INTRODUCTORY
This narrative highlights the principal events of the year under review and outlines the main features of the budget estimates for the current and the following year.
Formulation of the Fifth Five Year Plan in Education The principal activity during the year was the formulation of the Fifth Five Year Plan, the preparations for which had already been initiated during the last year. This involved continuous discussions with the State Governments.
The Central Advisory Board of Education had prepared comprehensive proposals for educational development in the Fifth Five Year Plan estimated to cost Rs. 3,200 crores. These were discussed and broadly approved in principle by the Board, but as resources of this order were not likely to be available, a modified set of proposals were formulated at an estimated cost of Rs. 2,200 crores. When the draft of the Fifth Five Year Plan came to be finalized and adopted by the National Development Council, it was found that even this order of allocations were not available; and the proposals now approved are estimated to cost Rs. 1726 crores or 4.6 per cent of the total plan outlay. Of this, Rs. 500 crores are in the Central sector and Rs. 1226 in the State sector.
The principal programmes included in the draft Fifth Plan are the following :
(1) A greater emphasis on programmes of pre-school development;
(2) Priority for elementary education, outlay on which has been stepped up from Rs. 239 crores in the 4th Plan to Rs. 743 crores in the 5th Plan (exclusive of Rs. 112 crores provided for school feeding programmes under Nutrition). It is also proposed to radically alter the strategy for its development by emphasising universal provision of facilities, creating a fairly homogeneous cohort in class I, reduction in wastage and stagnation, multi-point entry, a large programme of part-time education, enrolment of children from
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the weaker sections of the community (especially sche- duled castes and scheduled tribes) and improvement of quality;
(3) A special emphasis on programmes of adult educa- tion which will include (a) informal education including liquidation of illiteracy and provision of welfare services for the age-group 15-25 and (b) linking the programme of liquidating adult illiteracy with employ- ment programmes;
(4) At the secondary stage, emphasis is proposed to be laid on proper planning of the location of secondary schools, vocationalization of the higher secondary stage, adoption of the uniform pattern of 10+2+3, and improvement of quality;
(5) At the university stage, the principal objectives would be four; (a) Regulation of enrolment in higher education to conform increasingly to the likely quantum and pattern of employment opportunities for the edu- cated youth-an important policy which is now being enunciated for the first time;
(b) Providing greater equality of educational op- portunity and an increasing access to higher edu- cation for the weaker sections of society, espe- cially the scheduled castes and scheduled tribes;
(c) Development of post-graduate education and research, and
(d) Improvement of quality. (6) Large scale development of programmes of Youth Welfare, Physical education and games and sports;
(7) Development of informal education at all stages. This will include : (a) the multiple-entry and part-time education programmes at the elementary stage; (b) programmes of informal education for youth in the age- group of 15-25; (c) programmes of informal education at the secondary stage; (d) the establishment of an Open University at the national level and provision of facilities for correspondence education in at least one university in each State; and
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(e) full facilities for private study both at the secondary and university stages;
(8) Further consolidation, and qualitative improvement of programmes of technical education including expansion and diversification of training facilities for the middle level workers;
(9) An over-riding emphasis on academic inputs such as revision of curriculla, introduction of work-experience, adoption of new methods of teaching, examination reform, improvement of text-books, teacher education both pre- service and in-service, encouragement to experimentation and innovation, use of modern educational technology, including mass media, improved supervision and the development of closer ties between the school and the community.
(10) Stress on implementation; and
(11) A greater emphasis on programmes of cultural deve- lopment and their integration with those of education.
Financial Difficulties The country passed through a difficult economic situation during the year under report; and with a view to containing inflation, Government had, to curtail expenditure heavily in all sectors. The programmes of education and culture had also to follow suit and had to accept a cut of 10 per cent in plan expenditure and 5 per cent in non- plan expenditure. Consequently, the scale, of operation of a number of programmes had to be restricted to the levels of the previous year or even below them; in some schemes, all new proposals had to be shelved and current activities were limited to meeting obligations already entered into; and the implementation of some new schemes had to be postponed to the Fifth Plan. However, every effort was made to see that the priority schemes were kept going; and for some of these, even additional allocations were found to some extent. The year has thus been one of greater financial difficulty and has somewhat slowed down the momentum of educational development.
