HIGHER EDUCATION
FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE TO AFFILIATED COLLEGES Under the Second Five-Year Plan a provision of about 'Rs. 5.0 crores has been made for the improvement and development of affiliated colleges. In accordance with the recommendations of the Education Ministers' Conference held on 2nd and 3rd September 1956, a Committee was appointed under the Chairmanship of Shri C. D. Deshmukh, Chairman, University Grants Commission, to work out the estimates of expenditure connected with the introduction of the three-year Degree Course in Indian universities and to consider other allied schemes. The Committee has concluded its deliberations and is expected to submit its report shortly.
According to the estimates prepared by the Committee, a sum of Rs. 25.0 crores will be required to introduce the reform. The Committee expected that the Ministry of Education and Scientific Research would contribute, during the Second Five-Year Plan, an amount of Rs. 7.5 crores (including Rs. 2.5 crores to be made available by the University Grants Commission), and a similar sum would be found by the State Governments including contributions from Private Managements making a total of Rs. 15 cores. The Committee felt that this sum would suffice for the Second Five-Year Plan period, as some of the universities might not introduce the reform till after 1961, when an additional sum of Rs. 10.0 crores could be found from suitable sources. The expenditure is to be shared by the Central and State Governments in equal proportion.
The estimates prepared by the Committee took into account, inter- Colleges" on the basis of 50 per cent of total expenditure involved. education with the introduction of the Three-Year Degree Course. With the raising of at least 250 of the existing Intermediate Colleges to Degree standard, the total number of Degree colleges will rise from 531 to 781. This will help to reduce over-crowding in a number of existing institutions. Provision has also been made in the estimates for additional staff to improve the teacher-pupil ratio, for better laboratory, library, staff-room and lecture room accommodation, as well as for equipment and books. The total estimated expenditure includes also the cost of introducing General Education, so that there will be no Arts College in which General Science is
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not taught and vice-versa. For this purpose, extra laboratory, staff and library books have been provided.
State Educational Development Programmes.
Total
amount of
Central
Name of State Name of Scheme assistance
paid or
payable during
1956-57
(Rs. in lakhs)
Bihar Assistance to voluntary orga-
nisations for college girls
tutorial classes 0.175
Madhya Pradesh Completion of the Mahakoshal
Mahavidyalaya Buildings,
Jabbalpur 1.95
Development of M. H. College
of Home Science for Women at
Jabbalpur 0.42
Girls' Degree College, Indore 0.282135
Panjab Opening of two colleges for No amount has
women at Chandigarh and been paid speci-
Rohtak fically for this
scheme during
1956-57.
The State Govern-
ment has been
requested to
incur expenditure
on the scheme
out of the
surplus funds
from Central
grants lying-
with them.
Uttar Pradesh Expansion and improvement of
State College of Home Science 1.0
Jammu & Kashmir Construction of laboratories
and lecture rooms attached to
Women's College, Srinagar 1.25
Rajasthan 1. Raising Girls' Inter-Colleges
to Degre Standards 0.324785
2. Raising Girls' Degree College
to Post-Graduate standard 0.400000
3. Upgrading Government Girls'
High School, Udaipur to inter
Standard 0.107750
Rs. 0.832535
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It is proposed that financial assistance may be continued on the same basis to State Governments in respect of these and similar schemes that are included in the budget for 1957-58.
Loans for Construction of Hostels. A provision of Rs. 26 lakhs was originally made in the current year's budget for this purpose, out of which Rs. 10.4 lakhs was for College Hostels.
In respect of affiliated colleges, some State Governments submit- ted proposals for sanctioning loans for the construction of hostels. These proposals have been considered and an expenditure sanction of Rs. 38.41 lakhs accorded for the purpose during the current financial year. The balance of Rs. 28.01 lakhs was met out of the savings of 1956-57. It is expected that as a result of these sanctions, hostel accommodation for 2,600 students will be provided.
A provision of Rs. 40.0 lakhs has been made for the year 1957-58 for the purpose out of which Rs. 16.0 lakhs is for College Hostels.
Banaras Hindu University. The President in his capacity as the Visitor of the Banaras Hindu University approved of the University's proposals for the creation of the following Departments:-
(i) Department of Indian Philosophy and Religion;
(ii) Department of Chemical Engineering and Technology in Faculty of Technology;
(iii) Department of Silicate Technology in Faculty of Technology; and
(iv) Department of Civil and Municipal Engineering in Faculty of Technology.
Visva Bharati University. 34
Aligarh Muslim University.
General Education Courses.
Home Science Education and Research.
India Wheat Loan Educational Exchange Programme. 35
The outline of the programme for the third year (1956-57) has -also been approved by the Governments of India and the U.S.A. The exchange of the personnel aspect was implemented on 15th February 1957 when a group of 24 University teachers left for the U.S.A. for four- and-a-half month study-tour.
