EQUALISATION OF EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES AND EDUCATIONAL DEVELOPMENT OF SCHEDULED CASTES, SCHEDULED TRIBES AND MINORITIES
Educational Development of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes 14.1.1 The Department of Education, continued to lay special emphasis on the education of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. The National Policy on Education (NPE), 1986 as updated in 1992, lays special emphasis on the removal of disparities and equalization of educational opportunities by attending to the specific needs of those who have been denied equality so far. The Policy and its programme of Action (POA), 1992 contains specific directions and measures for the educational upliftment of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. The following special provisions for SCs and STs have been incorporated in existing schemes of the Ministry.
- In order to enhance the access to primary education of SC/ST children, the norm for opening of primary school, which is generally one kilometer walking distance from habitations of 300 population, has been relaxed in the case of SC/ST habitations in whose case the norm is to have a primary school within one kilometer walking distance from habitation of 200 population.
- All State Governments have abolished tuition fees in government schools at least up to upper primary level. In most of the states, education is also free in the schools run by local bodies and in private aided institutions.
- Most of the States provide assistance to students belonging to economically backward, SC and ST communities for meeting other costs of education, such as textbooks, uniforms, schools bags, transport, etc.
- A national programme of Nutritional Support to Primary Education was launched with a view to boosting the universalisation of primary education by increasing enrolment, retention and attendance and simultaneously impacting on nutrition of students in primary classes. The programme will cover, in a phased manner by the end of 1997-98, all government, local body and government aided primary schools in all the states/UTs. A fair percentage of actual beneficiaries under the scheme of National Programme of Nutritional Support to Primary Education is likely to be SCs and STs.
- It is proposed to extend the scope of OB scheme to provide three teachers and three rooms to primary schools and to extend the scheme to upper primary stage. In the expanded scheme of OB, priority would be given to schools located in SC/ST habitations.
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14.1.2 The District Primary Education Programme aims at universalization of primary education by providing access for all children to primary education classes (I- V) or its equivalent non-formal education and to reduce overall primary drop-out rates for all children to less than 10%.
14.1.3 The programme covers as many as 59 districts at present and another 61 districts are proposed to be covered by the end of this financial year. Out of these 14 districts have tribal population of 5% to 10%, 11 districts between 10%-15% and 32 districts with more than 15% of population as tribals. As for SC population 7 districts have 5%-10%, 25 districts between 10%-15% and 67 districts with more than 15% of the population of scheduled castes.
- Secondary education is free for children belonging to SCs and STs in all States and Union Territories.
- In Navodaya Vidyalayas reservation of seats in favour of children belonging to SCs and STs is provided in proportion to their population in the concerned districts, provided that in no district such reservation is less than the national average. The admission figures during 1993-94 reveal that 21,593 SC and 12,100 ST students accounting for 21.52 per cent and 12.06 per cent respectively of the total enrolment, have been admitted.
- The enrolment figures in the Total Literacy Campaigns show about 15% SCs and slightly more than 10% STs.
- Instructions have been issued from time to time by the University Grants Commission to all Central Universities, Education Secretaries, State Government/UT Administrations to implement reservation orders in matters of admission of scheduled castes and scheduled tribes. In the universities, according to the existing instructions, 15% of seats in all courses are to be reserved for students belonging to scheduled castes and 7.5% for those belonging to scheduled tribes. Candidates belonging to both categories are to be given relaxation of 5% marks from minimum qualifying level prescribed, if any and if the reserved seats still remain unfilled, further relaxation should be given so that all reserved seats are filled by those belonging to SC/ST categories.
- The University Grants Commission has set up special cells in universities/institution for effective monitoring of various measures taken up for improvement in the educational level of SCs and STs. Such measures include implementation of various orders for reservation in admission to different courses and hostels and employment, introduction of remedial courses, etc. So far about 80 such special cells have been set up.
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- Under the Scheme of Community Polytechnics and IITs priority is given to SC/ST students.
- Reservation is provided to SC/ST students in technical institutions and they are admitted under relaxed norms.
- Remedial coaching is organised for them in many Regional Engineering colleges and IITs.
- Under the scheme of National Scholarship at Secondary Stage for Talented children from Rural Areas, 13,000 scholarships are provided to SC/ST students out of the total of 43,000 scholarships annually.
- Exclusive Junior Research fellowships (50 annually), Post Graduate Scholarships (25), Research Associateships (20), Teacher Fellowships (50), etc. are awarded by University Grants Commission.
- The Central Institute of Indian Languages (CIIL), Mysore prepares textbooks, primers, grammars, dictionaries, bilingual textbooks facilitating translation from regional languages, etc. into tribal languages. They also undertake training of tribal teachers in bilingual education, and socio-linguistic surveys and research.
- For giving a thrust to the programmes for educational development of scheduled castes and tribes, the Department of Education formulates Special Component Plan for Scheduled Castes and Tribal Sub-Plan for Scheduled Tribes.
