ADULT EDUCATION AND LIBRARIES
13.01. While the programmes relating to libraries and special
publications on gazetteers and other volumes were continued during the
year, some significant strides were, made in the field of adult
education.
A: ADULT EDUCATION
13.02.
National Board of Adult Education:
Constituted by a
Government resolution on 5th December 1969, the National Board of
Adult Education marks an important milestone in the history tions of
advising, guiding, promoting, formulating and coordinating the varied
activities, it represent the concerned Ministries/Departments of the
Union Government, educationists, workers' and farmers' organisations
and other voluntary organisations working in the field. The inaugural
meeting of the Board was held at New Delhi on May 4, 1970 under the
chairmanship of Prof. V. K. R. V. Rao, Union Minister of Education
and Youth Services, who is also the chairman of the Board. Besides
him and Shri Bhakt Darshan. Minister of State for Education and Youth
Services, the following four Union Ministers, who are members of the
Board., also attended the meeting: Dr. S. Chandrasekhar, the then
Minister of State for Health and Family Planning, Shri I. K. Gujral
then Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting, Dr. (Smt.)
Phulrenu Guha, the then Minister of State for Social Welfare, and Shri
K. C. Pant, Minister of State for Steel and Heavy Engineering. Quite
a few State Education Ministers also attended the meeting. The Board
considered the various problems of adult education in the country
placed before it in R agenda items, including notes/suggestions
received from State
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Governments, the concerned Union Ministries and also members of the
Board.
13.03. The adoption of 14 comprehensive resolutions on various
aspects of the problem of adult education and adult literacy, that may
be well be called a national blue print for a massive drive for the
eradication of it-literacy was the major feature of this meeting. The
resolutions, brought out in print, were circulated among the State
Education Ministers, vice-chancellors of the Indian universities,
national as well as vice-chancellors ary organisations and the other
concerned agencies.
13.04.
National Seminar on Adult Education:
The next
significant activity was the holding, as part of the programmes for
the International Education Year, 1970, of the National Seminar on
Adult Education on the theme, `Adult Education in the Seventies'. It
was held at Bangalore under the chairmanship of Prof. V. K. R. V.
Rao, Union Minister for Education and Youth Services, on, September 8-
10, 1970. Inaugurated by Shri Shankara Gowda, Education Minister of
Mysore, the 3-day Seminar discussed 9 different aspects of adult
education covering international experiences, functional literacy
programme, pilot projects in adult literacy and adult education in
rural and urban areas, library services, reading materials, training,
research and evaluation of functional literacy, the role of
universites in adult education as well as the role of, voluntary
organisations in the promotion of adult education and adult literacy.
The report of the Seminar, has been circulated among the states and
union territories at the level of Education Ministers requesting
them to increase adequately the allocations for adult education in the
State Plans of the Fourth Five-Year Plan.
13.05.
International Literacy Day:
The International
Literacy Day was observed in the country on 8th September, 1970, as in
earlier years, but with a difference. To facilitate the observance of
the Day in a more befitting manner, the Ministry had provided to all
the State Governments and Union Territory Administrations a detailed
work-plan as well as guidelines. It
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was also specifically recommended that this year, which has been
declared as the International Education Year, the country should
observe Adult Literacy Week, September 8 to 14, that would help to
stimulate national consciousness on the subject and mobilise national
support for a mass campaign for the removal of adult illiteracy. In
Delhi, the Day was celebrated in a largely attended function held with
Shri Bhakt Darshan, Union Minister of State for Education and Youth
Services, as the Chief Guest.
13.06.
Kisan Saksharta Yojana (Farmers' Training and
Functional Literacy Project):
Operated jointly by three Union
Ministries, viz., Food and Agriculture; Education and Youth Services,
and Information and Broadcasting, the project has been in receipt of
assistance from the UNDP (Special Fund). The functional literacy
programme, one of the three components of the joint project, is
included in the Fourth. Plan, in the Central sector, with an
allocation of Rs. 2 crore. During the Plan period (1969-74), it is
proposed to cover 100 districts in the country synchronising with
coverage of 100 high-yielding varieties programme districts under the
farmers' training Programme of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture.
The scheme is implemented by the concerned State Governments/Union
Territory Administrations, who are responsible for conducting
functional literacy classes in the selected H.Y.V.P. districts in
their respective states/union territories. The functional literacy
programme was started initially in 3 districts in 1967-68. Since then
it is being progressively extended from year to year. It was extended
to 7 more districts in 1968-69; to 15 additional districts in 1969-70;
and again to 35 more districts in 1970-71. The total coverage of
districts under the programme would thus be 60 by the end of 1970-71.
About 51,000, adult farmers have already benefited by the programme
and about 64,000 farmers are presently undergoing courses in the
functional literacy classes under the programme.
13.07.