Advance Action The original idea was that vigorous advance action would be taken during 1972-73 and 1973-74 as preparation for the Fifth
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Plan so that the new programmes included in the Plan would begin on a fairly large scale. Owing to financial difficulties, however, no programmes of advance action could be initiated during 1972-73; and as the financial difficulties continued during the year under review also, the bulk of the advance action programmes could not also be taken up during the current year. However, a beginning was made with the scheme of Third Educational Survey in November, 1973. Preliminary work was also done on schemes of qualitative improvement such as curriculum development and examination reform. Spade work for major schemes to be included in the 5th Five-Year Plan was also completed.
Major Educational Developments The major developments of the year would have to be valued against this background. These include, amongst others, the following :
School Education The Central Scheme for the educated unemployed, formulated in 1971-72 was continued during the year. The total number of teachers appointed under the scheme is estimated at about 76,000 and the budget provision for the current year is Rs. 30 crores. In addition, about 97,000 apprentice teachers were appointed during the year under "Half- a-Million Job Scheme" administered by the Planning Commission. The Educational Technology project made good progress. The Kendriya Vidayalaya Sangthan established 13 new Vidyalays and continued to show outstanding achievements. The Director of the NCERT was appointed and the organisation is being strengthened and reorganised as an important instrument for implementation of qualitative programmes in school education in the Fifth Plan. 16 Bal Kendras were established in 7 cities as part of the centenary celebrations of Sri Aurobindo. Preliminary work has been taken in hand for the important programme of vocationalization of secondary education which has been included in the Fifth Plan.
Higher Education The University Grants Commission initiated preparatory measures of launching a major programme of qualitative improvement in the fifth plan. A Central University, the North Eastern Hill University, was established at Shillong with its jurisdiction extending to Meghalaya, Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh and Mizoram. The Act establishing the University bad been brought into force with effect from 19th July 1973. The proposals
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to set up Central Universities at Hyderabad and Pondicherry have been accepted and are being processed. A proposal to establish a National People's University for non-formal higher education is under consideration. The statutes of the Aligarh Muslim University were amended on the recommendation of the Executive Council of the University. A review of the working of the Banaras Hindu University has been completed and that of the Visva-Bharati has been taken in hand. The University of Delhi established a new campus in South Delhi and the Jawaharlal Nehru University continued to, make good progress. Programmes of research continued to develop under the University Grants Commission, the Indian Council of Social Science Research and the Indian Council of Historical Research.
Technical Education Efforts to consolidate and develop technical education facilities at all levels and to, improve standards in technical education, were continued during the year under review. A High-Powered Committee has been set up to undertake an evaluation and assessment of technical education at the first-degree level. A separate Board for Technical Education has also been set up to advise the Central and State Governments and the technical institutions on the implementation of programmes of reorganization of technician education, diversification of diploma courses, sandwich courses etc. A model legislation for the establishment of State Boards of Technical Education as statutory bodies is being finalized. A new Institute of Management was established at Bangalore and preliminary steps were taken for the establishment of another Institute in Lucknow. Preliminary steps were also taken for the establishment of a school for training in electronic equipment design at the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore.
Scholarships The programme of National Shcolarships is being expanded. Other schemes of Scholarships continue to make steady progress
Book Promotion The Fifth National Book Fair was held at Calcutta. The activities of the National Book Trust and the Raja Rammohan Roy National Educational Resources Centre showed steady progress. Steps were taken to promote exports of books and to furmulate and implement an import policy. An important step was the grant of an import licence of Rs. 50 lakhs to the State Trading
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Corporation to import Scientific and Technical journals and costly scientific and technical books. A Regional Seminar for the Executive Secretaries of the National Book Development Council of Asia was organised in New Delhi under the auspices of UNESCO.
Youth Welfare, National Integration, Sports and Games and Physical
Education As a part of the National Service Scheme, a "Youth against Famine" campaign was launched and 745 camps were organised involving about 65,000 participants. The object of these camps was to provide opportunity to student youth to work for mitigating famine conditions in drought affected areas. The scheme of Nehru Yuvak Kendras made good progress. Government decided to participate in the Commonwealth Youth Programme under which a Regional Seminar for advanced studies in youth work is proposed to be established in India. Preliminary work was initiated for the establishment of Sports Schools and a National Sports Complex at Delhi which have been included in the Fifth Plan. A National Voluntary Service Scheme under which facilities will be provided to graduates to work for a year in rural areas is under consideration.
