National Awards to Teachers During 1973, 91 teachers of Primary and Secondary schools as well as Sanskrit Pathshalas/Tols run on traditional fines were selected for National Awards. Recommendations of the State Selection Committees of Assam and Jammu and Kashmir were not received at the time of the final selection by the Central Selection Committee. They have since been received and are under consideration. It has also been decided that with effect from 1973 two best men teachers and two best women teachers out of those selected for awards, will be selected and given a higher award.
Nehru Bal Pustakalaya This scheme is intended to provide supplementary reading material to children with national integration as the main aim. Each title is brought out in all the major Indian Languages with uniform format, price etc. The scheme is being implemented in collaboration with the National Book Trust, which is given a grant of Rs. one lakh per title brought out by it.
The National Book Trust has published 30 titles so far under the scheme. Six more titles are expected to be brought out during 1973- 74. While these books are sold in the market at a price of Rs. 1.50 per copy, they are supplied to the State Governments at a subsidised rate of 50 paise per copy. A provision of Rs. 50 lakhs is proposed under the Fifth Five Year Plan for the Nehru Bal Pustakalaya Scheme.
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Central Tibetan Schools The Central Tibetan Schools Administration is running residential schools at Simla, Mussourie, Darjeeling, Dalhousie, and day schools at Kalimpong, Bylakuppa, Mundgod, Chandragiri, Mainpat, Tazu, Changland, Bhandara, Putlikuhl and Kurseong. The total number of students in the schools was 5,435 during the year. The results of the various classes in the different schools have been fairly good. The cooperation of the staff in their teaching/working and performance of students in their studies during the session was quite satisfactory. In addition 8 institutions, which admitted Tibetan students were given grants-in- aid. The programme of scholarships to Tibetan students also continued to be operated during the year.
Assistance to Voluntary Organisations at the School Stage and
Financial Allocation for Other Programmes Assistance to voluntary organisations at the school stage functioning on a regional and national basis to the tune of Rs. 50 lakhs during the 5th Plan is to be given. Besides a sum of Rs. 30 lakhs has been allocated towards grants to the Bal Bhavan Movement, the UNICEF Science Project and the setting up of National and State Boards of Teacher Education.
Sri Aurobindo Bal Kendras One of the programmes taken up as part of the Centenary celebrations of Sri Aurobindo was to establish 16 Bal Kendras for the benefit of children in slum areas. These Centres will provide recreational as well as educational facilities to these children.
State Planning Committees have been set up, wherever necessary, to help in implementing the project in the different cities. Central Government contribution towards these Bal Kendras was released to the respective State Governments.
As part of the celebrations of the 25th Anniversary of India's Independence, the Union Ministry issued special publication to mark the occasion, a time capsule containing documents and other material relating to the events in the past twenty-five years, conducted a national cleanliness campaign in schools and awarded prizes to the winners. Selected schools were given equipment at the rate of one school per block.
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Fifth Five Year Plan The Central Programmes in the field of school education included in the Draft Fifth Five Year Plan are:
Sl. Total
No. Name of the Programme allocation
in the Fifth
Plan
(Rs. in lakhs)
(1) (2) (3)
1. Printing Presses 130
2. Assistance to voluntary Organisations at
the School Stage 50
3. Education and Technology Programmes 200
4. N. C. E. R. T. & Other Research Programmes
in Education 1100
5. Vocationalisation of Secondary Education 1000
6. Research & Development in School Education. 40
7. Other Programmes 30
TOTAL 2550
N. B. The programme of Model Community Schools (Secondary &
Primary) is under examination.