Village Apprenticeship Scheme.
University Grants Commission. 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. The present composition of the Commission is as follows:-
Chairman
1. Shri C. D. Deshmukh.
Members
2. Dr. Zakir Husain
3. Shri H. N. Kunzru.
4. Dr. M. S.. Thacker.
5. Shri G. C. Chatterji, Vice-Chancellor, University of Rajputana.
6. Dr. A. L. Mudaliar, Vice-Chancellor, University of Madras.
7. Prof. N. K. Sidhanta, Vice-Chancellor, University of Calcutta.
8. Shri K. G. Saiyidain, Secretary, Ministry of Education.
9. Shri S. Ratnam, Secretary, Ministry of Finance.
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In exercise of the powers conferred by Section 25 of the University Grants Commission Act, 1956, the Central Government have framed the University Grants Commission (Disqualification, Retirement and Conditions of Service of Members) Rules, 1956. These Rules were laid on the Table of the Rajya Sabha and the Lok Sabha on 11th and 12th December, 1956, respectively.
Prior to the establishment of the University Grants Commission as a statutory body, a sum of Rs. 1,00,94,451-12-3 only was placed at its disposal during 1956-57 for giving grants to universities as well as for meeting the administration charges of the Commission. Under the University Grants Commission Act, 1956, the Commission now has its own Fund. A grant of Rs. 2,40,95,183-4-6 only has been paid to the statutory University Grants Commission so far for being credited to its Fund out of which all expenditure of the Commission including grants to universities, is being met. A total provision of Rs. 3-5 crores exists in the current year's budget for "Grants-in-aid to the University Grants Commission". The Commission has estimated its revised requirements for 1956-57 at about Rs. 3.72 crores. For the budget for 1957-58, a provision of Rs. 1.42 crores has been made for "Grants-in-aid to the University Grants Commission" for non-plan items of expenditure. A further sum (if Rs. 2.75 crores, has been provided for "Grants-in-aid to the University Grants Commission during 1957-58" on account of grants to universities for the implementation of the project approved under the Second Five-Year Plan.
A sum of Rs. 27 crores has been allocated for grants-in-aid to the, Commission under the Second Five-Year Plan. Out of this a sum of Rs. 2.5 crores has been earmarked for giving loans to universities for the construction of Hostels and Staff Quarters and Rs. 3 crores; for the Centenary Celebrations of the Universities of Bombay,, Calcutta and Madras.
Soon after his appointment, Shri C. D. Deshmukh, Chairman, visited a number of universities to acquaint himself with their pro- blems. A number of Visiting Committees were appointed by the Commission in connection with specific development proposals of the universities. These Committees visited the universities and submitted their reports on which suitable action was taken by the Commission. Various officers of the Commission also paid visits to the universities and discussed with authorities of the universities details of the various schemes of development which had been agreed to by the Commission.
The Commission further considered the question of the revision, of scales of salaries of University teachers. They have revised the
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scales of pay of the teachers of the Central Universities with effect from 1st April, 1956. A number of Universities (Allahabad, Bombay, Jammu and Kashmir and Lucknow) have now scales similar to or better than the scales suggested by the University Grants Commission. The Universities of Madras, Rajputana, Gujarat, Karnatak, Andhra and Travancore, have given effect to the revised scales of pay of their teachers. The other universities have not yet revised the scales of pay of their teachers as the State Governments concerned have not agreed to bear the 20 per cent of their share of the expenditure.
The Reviewing Committee appointed by the Commission to fix block grants of the Central Universities, submitted its report and in- accordance with the recommendations of the Committee, the annual block grants of Central Universities have been fixed as follows for the quinquennium 1956-61:-
RS.
Aligarh Muslim University 31,86,000
Banaras Hindu University 50,40,000
Delhi University 24,40,000
Visva-Bharati, Santiniketan 11,14,000
Total 1,17,80,000
The Commission had appointed a Scrutiny Committee to scrutinise the various proposals of the universities during the Second Five-Year Plan. The report of this Committee was received and necessary action has been taken in implementing the recommendations made by the Scrutiny Committee. The Commission had also appointed a Building Committee to lay down specifications of buildings to be constructed by the universities. The Recommendations made by this Committee have been accepted by the Commission and will be circulated to the universities for adoption. The Commission have recently appointed a Committee to determine what constitute institutions of higher education under Section 3 of the University Grants Commission Act.
The Commission decided that suitable commemoration of the centenaries of the Universities of Bombay, Calcutta and Madras would justify a grant of Rs. one crore each from the University Grants Commission in view of the fact that the foundation of these Universities marks the beginning of modem education in India. It has been agreed that the expenditure in this connection should be on development of a permanent nature, such as construction or, expansion of buildings, endowment of professorships, scholarships,.
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etc. and that on part of the grant should be spent on mere celebrations.
