PLANNING, MANAGEMENT AND MONITORING

National Policy on Education (NPE)

14.1.0 National Policy on Education (NPE), 1986 and Programme of Action (POA), 1992 continued to be implemented with vigour. The States/UTs of Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Haryana, Maharashtra, Meghalaya, Tripura, Mizoram, Chandigarh and Lakshadweep have formulated their State POAs while Arunachal Pradesh has completed its draft State POA. Besides, Orissa, Punjab, UP and West Bengal have prepared state POAs in certain sectors like elementary education.

National Debate on Education

14.2.0 A nationwide debate was initiated by the Hon'ble Minister of Human Resource Development to discuss some of the fundamental issues relating to the educational system like compulsory primary education, load of the school bag, examination reforms, return of the answer sheets after evaluation by public examination bodies, value education, vocational education, etc. The first Seminar in the series covering Goa and Maharashtra was held in Bombay on September 22-23, 1995 and the Second one covering Delhi and Haryana was held in New Delhi on October 26-27, 1995. Ten more Regional Seminars proposed to be held in different parts of the country could not take place.

Synergy Groups on Education

14.3.1 In an effort to forge partnership with Industry, NGOs and other Action Groups in the conception as well as implementation of various schemes in the sphere of education, Minister of Human Resource Development set up an Apex Synergy Group and four Synergy sub-groups comprising, inter alia, Captains of the Industry, noted academicians and the officials in the four major thrust areas of education, viz: (i) Primary Education and Literacy, (ii) Vocational Education (iii) Technology Development and Transfer in IITs and (iv) Development and transfer of Management-Techniques in IIMs. The idea was to make the system more effective and pave the way for meaningful interaction among the planners, executers and the end beneficiaries. The Synergy Group on Vocational Education will try to strengthen the education- industry linkages and to see how the various courses could be made more job-oriented while the groups on IITs and IIMs will look into the educational system in the context of liberalisation and economic restructuring which have necessitated close institution-industry interaction and the issues before the Group or primary education and literacy includes schemes like Total Literacy Campaigns (TLCs), Operation Blackboard (OB), Non-Formal Education (NFE) and the decentralised management of education in the context of 73rd and 74th Constitutional amendment.

14.3.2 The first meeting of all the synergy groups took place on 24th July, 1995 under the Chairmanship of HRM. The synergy sub-group on primary education and literacy met thrice on 3rd, 28th August and 20th September, 1995 under the Chairmanship caps of Shri Abid Hussain, Vice-Chairman, Rajiv Gandhi Foundation. The sub-group on Vocational Education under the Chairmanship of Shri Sam Pitroda, Advisor to PM on Technology Missions, held two meetings on 4th and 25th September, 1995. The subgroup on IITs under the Chairmanship of Shri V.K. Modi, Industrialist held its first meeting on 29th July, 1995 while the sub- group on IIMs met on 17th August, 1995 under the Chairmanship of Shri S.M. Dutta, Chairman, Hindustan Lever Limited.

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Scheme of Assistance for Studies, Seminars, Evaluation etc., for Implementation of Education Policy

14.4.1 The Scheme of Studies, Seminars, Evaluation, etc. for implementation of education policy is intended to provide financial assistance to deserving institutions and organisation, for conduct of seminars, workshops, impact and evaluation studies, etc., on such issues that have relevance to the education policy, its management, its implementation and related issues.

14.4.2 During 1995-96, financial assistance has been provided for organisation of two workshops, three seminars, two conferences, one project/study and for publication of one journal.

National Institute of Educational Planning and Administration (NIEPA)

14.5.1 The National Institute of Educational Planning and Administration (NIEPA) is an autonomous body set up by the Government of India as the national apex institution in the field of educational planning and administration. The Institute's main areas of activities include training of educational planners and Administrators, research, diffusion of innovations and consultancy services. During the year under report the institute continued to undertake activities in respect of training of educational planners and administrators, research, diffusion of innovations and consultancy services.

Training Activities

14.5.2 NIEPA organizes a large number of seminars, workshops and training programmes each year for various categories of educational functionaries with a view to increasing their awareness about new educational developments, acquainting them with modern techniques of educational management and enhancing their capability for educational planning and administration.

