TWENTY POINT PROGRAMME AND
 ACCESS TO EDUCATION FOR THE
 DISABLED
 

Education of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes

14.1.1 Department of Education continued to lay special emphasis on the education of Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs) in all its programmes which include the removal of disparities and equalisation of educational opportunities as one of their objectives.

14.1.2 Under the schemes of Operation Blackboard, Non-Formal Education, Adult Education, etc., States were advised to give high priority to selection of blocks which have concentration of SCs and STs.

14.1.3 Other facilities like reservation of seats (15% for SCs and 7.5% for STs) in admission and in appointments of teachers upto the level of lecturer, in educational institutions funded by the Government of India, relaxation in qualifying marks in entrance examinations, provision of Junior Research Fellowships and Teacher Fellowships exclusively for the students belonging to SC/ST were continued.

14.1.4 The Indian Institutes of Technology operate a scheme under which candidates belonging to SCs and STs, who fail in the Joint Entrance Examination by a slender margin of marks are given further training and admitted to relevant courses.

Minorities' Education

14.2.1 In pursuance of the revised POA-1992 , two new Central Schemes, i.e., (i) scheme of Area Intensive Programme for Educationally Backward Minorities and (ii) scheme of Financial Assistance for Modernisation of Madarsa Education, were launched during 1993-94.

14.2.2 The basic objective of the scheme of Area Intensive Programme for Educationally Backward Minorities is to provide basic educational infrastructure and facilities in areas of concentration of educationally backward minorities which do not have adequate provision for elementary and secondary schools. Under the scheme, 100 per cent assistance is given for (i) establishment of new primary and upper primary schools, non-formal education centres where such a need is felt and viable on the basis of a school mapping exercise; (ii) strengthening of educational infrastructure and physical facilities in the primary and upper primary schools; and (iii) opening of multi- stream residential higher secondary schools for girls where science, commerce, humanities and vocational courses are taught to the educationally backward minorities. The Eighth Five Year Plan Provision for this scheme is Rs.16.27 crore targeted to cover at least 50 blocks. Proposals for various programmes in 69 blocks has been approved by March 1994. The budget estimate for 1994-95 is Rs.220 lakh against which an amount of Rs.182.19 lakh has been released by 28 February, 1995.

14.2.3 The scheme of Financial Assistance for Modernisation of Madarsa Education is being implemented with a view to encouraging traditional institutions

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like Madarsas and Maktabs Hindi and English in their curriculum. Under the scheme, cent per cent assistance is given to such institutions for appointment of qualified teachers for teaching the new subjects to be introduced.

14.2.4 The University Grants Commission introduced in 1984 a coaching scheme to prepare students belonging to educationally backward minorities for various competitive examinations. The scheme is currently being implemented in 21 universities and 32 colleges. Upto March, 1993 41002 candidates had availed the facility of Coaching Classes. The number of successful candidates is approximately 2650 during 1992-93. The scheme was revamped in March, 1993.

14.2.5 implementation of the 15-Point Programme, As part of for minorities,, ten polytechnics were selected during 1984-85 in minority concentration areas for upgrading them as community polytechnics. By the end of financial year 1990-91, all the 41 minority concentration districts had been covered by community polytechnics or their extension centres.

14.2.6 NCERT has been organising seminars and training programme for principals/teachers of minority managed schools, in the subject areas of English, Science, Mathematics, Vocationalisation of education and Educational Evaluation. About 450 Principals and 950 teachers have been trained so far.

14.2.7 Department of education had prepared policy, norms and principles for recognition of minority managed educational institutions and these had been circulated to State Governments in 1989 for enabling them to prepare detailed guidelines in the matter.

14.2.8 According to the guidelines issued by the All India Council for Technical Education for Minority Educational Institutions', in the academic year 1994-95, fifty per cent of the total intake in a minority educational authority on institutions shall be filled by candidates selected by the Competent authority on the basis of the common merit list.The remaining fifty percent seats shall be filled up by the management of such minority technical institutions from amongst the candidate belonging to the minority community on the basis of merit.

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