14. Sahitya Rachnalayas.-With a view to train authors, writers and publishers in the technique of preparing better books for children, the Union Ministry of Education has been implementing a scheme of organising Sahitya Rachnalayas on Children's Literature. The scheme was kept in abeyance since October 1962. It has been revived on a restricted scale with effect from 1964. Administrative approval to hold one Sahitya Rachnalaya in Gujarat State was issued in 1965.

15. National Prize Competition of Children's Literature.-With a view to encouraging production of good books for children, the Ministry of Education has been holding since 1954 a National Prize Competition for Children's Books in all the modern Indian regional languages as well as in Hindi, Sindhi and Urdu. During the year the Eleventh Prize Competition, was conducted and prizes were awarded on 14 books in various languages.

C. TRAINING OF TEACHERS

16. Training of Primary School Teachers.-With the expansion of educational facilities in the third Plan continuous steps have been taken by the Union Ministry of Education to increase training facilities for elementary teachers, and the number of training institutions in the country now stands at about 1,360. At the end of the third Plan, there will be about 16.40 lakh teachers in the country teaching at the primary and middle school stages. Of these, about 73.2% will be trained as against 64.5% at the end of the second Plan. In some States like Madras, Kerala and Punjab the supply of trained teachers is adequate, while in States like Assam and West Bengal the percentage of trained teachers is quite low.

16.1. During the fourth Plan it is envisaged that about 270 lakh additional pupils will be enrolled at the elementary stage. This will necessitate the creation of about one lakh additional training places in teacher training institutions for elementary teachers. The Union Government, therefore, gave Rs. 127 lakh as financial assistance to the State Governments during 1965-66 to provide for the creation of about 6,800 additional seats in the existing training institutions.

16.2. The training facilities have expanded a great deal since independence, but no sustained effort has been made to improve the quality of training imparted in them. A majority of the institutions lack properly qualified staff and physical facilities such as hostels, libraries, laboratories and audio-visual equipment. In the fourth Plan substantial provision has been made for a centrally sponsored scheme to develop these institutions to a minimum standard considered essential for their efficient functioning, and to develop selected teacher training institutions to a very high standard.

16.3. Correspondence Courses for Primary School Teachers-The high percentage of untrained teachers in some of the States is mainly due to the inadequacy of training places in these States. For clearing the backlog of about 4,00,000 untrained teachers already working in elementary schools, it is proposed to establish correspondence courses; to begin with they are proposed to be started in six States.

17. Training of Secondary Teachers.-The number of teachers teaching, at the secondary stage at the end of the current Plan is expected to be 2.10 lakh. Of these, 60.6% are trained teachers. The facilities for training of teachers in some of the States like Assam and West Bengal are inadequate. Accordingly, under the advance action programme, a sum of Rs. 48 lakh was given to the State Governments to create about 2,150 additional seats in existing training colleges. In the fourth Plan the additional enrolment in classes IX-XI is expected to be 38 lakh and it will be necessary to create about 73,000 additional training places. Provision for the expansion of facilities for the training of secondary teachers is being made in the fourth Plan. Provision has also been made for improving physi-

cal facilities of training institutions at this stage, to enable them to reach the minimum required standard in respect of hostel, library and laboratory facilities.

17.1. Correspondence Courses for Secondary Teachers.-The high percentage of untrained teachers in some of the States is mainly due to the inadequacy of places in secondary training colleges. For clearing the backlog of over 1 lakh untrained teachers, already working in secondary schools, the National Council of Educational Research and Training has decided to start correspondence courses for secondary teachers in the four Regional Colleges of Education and the Central Institute of Education, Delhi. It is also proposed to establish in 1966-67 correspondence courses in two universities, viz., Baroda and Calcutta.