Languages The schemes for the promotion of Hindi made steady progress. A Hindi printing press was gifted to the Government of Mauritius. The scheme of production of university-level books in Indian languages gathered considerable momentum. The Standing Central Advisory Board which was placed under a full-time Chairman during the year functioned satisfactorily for the production of books in Urdu. Central Institutes for the development of Hindi, modern Indian languages and Sanskrit such as the Kendriya Hindi Sikshana Mandal, Agra, Central Hindi Directorate, Delhi, Central Institute of Indian Languages, Mysore and the Rashtriya Sanskrit Sansthan, Delhi, continued to make steady progress.
Indian National Commission for Cooperation with UNESCO The Indian National Commission for Cooperation with UNESCO continued to expand its activities. The Asian Institute of Educational Planning and Administration which had been established with assistance from UNESCO was converted into a National Staff College for Educational Planners and Administrators. India participated in the Inter-governmental conference
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on Cultural Policies which was held at Jog-jakarta (Indonesia) in December 1973. The Indian Delegation was led by Prof. S. Nurul Hasan, Education Minister.
Adult Education The functional literacy programme for farmers gathered further momentum during the year under review. Preliminary measures were taken for organising a large scale campaign of non-formal education for youth in the age-group 15-25 years which has been included in the Fifth Plan. The international Jury for the Muhammed Reza Pehlavi and Nadezhda K. Krupskaya prizes for meritorious work in the field of adult literacy met in India in August 1973. While awarding the prizes, it also made honourable mention of the work done by the Mysore State Adult Education Council and the National Federation of Indian Women.
Cultural Affairs Cultural Agreements were signed with GDR, Mauritius, Iraq and Belgium; and negotiations for cultural agreements with 21 other countries were in progress. Cultural Exchange Programmes were signed with Arab Republic of Egypt, Afghanistan, Yugoslavia, France, Hungary and Iran. A number of cultural delegations visited India and Indian delegations visited a number of countries. The Akademies and the programme of publishing gazetteers maintained steady progress.
Archaeology A major programme for the preservation of monuments was developed during the year with a special grant of Rs. 70 lakhs.
Museums & Libraries The Raja Rammohan Roy Library Foundation expanded its activities considerably. A Committee of management was set up for the National Library at Calcutta and its bill was under consideration of the Joint Select Committee of Parliament. Government has offered to the T.M.S.S. Library, Tanjore, assistance on a 50:50 basis. The Government Museums and Galleries maintained steady progress.
Progressive Use of Hindi The Ministry continued to keep a regular watch on the progressive implementation of the statutory requirements regarding
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the use of the official language; and quarterly progress reports were scrutinised, as in previous years, consolidated and sent to the Ministry of Home Affairs.
Replies in Hindi were sent to letters received in Hindi, from individuals and from State Governments.
About 80 per cent of the staff of the Department has working knowledge of Hindi and Hindi is partially used in noting and drafting in 22 Sections.
At present 43 Hindi typewriters are available in the Ministry. Provision of more Hindi typewriters is under consideration.
So far, 138 forms and manual's of this Ministry have been translated into Hindi. The work relating to translation of Acts and Statutes has been nearly completed.
A Hindi Salahakar Samiti has been set up for the Ministry of Education & Social Welfare and the Department of Culture under the Chairmanship of Union Education Minister, to advise the Ministry on matters, relating to the Progressive use of Hindi for official purposes. The Committee held its first meeting on 20th December, 1973 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.
As in previous years all Sections in the Ministry maintained separate diary registers for letters received in Hindi and the replies sent in Hindi are duly recorded and specific entries are made.
Circulars meant for general information, are issued bilingually.
On a review made recently about the officers and members of the staff who either had Hindi as a subject in their higher secondary examination or had passed Pragya examination conducted by the Ministry of Home Affairs, it was found that approximately 80% of officers and staff belong to these two categories and have a working knowledge of Hindi. Besides, 56 persons were deputed for the various Hindi Teaching Classes. Special care is taken to see that the persons so nominated, attend the classes regularly. Special attention is also being paid for the training of employees in Hindi typewriting and Hindi Stenography.