EDUCATION IN THE UNION TERRITORIES
 

The Ministry of Education handles at the Union Government level education in the Union Territories of Delhi, Himachal Pradesh, Manipur, Tripura, Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Laccadive Minicoy and Amindivi Islands. Prior to coming into force of the Government of Union Territories. Act 1963 (20 of 1963), secondary education in the Territories of Himachal Pradesh, Tripura and Manipur was the responsibility of the Territorial Councils. With the introduction of the 1963 Act, the Territorial Councils have ceased to exist and some of the powers enjoyed by the Councils have become the responsibility of the Governments of these Territories to the extent specified in the Act. Brief reports on the progress of education during 1963-64 in the six Territories are given in the following paragraphs.

A. ANDAMAN AND NICOBAR ISLANDS

2. Expansion and Improvement.-During the year under report, there were three higher secondary schools, seven senior Basic/middle schools, one hundred and one junior Basic/primary schools and one junior Basic teachers' training school. This year special provision has been made for extending facilities for science education in middle and higher secondary schools.

3. Facilities and Incentives.-Education is already free to all children up to the higher secondary stage. Students are also allowed to avail themselves of bus service at concessional rates. A scheme for providing midday meals to primary school children has been introduced. During the current year the value of the snacks has been raised from six naie Paise to twelve naie Paise per child. For higher studies on the mainland, liberal scholarships are given.

4. Education of Girls.-Special steps have been taken to promote girls' education and a separate girls' higher secondary school has been started. Besides, co-education is provided in all areas where separate arrangement for girls' education does not exist. Adequate stipends are also granted to girl students who come from rural areas and reside in hostels.

5. Auxiliary Services.-There are three junior divisions (boys) and one junior division (girls) in the N.C.C. Other important educational activities include running of social education centres and adult literacy centres. Social education programmes comprising adult literacy, cultural programmes, instruction for better living, agricultural methods, citizenship, every-day science and general knowledge are being conducted in the social education and adult literacy centres.

6. Budget.-For educational facilities in the Islands during 1963-64, a provision of Rs. 15,94,500 was made which includes Rs. 5,91,100 for the third Plan schemes of educational development. A sum of Rs. 10,95,800 has been provided in the next year's budget for normal expenditure and Rs. 7,58,100 for Plan schemes.

34

35

B. DELHI

7. Administration.-As in the previous years, elementary education continued to be mainly the responsibility of the local bodies while secondary education was mostly looked after by the Delhi Administration.

8. Expansion and Improvement.-To meet the ever-growing demand for educational facilities in the capital, new schools were opened during the year, which include 18 higher secondary schools, 56 middle/senior Basic schools and 64 primary/junior Basic schools. The total number of schools in the Territory at the close of the year was 1,646, of which 343 were higher secondary schools, 360 middle/senior Basic schools and 943 primary/ junior Basic schools. During the next year the Administration and the local bodies propose to, open 28 higher secondary schools and more primary schools according to demand.

8.2. Special steps have been taken in 1963-64 to develop science education in the Territory. The laboratories of 99 secondary schools have been strengthened. Science on an elective basis is taught in 206 schools and general science in 299 schools.

8.3. To meet the need for trained teachers the annual intake of the Government Teachers Training Institution, Delhi, has been increased from 125 to 200. It is also proposed to start another training institution (in Alipur) mainly to meet the demands of rural population. It is also proposed to open a government degree college in Delhi in 1964-65.

9. Education of Girls.-To encourage education of girls, two buses have been hired in order to bring girl students from 42 villages around the school at Pahladpur. Stipends have been given to women teacher-trainees and provision has been made for organising refresher courses and seminars for women teachers. Music classes have also been started in 12 girls schools.