C.I. STATUS AND WELFARE OF TEACHERS

18. Ameliorative Measures for Primary School Teachers.-Efforts were continued during the year by the Union Government to impress upon the State Governments the necessity for improving the emoluments and service conditions of teachers at all stages. The Government has also stressed upon the State Governments the need to remove disparities between the emoluments of teachers in aided schools and those in Government schools. It is encouraging to note that the State Governments are not only trying to improve the salary scales of teachers but are also making efforts to remove the disparity between the emoluments of the teachers working in government and non- government schools, to the extent possible. While the Governments of Assam and Bihar have raised the pay scale of matriculate trained teachers, that of Uttar Pradesh has increased the present emoluments of teaching and non-teaching staff of educational institutions. The question of emoluments of teachers was also discussed in the Education Ministers' Conference (June 5th and 6th, 1965), at Srinagar, where it was agreed that teachers' salaries may be improved urgently for raising the standards of education.

18.1. A provision of Rs. 5 crore has been made in the fourth Plan (State sector schemes) for incentive payments and awards to teachers of elementary schools. The Union Government have also been stressing the need 'or adoption of the Triple Benefit Scheme (Pension, Provident Fund and Insurance) by the State Governments. Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Kerala, Madras, Mysore and Uttar Pradesh have introduced this scheme.

19. National Awards for Teachers.-The scheme was instituted in 1958-59 with the object of raising the prestige of teachers and giving public recognition to the meritorious services of outstanding teachers working in the primary, middle, high and higher secondary schools. Each award carries with it a certificate of merit and a cash payment of five hundred rupees, During 1965-66 ninety teachers were granted the awards.

19.1. To be eligible for the award a teacher has to have to his credit at least 20 years of recognised teaching service. The selection is made on the basis of the record of work and reputation of the teacher by a Central Committee on the basis of recommendations made by State Committees.

19.2. A budget provision of Rs. 73,000 (Rs. 48,000 Under non-Plan and Rs. 25,000 under Plan) exists for the scheme for 1965-66.

20. National Foundation for Teachers' Welfare.-The foundation was set tip in 1962 under the Charitable Endowments Act, 1890 with the object of providing relief to teachers and also their dependents, who may be in indigent circumstances and also to sanction ex-gratia grants to such of the selected teachers, upon their retirement, as may have rendered exceptionally meritorious service. A General Committee has been set lip under the chairmanship of the Union Education Minister for the management and administration of the Foundation.

20.1. The funds of the Foundation are made up of the contributions paid by the Union and State Governments and the collections made by the States Union Territories on the occasion of the Teachers' Day which is celebrated on the 5th September every year. The State Governments/ Union Administrations have been authorised to start the programme of assistance under the scheme of the Foundation with effect from the 5th September, 1964, the 1964 Teachers' Day. Up to 1st September, 1965 a sum of Rs. 4,33,000 has been given as assistance to teachers in various States/Union Territories.

D. EDUCATION OF GIRLS AND WOMEN

21. As a result of several steps taken by the Government to encourage women's education during the. third Plan, it is envisaged that by the end of the Plan, 56.4 per cent of girls at the primary stag , 17.0 per cent at the middle stage and 7.7 per cent at the secondary stage will be in schools.

21.1. National Council for Women's Education.-The Council Conti- nued to advise the Union Government on various matters relating to women's education, to promote the activities of the State Councils for Women's Education, and to maintain contacts between the Government and the various organisations working in this field. To ensure a faster pace of expansion of educational facilities at all stages during the fourth Plan, the Council at its seventh meeting recommended that (i) special programme as proposed in the Working Group's Report should be adequately provided for in the central sector, and safeguards should be devised against diversion of these funds to other sectors; (ii) requisite expenditure from the general provision for education should be ensured for promoting girls' education at all stages and in all sectors; and (iii) elementary education for girls should be free in pockets where it is still on a fee-paying basis and primary education should be provided on a universal

basis, latest by the end of the fourth Plan. The Council further recommended that separate financial and physical targets should be shown for girls' education in the primary, middle and secondary stages and these targets should also be set up on an annual basis at State, district and block levels, realistically assessing both the potentiality of the area as well a, the available resources, in the fourth Plan.

