bellary), and Punjab (Sangrur) to identify and try out concrete programmes for linking up the educational structure in the district with their overall economic and social development with special reference to employment, productivity and social justice.
The programmes to be initiated in the district are to be based on the project report prepared on the basis of detailed occupational and educational surveys. The necessary sanction for the project staff to conduct the surveys was issued during 1970-71. The surveys have since been completed in all districts and the project reports are being finalised. Preliminary project reports have been received from all the four districts. These have been examined and the project authorities requested to revise these keeping in view the results of the surveys.
Educational District Development Projects. Educational District Development Projects have been extended to the remaining States. Each State has selected a district for the projects. The Districts selected are: (1) Guntur (Andhra Pradesh), (2) Nowgong (Assam), (3) Baroda (Gujarat), (4) Karnal (Haryana), (5) Simla (Himachal Pradesh), (6) Trichur (Kerala), (7) Sehore (Madhya Pradesh), (8 Puri (Orissa), (9) Jaipur (Rajasthan), (10) Sultanpur (Uttar Pradesh), (11) Saidapet (Tamil Nadu), (12) Burdwan (West Bengal) and (13) De1hi.
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Jammu and Kashmir has not Yet selected the district. Among the Union Territories the programme is being implemented in Delhi.
The State Governments were informed that for the appointment of the project staff assistance up to Rs. 20,000 for six months, and for carrying out surveys and studies connected with the programme of pilot projects an assistance of Rs. 45,000 could be available. Sanctions for project staff, survey and studies have been issued to Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Kerala, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Punjab and Delhi
To plan innovative programmes, it is considered necessary that the results of experiments being carried on in different states, both internal and external should be available with the project authorities. Therefore, periodic consultations between experts both Indian and international are considered necessary. The N.C.E.R.T., the Regional College of Education, the State Institutes of Education and similar institutions will be fully involved and consulted while framing the details of various programmes.
A study on polytechnical education and work experience in schools in the GDR was made in 1969 and it was found that the system of polytechnical education, as it is being worked out in the GDR, has many good features which are relevant to the programmes of introducing work experience and vocationalisation of education in India. The service of an expert in the field of work experience were obtained from the GDR in the middle of January, 1971. The expert was in India till the middle of July, 1971.
CLEARING HOUSE FUNCTIONS
Strengthening of Statistical Unit In pursuance of the recommendations made by the Committee on the Reorganisation of the Statistical Unit, additional posts have been created during 1971-72.
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The Fifth All India Conference of Educational Statistics The Fifth All India Conference, on Educational Statistics was organised in February,1971 to (i) review the present situation regarding educational statistics in various States, (ii) discuss the problems of timely data collection, (iii) of its presentation, and (iv) consider the programme of launching special depth studies with the help of Educational Statistics. The Conference made some useful recommendations. The most important of these related to (i) strengthening of the Statistical Units of the State Education Department as well as that of the Ministry of Education, (ii) developing suitable training programmes for the training of persons concerned at different levels for the collection and compilation of Educational Statistics, (iii) undertaking a number of intensive special studies as part of Pilot Projects and (iv) establishing Administrative Intelligence cells in the State Educational Directorates.
The recommendations have been examined in detail and have been accepted by the Ministry of Education for implementation. The Ministry of Education has written to the States Governments and other agencies on taking appropriate action.
Committee for Rationalisation of Forms for the Collection of
Educational Statistics and Committee for Rationalisation of Hindi
Terms used in Forms. The Ministry of Education has constituted a Committee to consider the rationalisation of various Forms that are being used by the Ministry for the collection of educational statistics. Another Committee has been constituted to consider the variations in Hindi terms used in these forms and to bring uniformity in these terms. These committees are expected to meet in January, 1972 and February, 1972 respectively.
Standing Advisory Committee on Education Statistics In pursuance of the recommendations of the second meeting of the Standing Advisory committee on Educational Statistics
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held on February 4, 1971, draft tables for the merged Volumes I and II of "Education in India" have been prepared and are expected to be finalised for consideration in the next meeting of the Standing Advisory Committee on Educational Statistics. To make the current statistics available in the minimum time, it was decided to collect selected educational statistics in an abridged proforma and publish them in mimegoraphed form with "Selected Educational Statistics" as the title of this publication.