Pilot Projects in Adult Literacy:
It was at the
specific suggestion of Prof. V. K. R. V. Rao, Union Minister for
Educa-
233
tion and Youth Services, that the National Board of Adult Education
recommended the initiation of pilot projects on adult literacy in
various parts of the country with accent on mobilising maximum. public
participation. The proposal found enthusiastic and unanimous support
at the National Seminar on Adult Education, at Bangalore in September,
1970, referred to earlier. A scheme has accordingly been prepared
which visualises complete eradication of illiteracy in about 10 per
cent of the districts in India covering about 10 million illiterate
adults in the first phase during the Fourth Plan. The main approach
is to involve the State Governments and the district administrations
and the local people in implementing this programme on a pilot basis.
In the pilot projects and in the entire programme of liquidation of
illiteracy, it has been emphasised that, under the present circums-
tances, literacy can be successfully achieved if the work is done by
educated people, students of colleges, universities and the senior
students of secondary schools and teachers on an honorary basis.
Without this unorthodox approach, it would not be possible to tackle
illiteracy on a large scale within the constraints of limited
financial resources. This proposal was also considered at the Meeting
of the State Education Secretaries on December 28-29, 1970 at New
Delhi. The details of the plan of operation of the pilot, project
scheme were broadly approved by the state education secretaries. A
small group was set up to go into the pattern of expenditure on the
scheme spelling out the responsibilities of the Centre, the State
Governments, local authorities and benevolent persons in this regard.
The Group has submitted its report and indiceated the pattern of
expenditure on the scheme.
13.08.
Assistance to Voluntary Organisations Working in the
Field of Adult Education:
The Scheme was revised. by a working
group providing for liberalised terms and conditions of assistance to
voluntary organisations working in the field of adult education. The
revised scheme was considered also at the first meeting of the
National Board of Adult Education on May 4,1970. It was widely
circulated among the State Governments, Union Territory
Administrations, voluntary organisations,
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emphasising the need for taking up meaningful adult literacy projects.
An advisory committee has been set up to process and screen the
applications for grants. Up to February 1971, the, committee approved
10 individual projects recommending a total grant of Rs. 5.64 lakh to
be released in suitable instalments.
13.09.
Workers Social Education Institutes:
The multi-
faceted activities of the Institutes at Indore and Nagpur in the
various fields of adult education, civic education, vocational
education, etc. were continued during the year. During the year, a
decision was taken to set up an expert group to formulate concrete
proposals for the expansion of the activities and programmes of these
institutes. Accordingly, the 5-member Expert Group, visited the
institutes to gain first-hand knowledge of their problems and
prospects before formulating its view and recommendations. The report
of the Expert Group has been receives and is under consideration.
13.10.
Mohammed Reza Pahlavi and Nadezhda K. Krupskaya Prize:
It is an international prize awarded by UNESCO every year to an
individual or institution of outstanding merit, which has registered
some special success in the fight against illiteracy. It is
gratifying to note that in 1970 the International Jury accorded
"Honourable Mention" to the Literacy House, Lucknow. A function was
held on December 16, 1970 at New Delhi at which the Union Education
Minister handed over to Mrs. Welthy Fisher of Literacy House, Lucknow,
the prize of this award.
13.11.
Prize Competition of Books for Neo-Literates:
During
the year, the XV Prize Competition of Books for Neo-literates was
organised. 40 prizes of Rs. 1000 each were to be awarded to the
authors of printed books or manuscripts, in 14 Indian Languages. 322
entries bad been received as below: Hindi 106, Assamese 7, Bengali 18,
Gujarati 9, Kannada 22, Kashmiri 3, Malayalam 16, Marathi 35, Oriya
17, Punjabi 17, Sindhi 14, Tamil 34, Telugu 16 and Urdu 8.
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13.12.
Directorate of Adult Education:
In view of the re-
commendation Of the NCERT Review Committee 1968, under the
chairmanship of Dr. B. D. Nag Choudhury, Member (Science), Planning
Commission, the question of transferring the Department of Adult
Education from the NCERT to the Ministry of Education and Youth
Services, to be renamed "Directorate of Adult Education" was being
considered. The Directorate, it was finally decided, would come into
being as a subordinate office from March 1, 1971 and orders to this
effect were issued. The Directorate has already come into being, as
mentioned earlier.
B: LIBRARIES
13.13.
National Library, Calcutta:
The significant
activities, of the Library during the period are briefly outlined
below.
(a) Accessions: The total number of books accessioned during the
period was 14,975. Of these 895 were maps. The number of volumes
received under the Delivery of Books Act was 14,889, including 1918
maps.
(b) Gifts and Exchange: As many as 2091 volumes of books and
3780 issues of periodicals were received as gifts from sources, both
Indian and foreign. 246 books and 1887 issues of periodicals were
added on exchange and 119 books and 21 periodicals were sent to
different institutions with whom exchange relation is maintained.
(c) Processing: A total number of 18,111 volumes in European and
Indian languages were fully processed. Of these 2316 were maps.
(d) Readers' Service: The Reading Room enrolled 3,361 members
while the Lending Section had 951 new members. As many as 1,76,052
readers utilised the Library to whom 64,401 volumes were issued for
reference work. The number of requisition slips received and attended
to in the Stack Division was 3,28,894. The Lending Section issued
55,873 volumes.
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(e) Bibliography Service: The Bibliography Division compiled as
many as 36 bibliographies consisting of 2951 entries.