21.2. For the acceleration of girls' education, an allocation of Rs. 26.10 lakh (Rs. 25 lakh for States and Rs. 1.10 lakh for Union Territories) has been made under the advance action programme of the fourth Plan.

21.3. With a view to educating public opinion and organising propaganda for the spread of girls' education it is proposed to bold four seminars on programmes and policies regarding girls' education, and to produce a film on Banasthali Vidyapeeth and another film giving brief glimpses oF important educational institutions in the field of secondary and higher education.

E. SPECIAL SCHEMES FOR SCHOOL EDUCATION

22. Central Schools.-In pursuance of a recommendation of the Second Pay Commission, the Union Government formulated the Central Schools Scheme for providing educational facilities to the children of transferable Union Government employees and of other floating population. The scheme, started in. 1963-64, envisages the establishment of about 100 higher secondary schools, in a phased manner, at selected centres in the country. 89 schools (as in Annexure VI) have been established so far, with an enrolment of nearly 36,000 children.

22.1. The schools under this scheme cater, in order of priority, to the needs of the children of Union Government employees (including defence personnel), members of all-India services, employees of autonomous and semi-autonomous bodies fully financed by the Union Government, and other floating population. The medium of instruction in such schools is Hindi/English, with a common syllabus, and students are prepared for a common examination, viz. the All-India Higher Secondary Examination of the Central Board of Secondary Education, New Delhi.

22.2. These schools are incorporating some of the good features, of public schools, without being expensive. Some of the salient features attempted in these schools are : qualified teachers, improved teacher-pupil ratio, well-equipped laboratories, good libraries, a large range of electives in the humanities and science subjects, and moderate cost to the parents. Steps are also being taken to provide residential accommodation to a part of the students, with subsidised boarding facilities for low-income Union Government ex-employees at a number of these schools. (Such hostels have already been started at Fatehgarh, Bareilly and Lansdowne, where accommodation was made available by the regimental authorities concerned.) While no tuition fee is charged for classes I-VIII, a

monthly tuition fee of Rs. 6, Rs. 7 and Rs. 8 is charged in classes IX, X and XI respectively. Scheduled castes/tribes students are exempted from payment of tuition fees. During the emergency, children of JCO's and OR's and equivalent ranks have been exempted from payment of tuition fees.

22.3. The Union Ministry of Education bears the entire expenditure on the Central Schools through grants. Each school is administered by a local School Management Committee. A society named 'Central Schools Organisation' has been registered on 15-12-1965, to run these schools.

22.4. A total amount of Rs. 1.34 crore exists in the current year's budget as revised estimates for giving grants to these schools and an amount of Rs. 1.81 crore has been provided in the budget estimates for the year 1966-67. The programme of construction of buildings for these school. But due to paucity of funds and also the recent cuts imposed during the emergency, adequate financial provision for the full programme of construction could not be made and expenditure on new buildings has been restricted to Rs. 20 lakh during 1965-66.

23. Central Institute of English, Hyderabad.-The main object of the Central Institute of English is reformulating the objectives of English teaching in India, modernising the methods of teaching English, and promoting in schools and colleges a reasonably correct and useful achievements in English as a second language. The Institute has trained about 900 teachers as key personnel who in their turn have trained teachers of English in their own areas in short courses organised by extension centres under the Directorate of Extension Programmes for Secondary Education or by the universities and State departments of education. It has also published many research articles and monographs on various aspects of English teaching.

23.1. The Institute has taken up research projects on contrastive studies of English vis-a-vis modern Indian languages. The Institute has since completed contrastive study of Hindi and English phonology, contrastive study of Tamil and English phonology and Indian English pronunciation. State Institutes of English/English Language Teaching Institutes have been established in Bihar, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal. The States of Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Madras and Mysore have set up a joint Regional Institute of English at Bangalore. These Institutes are also being assisted by British or American experts.

