INTRODUCTION
MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH
ACTIVITIES 1956-57 There has been increased activity and expansion -in all fields of education and culture during 1956-57. This was the first year of the Second Five-Year Plan of Educational Development which aims at providing a minimum standard of education for the largest possible number of citizens within the limited resources available, so as to ensure that in due course, the needs of democracy are adequately met. During the period under review, the Ministry of Education has. worked out the details of several projects designed to improve the quality and standard of education at all levels and to expand educational facilities on a large scale.
GENERAL EDUCATIONAL DEVELOPMENTS A conference of Education Ministers considered the report of the Basic Education Assessment Committee and, re-affirming the acceptance of Basic education as the national pattern of Elementary education, suggested certain measures to carry out educational reconstruction on Basic lines. The National Institute of Basic Education started functioning. Its main functions are to conduct research in Basic education and to impart advanced training to senior workers, e.g., Inspectors, administrators etc. in the field of Basic education.
A scheme of improving salary scales of teachers of Primary and Junior Basic schools to be implemented by, State Governments with financial assistance from the Centre, has been approved. The schemes of Pre-primary, Elementary and Basic education included in the State Governments' Educational Development Programmes for 1956-57 were considered by the Government of India and Central assistance was given for their implementation.
The work of the Ministry in the field of the production of literature for adults and children made substantial progress. The National Book Trust and the National Fundamental Education Centre that have been set up during the current year, will start functioning regularly in 1957-58.
The Ministry sponsored research in Social education 'during the current year and will intensify this research in the field during 1957-58. The Advisory Committee for Libraries will start work in the next year and the Library Institute will soon start its first training course for District Libraries.
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A seven-day All-India Teachers' Conference on Audio-Visual Education, and a four-day Film Seminar on the educational use of films were organised at Delhi. A sum of Rs. 3.63 lakhs was paid as the first part of Central assistance to State Governments for the implementation of various Audio-Visual schemes under the Second Five- Year Plan.
Under the Scheme for the Reconstruction of Secondary Education during the First Five-Year Plan, a total amount of Rs. 5.19--crores was sanctioned as the Central Government's share in favour of various State Governments to convert 480 Secondary schools into multipurpose schools with 941 diversified courses and for other ancillary schemes such as improving the teaching of Science and other core subjects, as well as school Libraries etc. In the first 'year of the Second Five- Year Plan, Central assistance is being given to State Governments on most of the schemes of Secondary education included in their plans.
The Ministry has started a new project in collaboration with the Ford Foundation, the United States Educational Foundation in India, the British Council and the Canadian High Commission, for providing advanced training, theoretical and practical, in science teaching for selected teachers who have been deputed for specially designed courses to the U.K., the U.S.A. and Canada.
Under the Second Five-Year Plan, a provision of Rs. 5 crores has been included for the improvement and development of affiliated colleges. The Committee appointed to work out the estimates of expenditure connected with the introduction of a three-year Degree course and to consider other allied schemes is expected to submit its report shortly. A sum of Rs. 2 crores has been provided under the Second Plan for the grant of loans for the construction of hostels.
The University Grants Commission Act, 1956, (No. 3 of 1956) came into force with effect from 5th November, 1956, and the Commission was constituted as a statutory body under the aforesaid Act. A sum of Rs. 4.17 crores has been provided in the estimates for 1957-58 as "Grant- in-aid to University Grunts Commission."
Progress in Technical education was fully maintained. During the Second Plan, it is proposed to convert 19 Engineering colleges and 46 Polytechnics into large units so as to provide about 2,540 additional seats for degree and 4,225 seats for diploma courses. In addition the establishment of three new colleges and 27 new Polytechnics with 520 seats for degree and 4,630 seats for diploma courses, is under consideration.
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A sum of Rs. 3,41,770 was paid in the current year to 65 workers for Fundamental Research. In addition, development grants totalling Rs. 145.08 lakhs were paid to Engineering and Technological institu- tions.
It is proposed to start courses in Mining Engineering at degree level and to expand such facilities in some existing Engineering colleges. Steps are also being taken to expand training facilities and to improve the standard of courses in Pharmaceutical education.