14.5.3 The various programmes/workshops organised during the year are:

        1.   Fifteenth Diploma in Ednl.                        Feb. 11
             Planning & Adminstration                          May 10,95
             (Phase-II)
        
        2.   Tenth International Diploma in                    Feb. 1,
             Educational Planning and                          July 30,95
             Administration
        
        3.   Training Programme on Institu-                    June 19-24
             tional Planning of DIETs                          1995
        
        4.   Training Programme on Qualita-                    May 2-12
             tive Techniques in Educational                    1995
             Planning for Education Officers
             of Bombay Municipal Corporation
        
                                          

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        5.   Educational Management for Sr.                    July 8-28,
             School Principal of Sri Lanka                     1995
             Sponsored by Asian Development
             Bank (first Programme)
        
        6.   Orientation Programme on Plan-                    July 17-21,
             ning and Management of Tribal                     1995
             Education.
        
        7.   Workshop for Directors of                         August 1-3,
             Deptt. of Adult Education                         1995
             in Universities.
        
        8.   Workshop on Implementation                        August 7-9,
             of DISE Software                                  1995
        
        9.   Orientation Programme in Insti-                   August 14-25
             tutional Planning and Manage-                     1995
             ment for Heads/State Tribal
             Welfare Officers
        
        10.  Managment of University                           August 21-25,
             Finance                                           1995
        
        11.  Workshop for Educational Plan-                    August 21-25,
             ning and Administration of                        1995
             District Primary Education
             Project Education for All for
             SAARC Nations
        
        12.  Effective Planning and Manage-                    August 29-
             ment of Womens College of                         Sept. 15,
             Higher Education.                                 1995
        
        13.  Training Programme on District                    August 29-
             Planning Under DPEP for Officers                  Sept. 1, 1995
             of Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh
             and Orissa.
        
        14.  Asian Development Bank Sponsored                  Sept. 2-22,
             Programme in Education Management                 1995
             for Sr. Principals of Sri Lanka
             (2nd Programme)
        
        15.  Workshop on Implementation of                     Sept.26-28
             Higher Education Policy : A                       1995
             Review Meeting.
        
                                          

177

        16.  Asian Development Bank Sponsored                  Sept. 26-
             Programme in Educational Manage-                  Oct. 25,
             ment for School Headmasters of                    1995
             Bangladesh (3rd Programme)
        
        17.  Seminar on Policy Issues and                      Oct., 5-6,
             Implications of Enforcement of                    1995
             Compulsory Education.
        
        18.  Orientation Programme in the                      Oct. 16-20
             Management of Educational                         1995
             Finances
        
        19.  National Review and Planning                      Oct. 17-18,
             Meeting on Training of Head                       1995
             Masters of Primary Schools in
             Schools Effectiveness (DPEP)
        
        20.  Orientation Programme in                          Oct. 23-27,
             Management of Educational                         1995
             Finances
        
        21.  Sixteenth Diploma in Ednl.                        Nov. 1, 1995 to
             Planning and Administration                       Jan.31, 1996
        
        22.  Workshop on Planning and                          Nov. 6-27, 1995
             Management of Key Personnel
             of Universities
             (IIEP-NIEPA Collaborative Prog.)
        
        23.  Seminar on Quality of Education                   Nov. 14-16,1995
        
        24.  XIth International Conference                     Nov.27 to Dec.2
             on Input-Output Techniques                        1995
             (IIOA/IORA/NIEPA) Collaborative
             programme
        
        25.  Orientation Programme in Planning                 Nov.27 to Dec.1
             and Management of Education                       1995
             for Heads of Minority Managed
             Institutions
        
                                          

Research Activities

14.5.4 One of the main activities of the institutes is to undertake, aid, promote and coordinate research in various fields of educational planning and administration. During the Year, 11 research studies/projects have been completed whereas, 15 research studies/projects are in progress. Of these, one is sponsored study and 3 are under NIEPA's Scheme of Studies etc.

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Publications

14.5.5 The following publications have been brought out in the current year and disseminated widely:

Priced

Educational Administration in Chandigarh : Structures, Process and Future Prospects

Educational Administration in Lakshdweep: Structures, Processes and Future Prospects Educational Administration in Andaman & Nicobar

Unpriced

District Level Plan Implementation Strategy : Report of NIEPA-IIEP Workshop (August 18-20, 1994)

Networking in Planning and Management of Education with Resources Institutes: Report of Workshop (February 9-10, 1995)

Journal of Educational Planning and Administration, July 1994, October 1994, January 1995 and April 1995 Issues

Consultancy and Professional Support

14.5.6 The faculty members of the Institute provided consultancy and professional support to national, state and institutional level bodies as well as international organisations. Among the agencies which were given consultancy and professional support included the Ministry of Human Resource Development, University Grants Commission, State Education Departments, State Councils of Higher Education, SCERTs and other institutions within the country. Consultancy services were also provided to international agencies such as UNESCO, UNICEF, World Bank and SIDA.