Minorities Education 14.2.1 The National Policy on Education, 1986, as updated in 1992, envisages paying greater attention to the education of the educationally backward minorities, in the interests of equity and social justice. Chapter 3 of the Programme of Action (POA), 1992 delineates the measures for achieving educational development of such minority groups. Pursuant to the POA, 1992 existing schemes were modified and new schemes launched.
Area Intensive Programme for Educationally Backward Minorities. 14.2.2 This central scheme was launched in May 1993 with the objectives of providing basic infrastructure and facilities in areas of concentration of educationally backward minorities which do not have adequate provision for elementary and secondary education. Under the scheme, cent per cent financial assistance is provided to state governments and voluntary organisations (through state governments) for the following programmes
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i) Establishment of new primary/upper primary schools, non-formal education centres where such need is felt and viability established on the basis of a schools mapping exercise.
ii) Strengthening of educational infrastructure and physical facilities in the primary/upper primary schools.
iii) Opening of multi-stream residential higher secondary schools for girls where science, commerce, humanities and vocational courses are taught.
14.2.3 The scheme earlier restricted to 41 minority concentration districts has now been extended to 331 blocks of concentration of educationally backward minorities in 13 States and 3 UTs.
14.2.4 Since the inception of the scheme i.e., from 1993-94 part financial assistance of an amount of Rs.785 lakh has been released for opening of or construction of buildings for 427 primary/upper primary schools, 3 secondary schools, 6 residential higher secondary schools for girls, and 561 classrooms; upgradation of 22 primary schools into upper primary schools, 2 high schools in to higher secondary school; construction of 10 hostel buildings for girls' higher secondary schools; construction of toilets in 10 schools and provision of teaching learning material in 527 primary/upper primary schools.
14.2.5 B.E. for the year 1996-97 was Rs.220.00 lakhs.
Scheme of Modernisation of Madrasas Education 14.2.6 The scheme of Financial Assistance for Modernisation of Madrasas Education was also initiated in 1993-94 with a view to encouraging traditional institutions like Madrasas and Maktabs to introduce Science, Mathematics, Social Studies, Hindi and English in their curriculum. Under the scheme, cent per cent financial assistance is given to such institutions for appointment of qualified teachers for teaching modern subjects.
Scheme of Coaching Classes for Educationally Backward Minorities 14.2.7 The scheme of coaching students belonging to educationally backward minorities for various competitive examinations was introduced by the University Grants Commission in 1984. The scheme was revamped in March, 1992. The scheme is currently being implemented in 22 universities and 62 colleges. From 1984 to March 1995, 48856 candidates had availed the facility of coaching classes. The number of successful candidates is 2966.
198 3 - Five Universities identified for coordinating/ organising coaching classes
* Jamia Millia Islamia University : New Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar,
* Delhi, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab and Madhya Pradesh.
* Bombay University : Maharashtra and Gujarat
* Madras University : Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Orissa
* Osmania University : Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka
* Calcutta University : West Bengal and North Eastern States
Jamia Millia Islamia and Calicut University Identified as centres for coaching for civil services examination and for processing of applications.
Community Polytechnics 14.2.8 As part of implementation of the 15-point Programme. 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 have been covered by community polytechnics or their extension centres. Since the inception of the scheme in 1978-79 till 1993-94, 34447 (17397 men + 17050 women) persons belonging to the minority community have been trained. Out of the total number of people who have been trained 11935 (6603 men and 5332 women) have secured employment.
Training of Minority Educational Institutions Personnel 14.2.9 NCERT has been organising seminars and training programmes for principals/teachers of minority managed schools, in subjects Such as English, Science, Mathematics and in the area of vocationalisation and educational evaluation. About 450 Principals and 950 teachers have been trained so far.
Recognition of Minority Educational Institutions 14.2.10 The Department of Education have issued guidelines for recognition of minority managed education institutions and these have been circulated to State Governments advising them to consider applications for recognition promptly.
National Urdu University 14.2.11 The Parliament has passed legislation for establishment of Maulana Azad National Urdu University at Hyderabad as a Central University, National Council for Promotion of Urdu
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14.2.12 A National Council for Promotion of Urdu as constituted on 4th October,1994 as an autonomous body fully funded by the Government of India replacing the Taraqui-Urdu Board which was a sub-ordinate office of the Department of Education.
National Monitoring Committee 14.2.13 A National Monitoring Committee on Minorities Education under the chairmanship of the Union Minister for Human Resource Development was set up on 28th July, 1995 to monitor educational programmes for minorities. The Committee held two meetings on 8th November, 1995 and 3rd December, 1996.
Externally Assisted Basic Education Projects 14.2.14 Externally assisted basic education projects like the District Primary Education Programme, Lok Jumbish, etc, have been launched. Out of the 41 minority concentration districts 20 have been covered under the District Primary Education Programme.
Total Literacy Campaigns 14.2.15 The Total Literacy Campaigns have been sanctioned in 40 out of the 41 minority concentration districts.
14.2.16 Besides the above country-wide programmes such as those of Non-Formal Education, Operation Blackboard, Mid-day Meal Scheme have also benefitted minority concentration areas.
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