 SOCIAL EDUCATION

The Government of India are aware of the pressing need for provi- sion of social education facilities for both literate and illiterate adults; but in view of the more urgent demands on the limited resources available, the programme of social education necessarily gets restricted. The activities of the Government of India, therefore, have to be confined, more or less, to the conduct of pilot projects which would pave the way for bigger programmes to be undertaken in future. These include: (1) to establish and conduct the National Fundamental Education Centre at New Delhi for training high level personnel in social education; (2) to conduct a pilot project in the education of industrial workers; (3) to train workers in library service; (4) to develop a library service in Delhi as a pilot project; and (5) cooperation with international agencies. It also assists in the development of the Vidyapeeth project in Mysore which is assisted by the Ford Foundation and is trying to develop reading materials for neo-literate adults and new reading public.

2. An account of the National Fundamental Education Centre will be found in Annexure 11. The other activities are briefly given in the paragraphs that follow.

3. Social Education for Industrial Workers.

-A literate and educated industrial worker is more useful to the industry than his illiterate and ignorant counterpart. The worker not only needs wholesome literature to stimulate his thinking and to increase his efficiency, but also needs good recreational facilities. To develop a programme of education for industrial workers, a Workers' Social Education Institute was established at Indore as a pilot project. It has started functioning from November 1, 1960 and provides facilities for classroom work, club activities, library and women's educational activities. An Advisory Board has been set; up for the Institute with the representatives of the central Ministries of Education, Labour and Employment, the Madhya Pradesh Government, workers, employers and social workers.

4. Training Workers for Library Service.

-Most of the States in India have already established State Central Libraries and a good many district libraries have also been set up. It is proposed to extend this library service down to the Block level, so that even the Block and village libraries can draw freely upon the District and State Central Libraries to strengthen their services to the reading public. To run such a

comprehensive library service, a body of trained librarians is necessary. The Institute of Library Science has, therefore, been established in the Second Plan. at the Delhi University. The training of librarians has already started in this Institute. A three-month refresher course with thirteen trainees from the various States and a one-year diploma course with nine trainees have already been organised. During the year under review, the Institute is conducting the second one-year diploma course with effect from July 16, 1960.

5.The Institute was entrusted with the responsibility of conducting a Regional Seminar on Library Development in South Asia, held under the joint auspices of the Unesco and the Ministry of Education-in the premises of the Delhi University. The Seminar lasted from October 3 to 14, 1960. Representatives from eight countries of South Asia participated.

6. Development of Library Service in Delhi.

-The object of the scheme is to develop the Delhi Public Library into a Central Library in a public library system for Delhi. The service, when fully established, should serve as a model for the development of library services in the States. The following activities are proposed to be added in the Third Plan: (i) to cover the whole population of the Union Territory of Delhi with a library service to be administered from a Central Library; (ii) to set up two Branch Libraries; and (iii) to serve organisations and groups like schools, youth clubs etc.

7. Cooperation with International Agencies.

-(a) The World Con- ference on Adult Education was convened by Unesco at Montreal (Canada) from August 21 to M, 1960. On an invitation from the Unesco, Shri R. P. Naik, joint Secretary in the Ministry of Education, and Shri R. M. Chetsingh, Vice-President, Indian Adult Education Association, New Delhi, were deputed to attend the conference.

(b) Colombo Plan

-Offer of Training Facilities in Librarianship at Toronto Public Library, Canada.-The Government of Canada has offered training facilities for two Indian librarians at Toronto Public Library under the Colombo Plan. The offer has been accepted and the selection of the two candidates is, being made.

8. Ford Foundation Aid

-Mysore State Vidyapeeth Programme.-In cooperation with the Ford Foundation, U.S.A., the Mysore State Adult Education Council has started the Vidyapeeth programme in Mysore State. The vidyapeeths aim primarily at training village youth for rural leadership. Under this project, it is proposed to establish eight vidyapeeths in all in the State. Up to the end of this year (1960), the Council has established four vidyapeeths and the setting up of the fifth is going apace. The remaining vidyapeeths will be set up in the Third Plan.

9. Literature for Social Education.

-The Ministry of Education has been trying to promote and stimulate the growth of literature for the various types of readers, mainly neo-literates. This has been done mainly through the incentives given to the normal publishers to Produce and to make available the type of literature that such readers need. Where, however, it was felt that such efforts were 'not liable to succeed, the Ministry of Education has not hesitated in taking direct steps to meet the needs of the reading public.

10. The literature which the Ministry of Education is trying to promote or to produce falls into two main categories: (a) literature for neoliterates and (b) literature for the new reading public.