District Primary Education Programme (DPEP) Cell

14.5.7 The District Primary Education Programme (DPEP) launched in 1993 seeks to operationalise the strategy of district level planning. The Institute faculty is deeply involved in the DPEP projects by way of providing professional support in the formulation of district plans and appraisal of the projects to be submitted for external assistance and implementation of the same in the selected states. A DPEP Cells has also been created in the Institute.

Education for All

14.5.8 The Institute provided academic support in organization of the EFA programmes in various states.

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Computerised Management Information System (CMIS)

14.6.1 Department of Education created a unit to meet the needs of computerisation of day to day work. This unit is commonly known as "Computerised Management Information System (CMIS)". Since its inception, this Unit continued to identify areas for computerisation, system analysis, design and development of software for implementation of MIS in the Department, acted as a resource unit and provided training to the officials of the Department and liaisoning with the National Informatics Centre (NIC). Over a decade this Unit has been playing an active role in introducing the latest information technology in the Department.

14.6.2 During 1995-96 the major achievements of the Unit are as follows :-

- This Unit provided assistance to the Committee on Nutrition Support to Primary Education by providing various information on existing midday meal schemes in States, food grain requirements, state-wise, districtwise, block-wise population, list of EAS, LFL and other blocks and various parameters for estimating the expenditure on three phases etc. for the perusal of the Committee.

- A database was created based on the information provided by the State Governments and Vth All India Educational Survey on state-wise, district-wise and block- wise enrolment of children, food grain requirements etc. for the implementation of the Programme of Nutritional Support to Primary Education.

- Reports were also generated on block-wise enrolment, wheat/rice requirement etc. to State Governments and FCI for supply of food grains on quarterly basis.

- Assisted the Planning, Monitoring and Statistics Division in bringing out the following publication :-

Selected Educational Statistics

Education in India Vol.I (S)

Education in India Vol.II (S)

Education in India Vol.I (C)

Education in India Vol.II (C)

Indian Students/Trainees Going Abroad

Selected Information on School Education

Handbook of School Education and Allied Statistics

180

- Database on Education Ministers, Chief Secretaries, Education Secretaries, DPIs of all States/UTs.

- Revised pay-billing and pay-slip system of the Deptt.

- Computerisation of Income-Tax statements

- Miscellaneous recovery schedules of the officers to the various Department, Organisation etc.

- Telephone Directory of the Department

- Retrieval of information on Parliament Questions

- Assistance to the Vth Pay Commission Cell of the Department

- Parliament Standing Committee Report

- Administrative Annual Report 1994-95 of the Department

- Software and Hardware assistance to HRM, MOS and senior officers of the Department.

Miscellaneous

14.6.3 This Unit presented charts and graphs for various studies from time to time. Maintain the softwares and hardwares installed in the Department and provided all assistance on computers to various Bureaus of the Department. Efforts were made for the implementation of EDP report on revision of pay-scales in the Department. Efforts are also being made to equip the Unit with the latest Computer Technology.

Computer based Management Information System developed by NIC for Department of Education

14.7.0 National Informatics Centre (NIC) has established a computer centre in the Department of Education and has installed a PENTIUM PROCESSOR based computer system and a DCM COSMOS 486 system and has established a local area network (LAN) of 40 terminals. NIC continued to provide software, hardware and consultancy support to Department of Education in developing computer based Management Information Systems. A team of Officers of NIC is working in close coordination with the officials of the Department. Highlights of the Year 1995-96 are as follows:

181

Sixth All India Educational Survey

- Data based on Educational Statistics-Flash has been processed and a public utility database has been created. A publication entitled provisional statistics' has been brought out.

- Software has been developed for processing data and generation of reports based on village Information Form and Urban Information Form as per tabulation plan. Software development for generating Various reports based on School Information Form is in progress.

- Pentium processor based computer systems with line matrix printers have been installed in state centres of NIC to expedite processing and report generation.

- Validation software revised on the basis of feedback received from states and revised software implemented.

Department of Education

- Pentium processor based computer system with 16 terminals has been installed in the Department.

- Honourable Minister for Human Resource Development paid a visit to NIC Headquarters. A presentation of Video Conferencing, Multimedia, Internee, software packages develo- ped for Department of Education, etc. has been made.

- Site preparation has been got done and a 486 SX computer system with 4 terminals has been installed in Human Resource Minister's office.

- File monitoring information system and VIP references information system have been suitable modified and implemented in HRM's office.

- Made a presentation to HRM on the usage of Smart suite integrated package, electronics mail, parliament database and INTERNET. Also provided training to personal staff to HRM on organiser.