(f) Reprography Service: The newly established Reprography
Division microfilmed as many as 2,00,000 book pages for research
scholars and 8,000, metres of film were processed. 9000 photo copies
were made. Microfilm photo copies of the research material worth Rs.
6,000 including Rs. 1,800 in foreign exchange were supplied to
research scholars.
During the period under review, the microfilming of the old files
of "The Modern Review" and "The Calcutta Review" was continued and
positive copies of master negatives were prepared.
(g) Exhibitions: The National Library extended its cooperation
to the Sahitya Akademi in organising an exhibition of books on Lenin,
in connection with its symposium on Lenin an Indian Literature held at
the National Library Annexe on August 30, 1970.
13.14.
Recommendations of the Jha Committee and the One-Man
Enquiry Committee, National Library, Calcutta:
Copies of the
reports of the, Jha Committee as well as the one-man Enquiry Committee
headed by Justice G. D. Khosla respectively on the working of the
National Library, Calcutta and on the strained relations among the
members of its staff were placed before Parliament together with
statements indicating action taken on the various recommendations
contained in these reports.
13.15.
Central Reference Library, Calcutta:
One monthly
issue of the Indian National Bibliography, the main feature of the
Library's work, viz., October 1967, was published during the period. 5
language fascicules of the Indian National Bibliography have also been
published during the period, while the five-year cumulated index of
the Indian National Bibliography, 1958-62 was nearing completion in
the press. The printing of the list of subject headings has been
completed This publication will be of great use, to the libraries of
this, country, for this has
237
been designed to be the only comprehensive subject headings to, assist
librarians in this country in their work in this regard.
13.16.
Delhi Public Library, Delhi:
The Delhi Public
Library consists, of a central library, 4 branch libraries, one sub-
branch library, 9 community libraries, 15 deposit stations and 4
mobile; library vans visiting 54 stations once a week. Among its
special features, mention, may be made of the library service of
Braille literature for the blind a library for the inmates of the
Central Jail, Tihar, and hospital libraries in Hindu Rao Hospital and
G. B. Pant Hospital. The Library is thus rendering its services at 89
points in the Union Territory of Delhi. During the period, April 31-
October 31, 1970, 24,172 volumes were added to the Library raising the
book-stock to 4,69,262 out of which 2,74,818 were in Hindi, 1,02,243
in English, 61,275 in Urdu, 25,681 in Punjabi, 1501 in Sindhi and 3744
in Braille.
13.17. On October 31, 1970, the registered membership of the
Library stood at 1,37,543. The total number of books issued up to
this date was 12,88,399. During the period under report 32,657
volumes were got bound. During the period, about 38,734 adults and
12,211 children participated in cultural activities like lectures,
discussion, dramas, film shows and television viewings, organised by
the Library. The Library had 1903 gramophone records which were
borrowed about 6051 times up to October 31, 1970.
13.18.
Khuda Bakhsh Oriental Public Library, Patna:
The
Khuda Bakhsh Oriental Public Library Act, 1969 which seeks to declare
and financially assist it as an institution of national importance was
passed by Parliament in December, 1969. The Act came into force from
July 21, 1970. The Khuda Baksh Oriental Public Library Board was set
up under the chairmanship of the Governor of Bihar in accordance with
the provisions of the Act.
13.19.
Central Library Bombay:
This is one of the three
recepient libraries-under the Delivery of Books and Newspapers
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(Public Libraries) Act, 1954. The pattern of assistance to the
Maharashtra Government to be provided during the Fourth Plan for the
administration of the Act has been decided. Central assistance will
include non-recurring grant for constructing additional accommodation
at two-thirds of the actual expenditure but not exceeding Rs. 5 lakh
and recurring grants will cover 50 per cent of the additional
recurring expenditure over and above the level of expenditure in 1960-
61.
13.20.
T.M.S.S. Mahal Library, Thanjavur:
The question of
declaring and assisting financially the T.M.S.S. Mahal Library,
Thanjavur, as an institution of national importance has been under the
consideration of the Ministry in consultation with the Government of
Tamilnadu and the library authorities.
13.21.
Raza Library, Rampur:
The question of declaring and
assisting financially the Raza Library, Rampur, as an institution of
national importance has also been under the consideration of the
Ministry in consultation with the Government of Uttar Pradesh and the
Board of Trustees of the Library.
13.22.
Grants to Public Libraries:
Under the scheme,
grants-in-aid are given to public libraries for the purchase of books,
equipment and furniture and also for the construction of library
buildings on the recommendation of the State Government/Union
Territory Administration concerned. The grants for the purchase of
books, equipment and furniture are limited to 60 per cent of the total
approved estimated expenditure, and for the latter to 40 per cent of
the total approved estimated expenditure, not exceeding Rs. 30,000 in
each case. During 1970-71, public libraries conducted by voluntary
educational organisations were assisted with a total grant of Rs.
2,18,200.
13.23.
Central Secretariat Library:
Housed in Shastri
Bhavan, New Delhi, the Central Secretariat Library continued, as in
earlier years, to provide reference services and lending facilities to
the employees of all the ministries, departments, and attached and
subordinate offices, public undertakings and govern-
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