10. Auxiliary Services.-There has been significant expansion of N.C.C. activities in higher secondary schools in the Territory. Five N.C.C. rifle battalions for boys and one N.C.C. rifle battalion for girls were raised during the year. Besides, 5 junior division troops of Air Wing have been raised. Special programmes have also been formulated for orientating education for defence requirements and training teachers and students for civil defence.

10.2. Other importat educational activities during the year include training courses in audio-visual education conducted for teachers of higher secondary schools, running social education and model community centres, library service at 4 places in the rural areas, implementing schemes for the award, of scholarships at the pre- matric and post-matric levels and granting educational concessions.

11. Budget.-The education budget of the Delhi Administration during 1963-64 amounted to Rs. 3,88,51,000 for non-Plan items and Rs. 1,14,02,000 for Plan items. The corresponding provisions proposed for the next year are Rs. 4,18,53,000 and Rs. 1,71,34,000.

C. HIMACHAL PRADESH

12. Administration.-With the introduction of constitutional changes from 1st July, 1963, the educational development schemes previously handl-

36

ed by the Territorial Council reverted to the Himachal Pradesh Administration.

13. Expansion and Improvement.-During the year under review, 130 junior Basic schools were opened and 21 primary/junior Basic schools were upgraded. There was an additional enrolment of about 13,000 in the age-group 6-11 and about 3,000 in the age-group 11-14. In 1964-65 it is proposed to open 150 more primary and 10 more middle schools.

13.2. During 1963-64, eleven middle schools were upgraded to higher secondary schools. Next year it is proposed to open 5 more high schools in the Territory. The additional enrolment at the secondary stage was about 1,550.

13.3. During the year under review one new degree college has been opened at Nahan.

13.4. At the close, of the year the total number of educational institutions was 1,936, of which 1,632 were primary schools, 174 middle schools, 63 high schools, 51 higher secondary schools, 5 teachers training institutions, 1 polytechnic, 6 degree colleges, 1 arts college, 2 Sanskrit colleges and 1 Vijnan Mandir.

13.5. Considerable emphasis has been laid on augmenting facilities for teaching science in the schools. General science is a compulsory subject of study in primary and middle classes. In high and higher secondary schools also, general science forms part of the core-curriculum. Provision also exists in all the high and higher secondary schools for teaching science as an elective subject. Special attention has been paid to the provision of science equipment. To improve the professional competence of teachers, science seminars and condensed courses have been organised.

14. Education of Girls.-Various steps have been taken to promote girls' education in the Territory as a result of which there has been a heavy increase in the enrolment of girls. Of the girl students enrolled, 40 per cent in the age-group 6-11, ten per cent in the age- group 11-14 and 4.2 per cent in the age-group 14-17 attended schools during the year.

15. Auxiliary Services.--Other educational activities include the improvement of audio-visual education, social education, liberal grant of scholarships. educational concessions to needy children in the form of poverty stipends, free textbooks, school dresses, organising seminars and refresher courses for teachers.

16. Budget.-The education budget of Himachal Pradesh Government for 1963-64 is Rs. 90,03,000 for non-Plan items and Rs. 32,13,100 for Plan items. The corresponding provision for the next year is estimated at Rs. 1,33,85,300 and Rs. 53,17,100 respectively.

D. LACCADIVE, MINICOY AND AMINDIVI ISLANDS

17. Expansion and Improvement.-During the year under report considerable progress was made in providing educational facilities in the Islands. One primary school and 4 senior Basic schools were opened during the year, and there was an additional enrolment of 342 in primary classes, 163 in middle classes and 99 in secondary classes. The total number of boys

37

and girls who are receiving education in the various institutions of the Islands is as follows :

        
                                          

                                                     Boys      Girls
                                          

             Primary (I-IV)                         2,090      1,509
             Middle (V-VII)                           655        110
             Secondary (VIII-X)                       204         10
        
                       TOTAL                        2,949      1,629
                                          

        
                                          

17.2. To encourage girls education two sets of uniform are supplied free to each student. Other educational activities of the Territory included the strengthening of the teaching of science in schools, organising seminars and refresher courses for teachers and improvement of audio-visual education.

