INTRODUCTORY
In his foreword to the Seventh Five Year Plan, the Prime Minister
laid emphasis on Human Resource Development in the following
words :-
"In the final analysis, development is not just about factories, dams
and roads. Development is basically about people. The goal
is people's material, cultural and spiritual fulfilment. The
human factor, the human context, is of supreme value. We
must pay much greater attention to these questions in
future."
Consistent with these thoughts of the Prime Minister, the Ministry
of Human Resource Development undertook coordinated efforts for the
all round development of education, culture, sports, the youth, women
and children.
One of the objectives of the Ministry of Human Resource Develop-
ment is to bring about coordinated and integrated approach in regard to
programmes affecting human resource development, namely, programmes
of Education, Health, Nutrition, Employment, etc. The National Policy
on Education 1986 emphasises the need to further intensify the nation-
wide efforts in human resource development with education playing its
multi-faceted role. In the implementation of National Policy on Educa-
tion, the linkages with several related sectors, such as, Health, Nutrition,
Employment, etc. have been kept in view. Besides, the Ministry of
Human Resource Development has also requested the State Governments
to initiate pilot/experimental projects for working out better coordination
and integration of programmes in several areas concerning human resource
development so that the experience gained and the conclusions arrived at
as a result of these experimental projects could form the basis for the
development of a coordinated and integrated strategy for human resource
development in the 8th Five Year Plan.
In the following five parts of the report, the Ministry presents a
comprehensive picture of the activities and achievements of the different
Departments :-
Part I-Department of Education
Part II-Department of Culture
Part III-Department of Arts
Part IV-Department of Women and Child Development
Part V-Department of Youth Affairs and Sports.
The year 1987 witnessed the commencement of implementation of
the National Policy on Education 1986. Activities envisaged under the
Programme of Action were taken up. Major steps to achieve the objective
of universalisation of elementary education were put in full steam-school
improvement in terms of building space and environment, equipment and
teaching staff. The Non-Formal educational system was put on cost
effective, scientific and rationalised footing with more meaningful involve-
ment of voluntary agencies.
In order that the talented children of the rural masses are given
equitable opportunities, decisions involving major investments on residen-
tial schools (Navodaya Vidyalayas) were taken. A network of these
schools is coming up all over the country.
Science education, education on environment, and education techno-
logy and vocationalisation have been brought under special focus.
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The quality of the teachers in general has been sought to be improved
by systematic training programmes. The scales of pay of the University
and college teachers have been revised significantly with massive assistance
for States.
Adult Education has come to be rationalised in terms of a technology
mission for national literacy.
The All India Council for Technical Education has come to be given
a statutory base to facilitate orderly growth of technical education.
Cutting across the entire spectrum of education, special emphasis has
been laid on reorganisation of the content and process of education, linkage
of education with work and employment, open learning and continuing
education, people's participation including through voluntary agencies and
education of women, minorities, scheduled castes and tribes as also the
handicapped. Values like national integration and techniques like innova-
tion and experimentation have been given all pervading importance. At
all levels, management infrastructure for education has been Liven special
attention too. Efforts have been made also for making the whole education
system accountable to the community as also the parents.
The preservation, promotion and enrichment of the cultural traditions
of the country have continued to be the vital concern of the Department
of Culture. The Department have sought to maintain the vibrancy of
these traditions through a network- of institutions and supportive schemes.
Seven Zonal Cultural Centres undertook activities focussing attention on
cultural kinship and dissemination of culture through popular expositions.
Conduct of festivals of India abroad and cultural festivals concerning
other countries in India as well as cultural exchange programmes with
over 70 countries brought the peoples of various countries closer to the
people of India.
In the Department of Arts, action was initiated for nucleating the
programmes of the Indira Gandhi National Centre for Arts (IGNCA)
as per the conceptual plan of the Centre. Important initiatives included
enlargement of the Cultural Reference Library and streamlining of the
computerised national information system and data bank on arts,
humanities and cultural heritage. Another highlight has been drawing up
of a plan for compiling Tribal Art. Atlas. The IGNCA itself was registered
as an autonomous trust with Shri Rajiv Gandhi as the President of the
trust and Shri P. V. Narasimha Rao as Chairman of its Executive Com-
-mittee.
The Department of Women and Child Development undertook co-
ordinated efforts at the development of pre-school children and women,
enlisting the support and cooperation of several Departments as also the
States and Union Territories. Under the Integrated Child Development
Services (ICDS), a package of early childhood services was rendered in
terms of supplementary nutrition, immunization, health check-up etc. to
children below six years of age and expectant nursing mothers.
The Festival of India in USSR and of USSR in India facilitated
reciprocal visits of the youth to the two countries. The National Service
Scheme volunteers and Nehru Yuvak Kendras made significant contribu-
tions in the area of natural calamities relief. The Society for National
Institutes of Physical Education and Sports (SNIPES) was- amalgamated
with the Sports Authority of India effective from 1st May, 1987. The
sports infrastructure in the country has been strengthened by the Third
South Asian Federation Games and Second National Games. "Reliance
Cup- 1987" was the fourth in the series of World Cup in Cricket. This
was jointly hosted by India and Pakistan. Signing of Sports Protocols
with USSR, GDR, Cuba and Mauritius and unanimous adoption of the
revised draft National Policy of Youth in a conference, of Ministers of
States and Union Territories incharge of Youth in a conference of Ministers of
the other highlights of the activities of the Department of Youth Affairs
and Sports.
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