Development of Hindi.-Grants totalling Rs. 1,55,630 have been paid to "Hindi organisations for the propagation and development of Hindi". The non-Hindi speaking States have been sanctioned grants totalling Rs. 2,76,595 for the promotion of Hindi in their respective areas.
With a view to helping people in non-Hindi speaking areas to learn Hindi through the medium of their own mother-tongue, a scheme has been drawn up for the preparation of bilingual alphabet charts in Hindi and 12 other regional languages. The best three charts in each language will be awarded prizes. Prizes were awarded to the authors of Hindi books under the Central Government Schemes for encouraging the production of good literature in Hindi. A standard keyboard for the Hindi typewriter has been finalised.
The Research Wing of the Hindi Division has so far evolved over 85,000 technical terms in Hindi. A final list of terms up to the Secondary stage in Agriculture was published. Provisional Lists of terms in a number of subjects were circulated to various Ministries, State Governments and Universities etc., for comments.
The programme for the year 1957-58 includes a number of new schemes, like the opening of a Hindi Teachers' Training College in each non-Hindi speaking State, holding periodical seminars for the benefit of Hindi teachers of non-Hindi speaking States, sending University, teachers and students debating teams from Hindi speaking States to non-Hindi speaking States and vice-versa and holding an Exhibition of scientific and technical literature in Hindi.
Scholarships.-The various schemes for the award of scholarships for studies abroad and in India were continued during the year 1956- 57. Two new schemes, one for the award of 20 fully-paid scholarships for overseas studies to young and brilliant persons, and the second for the award of 400 post-matric scholarships to meritorious students for collegiate studies in India were initiated.
Cultural and International Activities.-A Sanskrit Commission has been set up to consider the present state of Sanskrit education
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in the country in all its aspects and to make recommendations to promote study and research in Sanskrit.
An amount of Rs. 10,75,103/- has so far been paid to 14 organi- sations doing useful work in the field of Culture.
One of the most important events of this year was the 2500th Anniversary of the Parinirvana of Gautama, the Buddha. Among the functions held to celebrate the Anniversary were an Exhibition of Buddhist Art and a Symposium on "Buddhism's Contribution to Art, Letters and Philosophy", in which a large number of eminent scholars from India and abroad, including their Holinesses the Dalai Lama and Panchen Lama, participated.
The Ninth Session of the General Conference of Unesco, held at New Delhi from 5th November to 5th December, 1956, marks an important event. It was the first time that such a big international conference was held in this country and it evoked much interest and enthusiasm, not only among intellectuals and educationists but also among the common people. The Government of India, as host country, provided, in addition to premises and hotel accommodation, a number of essential services. Delegates showed deep interest in, and appreciation of India's achievements in the fields of education, culture and science as well as, in general national development. The programme -adopted at the Conference for 1957-58 includes three major projects, of which those on Arid Zone Research and Mutual Appreciation of Eastern and Western Cultural Values are of special interest to India.
Recognising the importance of cultural exchanges in the promotion of mutual good-will and understanding between India and other foreign countries, the Government of India provided a sum of Rs. 25,00,000 in the current year's budget for such activities.
An extensive programme of cultural activities including sending cultural delegations abroad and inviting them to India, was under- taken. Special mention may be made of the two delegations which were sent to South-East Asia and Eastern European countries including the U.S.S.R.
Youth Welfare.-In order to enable students to visit places of historic importance, cultural interest and scenic beauty, a sum of Rs. 1.5 lakhs has been sanctioned to nearly 200 different institutions in the country.
The third annual Inter-University Yoth Festival was organised in October, 1956. Competitions were held in various cultural activities of Dance, Drama and Music. Thirty-one Universities in the country
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entered their contingents, for various competitive items and a total number of 1,441 persons attended the festival.
Publications.-During the year as many as 75 educational publi- cations and ten Statistical publications were brought out. It is pro- posed to bring out a quarterly on Audio-Visual Education and another on Youth Welfare, Sports and Physical Education very shortly.