(a) For the Post-Literacy Stage.-It was left that people coming out of literacy classes as well as people who had to leave school at the Elementary stage should have some literature available for them, so that they could keep up their reading habits and thus keep alive a desire to live a better cultural life. With this end in view, a competition for books for neo-literates in all Indian languages has been organised annually since 1954. In the year under review, the seventh competition was organised, and out of a total number of 316 entries, 40 books and manuscripts were awarded prizes of Rs. 500 each. and five books out of them will receive additional Rs. 500 each. 1,500 copies of each of these books will be purchased and these will be distributed in the Community Development Blocks. (For details, see Annexure XII.) 267 books have so far been awarded prizes and copies thereof purchased for actual use of the readers for whom they are meant.

(b) For the New Reading Public.-Midway between the neo-literate adult and the fully literate adult, is a stage of literacy which has come to be called the 'new Reading Public', a term coined by the Unesco. For this class of readers, literature of a little more advanced nature is required. To promote such literature, the Ministry of Education, with the assistance of Unesco, organized the First Competition for Books for the New Reading Public in 1958, and prizes of $ 480 (approximately Rs. 2,400) each were given to the authors of six books in Hindi and Bengali. Steps are now afoot to purchase 1,500 copies of each of these books for distribution to libraries.

A Second Competition for Books for the New Reading Public will be announced in 1961-62 as the Unesco has agreed to award ten prizes of $ 400 each to authors of best books for the new reading public in Bengali, Hindi, Tamil, and Urdu, which have been published during the period January 1, 1959 to December 31, 1960. The books may be on any subject relating to international understanding, simple science, eco- nomic and social development, or translations of simple classics.

11. Purchase of Literature in Hindi.

-In view of the special responsibility of the Centre in propagating Hindi, as also to meet the interest of the various State Governments for simple books in Hindi for use in social education centres etc., the Ministry of Education had been meeting half of the cost of Hindi books purchased by the State Governments on the recommendation of the Ministry. As a result of the first competition held under the Scheme, 56 books were selected for such purchase, and the State Governments were requested to make known their demands. Arrangements are being made to meet these demands by the end of 1960-61. Due to the poor response of the State Governments, the scheme is being dropped from the next year.

12. Training of Authors.

-With a view to training authors for production of appropriate literature for the neo-literates, the Ministry of Education has been organizing sahitya rachanalayas in which writers in other fields are orientated to the art of writing for neo-literates. During the Second Plan, ten such rachanalayas were held -in the various parts of the country through the State Governments which trained about 200 authors. In 1959, however, the work of these rachanalayas was assessed and in the light of this assessment, the scheme was considerably revised. It is now proposed to hold four sahitya shivirs (as they are now called) every year, beginning from 1961-62.

13. Graded Books for Neo-Literates.

-In 1957, the Hindustani Culture Society, Allahabad, had been entrusted with the work of preparing and publishing eight-graded books in Hindi for neo- literate readers. Four manuscripts have been prepared so far and are being examined.

14. Direct Production of Significant Books.

-In addition to 'the above mentioned schemes, in which the existing publishers are being encouraged to produce the type of literature needed, the Ministry of Education has also been taking direct responsibility for the production of certain types of books, the need for which is very pronounced And which cannot be produced by the ordinary publisher for want of finance.

(a) Gyan Sarovar.

-The publication of Gyan Sarovar, an encyclopaedia in Hindi in five volumes, is one of these ventures. The first two volumes of Gyan Sarovar have been published already during the Second Plan. Of the remaining three volumes, two are ready for press; these are expected to be out during 1961-62. The manuscript of volume five is under preparation, and it is expected to be ready for press by the end of 196l1.

(b) Hindi Vishwa Bharati.

-Gyan Sarovar caters to the needs of the neo-literates as also to the needs of children of the age-group 7- 14. For more advanced readers, another encyclopaedia on the model of the junior Oxford Encyclopaedia is under preparation through a private publisher. This encyclopaedia, called the Hindi Vishwa Bharati is

planned in 10 volumes, each comprising 400 pages, copiously illustrated In the year under review, the 5th and 6th volumes of this incyclopaedia were brought out, and the 7th volume is nearing completion and is expected to be in the market very soon. The remaining three volumes are expected to be published during 1961-62. Out of a total grant of Rs. 2 lakhs approximately provided for the scheme, the balance of Rs. 45,000 will be released to the publishers, M/s. Hindi Vishwa Bharati, Lucknow, after the successful completion of the project,

(c) History of India and Story of Life.