18. Auxiliary Services.--One Naval Unit of the N.C.C. with 50 cadets in each of the two high schools have been started. It is proposed to start two more Units during the next year. Educational scholarships have been granted to students for higher studies on the mainland. Two coaches from the National Institute of Sports, Patiala, were deputed to train students in volleyball and swimming.

19. Budget.-Against a provision of Rs. 3,87,600 for normal expenditure during the current year, a provision of Rs. 4,10,900 is proposed to be made for 1964-65. For implementation of the educational development schemes under the Plan, there was a provision of Rs. 2,93,000 for the current year, against which a provision of Rs. 7,29,800 is proposed to be made for the next year.

E. MANIPUR

20. Administration.-With the introduction of constitutional changes from 1st July, 1963 the entire educational activity in this Territory came under the control of Manipur Administration.

21. Expansion and Improvement.-During the year, there were 5 arts colleges, 115 high/higher secondary schools, 308 middle schools, 2,178 primary/junior Basic schools, 1 pre-primary school, 5 teachers training schools and 1 teachers training college.

21.2. General science has already been made a compulsory subject up to Class VIII. Grants are given to high/higher secondary schools for the introduction of elective science.

22. Education of Girls.-Special steps have been taken to promote girls education in the Territory. The schemes include award of attendance scholarships, award of merit scholarships, grant of financial assistance to poor and needy girls, grant of stipends for taking up teaching profession after completion of their studies etc.

23. Auxiliary Services.-N.C.C. has been made compulsory for all. The two-company battalion of the N.C.C. has been converted into a three-company battalion. Other important educational activities include improvement of audio-visual education, social education, liberal grant of scholarships, educa-

38

tional concessions to needy children in the form of stipends, organising seminars and refresher courses for teachers and training of teachers.

24. Budget.-The education budget of the Manipur Government for 1963-64 is estimated at Rs. 90,00,000 for non-Plan items and Rs. 15,81,100 for Plan schemes. The corresponding provision for 1964-65 is estimated at Rs. 1,20,00,000 for non-Plan items and Rs. 30,19,500 for Plan schemes.

F. TRIPURA

25. Administration.-As in Himachal Pradesh and Manipur, with the introduction of constitutional changes, the entire educational activity came under the control of the Tripura Administration.

26. Expansion and Improvement.-During the year, 186 junior Basic schools, 33 senior Basic schools and 1 higher secondary school were opened. Two high schools were converted into higher secondary schools. During the year there was an additional enrolment of 9,400 in primary classes, 3,200 in middle classes, 1,200 in classes IX to XI and 100 at the college level. At the close of the year there were 1687 educational institutions, of which 746 were primary schools, 750 junior Basic schools, 105 senior Basic schools, 34 junior high schools, 23 high schools, 22 higher secondary schools, 5 teachers. training institutions and two arts and science colleges.

27. Education of Girls.-Special steps were taken to promote girls education in the Territory. As an incentive to girl students, 372 girls were awarded stipends. Attendance scholarships were provided for 1200 girls of primary schools in the rural areas.

28. Auxiliary Services.-Other educational activities include strengthening of teaching of science, improvement of audio-visual education, publication of social education literature, educational concessions in the form of grants for the purchasing of books, equipment etc. to needy children and scholarships for higher education. Seminars and refresher courses were also organised for teachers. During the year, 4 units of NCCR (Boys), 12 units of ACC (Boys), and 13 units of Jr. Army Troops of boys and 2 of girls were raised.

29. Budget.-The expenditure on education for the year 1963-64 is estimated at Rs. 26,82,800 for Plan items and Rs. 1,12,46,540 for non- Plan items. For the next year the expenditure is expected to be Rs. 53,31,900 for Plan, items and Rs. 1,50,08,300 for non-Plan items.