24. Education for Tibetan Children.-The Union Government set up the Tibetan Schools Society under the chairmanship of the Education Minister with the object of providing education to Tibetan refugee children. Under the aegies of the Society, 7 residential and a number of day schools in the resettlement colonies have been set up for the education of

the Tibetan children. The residential schools are located at Simla, Mussoorie, Dalhousie, Pachmarhi, Mount Abu, Darjeeling and Kalimpong. The residential school at Mussoorie is being raised to higher secondary standard from next year and is being affiliated to the Central Board of Secondary Education, New Delhi. In such a school, the Society is providing free education, free board and lodging, books, clothes and other daily necessities of life. The syllabi of these schools have been brought tip to the standard prevailing in Delhi schools to prepare the students for higher secondary examination of the Central Board of Secondary Education.

24.1. In the resettlement colonies, the Society is running three primary and one middle schools in Bylakuppe, two primary schools in Changlang (NEFA), one middle school at Tezu (NEFA), one primary school in Mainpet (Orissa) and three primary schools at Chandragiri in Orissa State. In these schools, the children are getting free education and mid-day meals, but they live with their parents.

24.2. In January, 1966, there were 5,013 students (3,729 students in residential schools and 1,284 students in day schools) against 4,440 students (3,290 in residential schools and 1,150 students in day schools in April, 1965. This number is likely to increase to 5,300 by the end of the current academic year i.e. March, 1966.

24.3. There are 6 Tibetan principals and 7 headmasters in residential schools. The Tibetan principal lookafter the religious, cultural and daily life in the hostel of a residential school. The Tibetan Schools Society has also appointed as assistant headmistress in the Tibetan Refugee School, Dalhousie, where there are a large number of students in a separate campus. The total number of teachers (both in residential as well as, day schools) are 205 which also include the Tibetan teachers who are required to teach the Tibetan language to Tibetan children. The over-all management is vested in the Special Officers of the Ministry of External Affairs. The salient features of the school are preservation of Tibetan culture; (including dance and music) and faith and welfare of Tibetan children by Tibetan foster parents.

24.4. Grants to Tibetan Homes Foundation.-(i) The Society also gives grant-in-aid to Tibetan Homes Foundation, Mussoorie for 405 children at Rs. 50 p.m. per child admitted in the 15 homes who attend the Tibetan Refugee School, Mussoorie, as day scholars. (ii) Grant was given to the Inchey School at Sikkim for 147 children, up to September, 1965 and to 347 onwards. This grant has increased from Rs. 67,694 in 1964-65 to Rs. 97,725.37 during 1965-66. (iii) To the Kalakshetra School, Adyar (Madras), grant is being given for 29 children @ Rs. 50 per month per child for school education.

24.5. Educational-cum-Vocational Training Institute, Pachmarhi.- To solve the problems of over-age students in primary classes who would never teach the higher secondary stage, an Educational-cum- Vocational

Institute has been set up at Pachmarhi where liberal educational-cum- vocational training would proceed simultaneously. The capital expenditure on this Institute during the year 1965-66 shall be approximately Rs. 4 lakh.

24.6. Budget.-The revised budget for the Society for 1965-66 is Rs. 44 lakh. The yearly expenditure during 1964-65 was Rs. 35.61 lakh (only Government aid).

25. Assistance to Voluntary Organisations in the Field of School Education.-There are four schemes under this programme :

(i) Assistance to Voluntary Organisations, working in the field of Pre-Primary, Primary and Basic Education. Five institutions were given Rs. 31,000 as grants.

(ii) Assistance to Voluntary Organisations working in the field equipment etc. were given.

(iii) Assistance to Voluntary Organisations working in the field of Women's Education. Rs. 80,000 were sanctioned as instalment grants for the construction of hostels, to 10 institutions.