-Alongside the project for the publication of Gyan Sarovar, two other books were planned to be published for the neo-literate readers. The first was a History of India which will give to the common reader a story of the cultural and political evolution of our country. Manuscripts were invited through the offer of a prize of Rs. 5,000 and the prize winning manuscript has been selected. This is now under publication by the Publications Division of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. This book is proposed to be published in Hindi and in other regional languages during 1961-62.

Another manuscript "The Story of Life" has been prepared by a commissioned author and approved by the Ministry after consultation with experts on the subject. This manuscript is also with the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting who are considering it for publication in Hindi and other regional languages.

15. Literature for Block Workers.-

On behalf of the Ministry of Community Development and Cooperation, the Ministry of Education is operating a scheme called the Scheme of Basic and Cultural Literature. In the first competition held in 1960, only two books were finally selected for award of prizes. These books, written in Hindi, have been purchased and other language editions are under preparation. In the second competition under this Scheme, 41 entries were received on eleven different subjects. Results are expected to be announced shortly. The third competition in the series for the award of 25 prizes will be announced during 1961-62. The entire cost of the Scheme is being borne by the Ministry of Community Development and Cooperation.

16. Cooperation with Unesco.

-The Ministry of Education has been cooperating with Unesco in the working of its project for reading materials for several years past. It has taken part in the three Regional Seminars on Reading Materials held in Murree, Pakistan (1956), Rangoon, Burma (1957), and Madras, India (1959).

In 1960, the Ministry drew up its own proposals under the Unesco Project and sent them to Unesco for approval. These proposals include (1) guidance and help to the literature-producing agencies in India to better their production and output through training and discussion, and

(2) assignment of books to private publishers for publication in Indian languages. On approval by the Unesco, the project would be worked out in the Third Plan.

17. Outlook for the Third Plan.

-The total allocation for social education in the Third Plan is not likely to exceed the provision made in the Second Plan. However, it has been decided to maintain all the projects of the Second Plan. In addition, the following intensive projects which do not involve large financial outlay, are proposed to be implemented.

(a) Development of Library Service in Delhi.

-The Delhi Public Library has already established multiple services in the city of Delhi and neighbouring villages. It is proposed to establish one more branches in order to extend the same facilities to the rural areas of Delhi.

(b) Library and Social Education Workers' Seminars.

-The objective of this project is to train the librarians through seminars so that the existing libraries and their librarians can be fitted into a countrywide library service. Some refresher training is also necessary for orienting the social education workers. A small provision has, therefore, been made for arranging seminars of librarians and social education workers during the Third Plan.

(c) Research and Publication in the field of Social Education and Libraries.

-The objective of this project is to bring out literature for workers in the field of social education and libraries and to assist in the publication of results of researches carried out by various organisations. It is further hoped to sponsor research on the syllabus of higher classes in adult schools.

18. Production of Literature.

In the Second Plan, there was a total outlay of Rs. 23 lakhs for this scheme of which an expenditure of Rs. 11.24 lakhs has been incurred up to 31st December, 1960. The provision for the scheme under the Third Plan has been reduced to Rs. 8 lakhs. There is, therefore, no scope for any expansion of the work under the scheme. But a scheme for production of model books through nonofficial agencies is expected to be put into operation.

19. Financial Provisions.

-The following financial provisions have been made on account of the schemes of social education discussed in this Chapter:-

        
                                          
        Sl.       Name of the Schemes                 Provision  Expenditure   Budget
        No.                                          for 1960-   incurred so  Provision
                                                          1961   far during   for 1961-
                                                                  the year     1962
        
        1                   2                             3           4           5
        
                                          
        
                                                          Rs.          Rs.         Rs.
        1  National    Fundamental  Education
             Centre                            (RE)   2,50,000   1,29,500.00   2,42,300
        2  Workers' Social Education Institute (RE)     38,400     34,109.00     40,000

                                               
        
        
        1                   2                             3            4           5
        
                                               
        
                                                          Rs.          Rs.         Rs.
        
        3  Institute of Library Science, Delhi 
             University.                        (OE)      96,500
                                                (RE)      30,000    36,078.48    80,000
        4  Delhi Public Library                 (RE)    2,50,000  2,25,000.00  3,30,000
        5  Ford Foundation Aid-Mysore State
           Vidyapeeth Programme                 (RE)    2,00,000  1,35,473.75  5,59,000
        6  Production of Literature for Neo-
           Literates                            (RE)    2,50,000    61,607.60  1,85,000