The Sub-Committee on Computerisation of Tabulation of Educational
Statistics The Sub-Committee appointed for considering the introduction of computerisation of tabulation of educational statistics made the following recommendations:-
(i) The introduction of computerisation in the tabulation of educational statistics was accepted in principle to be tried out on a Pilot basis in the Union Territory of Delhi.
(ii) This project can be undertaken when the necessary machinery required for the collection, scrutiny and processing of the data is fully strengthened in the Directorate of Education of the Delhi Administration.
(iii) The total expenditure involved in this project may be borne by the Central Ministry of Education and Social Welfare.
Publications Unit. The Publications Unit of the Ministry is its main publishing agency although a few publications are brought out by a few other units/sections of the Ministry. The Unit continued the regular publication of three quarterly journals, namely, 'The Education Quarterly' (at present in the 22nd year of its publication), 'Cultural Forum' (at present in the 13th year of its
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publication), and 'Sanskriti' Hindi counterpart of 'Cultural Forum" (also at present in the 13th year of its publication). Besides, the Unit brings out the various publications of the Ministry proper like the annual administrative report, reports of various committees, commissions, study groups, etc., set up by the Ministry, reports of important meetings, conferences, etc. convened by it and other pamphlets and brochures on the various subjects of its competence.
The Unit sells and helps to promote the sale of the various publications and journals brought out by it. Its casual sales depot, situated, at it is, in a central place like Connaught Circus in the Capital also sells publications of the various offices/ organisations connected with the Ministry and also UNESCO publications as an agency of the UNESCO. The total sale during the year has been of the order of Rs. 40,000.
Indian Council of Social Science Research An important programme taken up during the current year is to conduct a depth study, in all the States of India, in the educational problems of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. The study, which is being organised by the Indian Council of Social Science Research, is expected to provide valuable insights in the operation of schemes for the spread of education among the weaker sections and indicate important guidelines for future policies in this field.
CENTRAL SECRETARIAT LIBRARY The reorganisation of the Central Secretariat Library was completed during the year under report and under the reorganised structure 8 divisions have been created depending upon the nature and form of the reading material. The divisions are:
1. Reference Division.
2. Circulation Division.
3. Education Division.
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4. Rare Books Division.
5. Indian Official Documents Division.
6. Foreign Official Documents Division.
7. Serials Division.
8. Acquisition and Processing Division.
New steel shelving was provided at a cost of Rs. 4,14,000/- approximately. The old furniture was replaced. Mounted paintings have been provided in public service areas to enliven the atmosphere. It continued to provide reference service and lending facilities to the employees of all the Ministries, Departments, attached and subordinate offices. Lending facilities were extended for the first time to the employees of public undertakings and government-financed autonomous bodies situated in Delhi besides the employees of Delhi Administration. Reference service mid consultation facilities were also provided to scholars and research workers from various Universities and other Institutions from all parts of the country.
During the period under report, 2500 volumes were added to library. About 900 periodicals, 2600 Indian Government Publications and 5000 Foreign Official Documents were also acquired. The total number of membership of the Library stood at 7477 including 4,021 new members enrolled during the period. The following three publications viz. i. Indian Education Abstracts" (Q) ii. "Current Educational Literature" (Q) iii. "Youth Services Abstracts" (H.Y.) were brought out continuously during the period under report.
The Students' Information Services Unit attended to about 5,000 enquiries regarding facilities for higher Education in India and Abroad. 950 persons visited the Unit's Library to consult the prospectuses and Calendars of various Universities/ Institutions and other available literature. This unit also supplied the Students' Advisory Bureaux, Employment Information and Guidance Bureaux attached to various universities with the
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latest informative material on educational courses in India and abroad. "Educational Facilities in India and abroad", a quarterly mimeographed publication, continued to be brought out. The material on courses of study in India and abroad was collected and compiled for the use of students all over the country. About 60 compilations on different topics/subjects were brought out during the year under report.
Financial Allocations The financial allocation for the programmes described in this chapter for 1971-72 and 1972-73 are as follows: (Rs 000's)
Serial Provision for 1971-72 Budget
No. Item Estimates
for
1972-73
Original Revised
1 Pilot Projects 40.75 13.50 35.00
2 Statistical Programmes 1.65 1.65(pound) 2.50(pound)
(pound) The amount has been included in the Ministry of Education and Social Welfare, Department of Education Budget placed under Pay of officers, establishment and contingencies(Plan).