During 1956-57 the Commission accepted the report of the Expert Committee appointed to consider the question of the development of Astronomical Observatories and the establishment of new Departments of Astronomy. The Committee had recommended that for the present only one centre should be developed for experimental Astronomy and one for theoretical Astronomy and Astro-physics. For the former, Osmania University has been selected by the Commission where an Observatory and the Department of Astronomy are to be developed at an estimated cost of over Rs. 18.0 lakhs. The centre for Theoretical Astronomy and Astro-physics is to be developed at Delhi University at an estimated cost of about 9.0 lakhs.
The Commission has also appointed an Expert Committee on Geology and Applied Geology and another Committee for the development of Geo- Physics. Reports of these committees are awaited. Meanwhile, the Departments of Applied Geology have been sanctioned in the Universities of Saugor and Nagpur, the cost of which will be met from the donation given by Messrs. C. P. Manganese Ore Co. Ltd.
The Commission has given special attention during the year to the starting of new workshops and the development of old ones on the basis that each university should have a Central Workshop to cater for the needs of all Science Departments. Liberal grants have been made for this purpose.
Special attention has also been paid for strengthening and developing libraries for which liberal grants have been paid for the purchase of books and, particularly, old journals.
During the year special grants have been given to the High Altitude Research Observatory established at Gulmarg under the joint auspices of the Aligarh Muslim and the Jammu and Kashmir Universities.
In Technology special grants have been sanctioned for the Depart- ments of Aplied Physics, Applied Chemistry and Radio-Physics and Electronics at Calcutta University, for Madras A; C. College of Technology arid for the Department of Chemical Technology, Bombay.
Encouragement has been given to the development of Pharmaceutical Education by making more funds available to the Pharmaceutics Departments, in the Universities of Andhra, Banaras the Punjab and Saugar.
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In Engineering, a new College has been sanctioned in Orissa under Utkal University. The starting of courses in Civil Engineering has been sanctioned at Jadavpur University. Post-Graduate courses in several subjects have been started e.g. in Health, Engineering, Electrical Machine Design and Soil Mechanics and Foundation Engineering at Roorkee, and Electrical Machine Design at Banaras Hindu University. Funds on a liberal scale have been placed at the disposal of Aligarh Muslim University and Banaras Hindu University for strengthening existing facilities in Engineering. Roorkee University started this year new courses in Water Resources Development which several students from South-East Asian countries have joined.
To produce more personnel for Mining and Metallurgy Engineering, Osmania University has been given special financial. assistance to start courses in Mining Engineering. Admission to the Mining and Metallurgy courses has been increased at Banaras Hindu University. A new School of Architecture has been sanctioned at Madras University.
The Commission have decided that 80 Post-Graduate and 50 Research Scholarships of the value of Rs. 100 and Rs. 150 p.m. respectively be instituted for Humanities in the Universities. The rules for the award of these have been prepared and further necessary action is being taken. The institution of similar scholarships for ,science Departments is under consideration.
The Commission has a proposal under consideration for the intro- duction of a General Education Course in the Universities in India. A beginning for the implementation of the scheme at the Aligarh Muslim University has already been made by way of preparation ,of reading materials. (Demand No. 21).
RURAL HIGHER EDUCATION In pursuance of the recommendations of the National Council for Rural Higher Education the following ten Rural Institutes have been developed and have started functioning with the courses mentioned against each.
1. Institute of Rural Higher (i) Three-year Diploma in Rural Services
Education , Sriniketan.
(ii) Two-year Certificate in Cultural
Science
(iii) One year Preparatory Course.
2. Gandhigram Rural Institute, Do.
Madurai.
3. Jamia Millia Rural (i) Three-year Diploma in Rural Services
Institute, Jamia Nagar,
New Delhi (ii) One-year Preparatory Course.
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4. Vidya Bhawan Rural (i) Three-year Diploma in Rural
Services
Institute, Udaipur.
(ii) Three-year certificate in Civil
Rural Engineering.
(iii) One-year Preparatory Course.
5. Rural Institute of Three-year Diploma in Rural
Higher Studies, Services
Darbhanga, Bihar.
6. Balwant Vidyapeeth Rural (i) Three-year Diploma in Rural Services
Institute, Agra.
(ii)Three-year certificate in Civil and
Rural Engineering.
(iii)One-year Preparatory Course.
7. Lok Bharati Rural (i) Three-year Diploma in Rural ,
Institute, Sanosara,
Bombay. (ii) Two-year certificate in
Agricultural Science.
(iii) One-year Preparatory Course.
8. Ramakrishna Mission (i) Three-year Certificate in Civil
Vidyalaya Rural Institute Engineering.
Coimbatore.
(ii) Two-year certificate in
Agricultural Science.
9. Rural Institute, Amravati, (i) Three-year Diploma in Rural Services
Bombay.
(ii) Two-year certificate in
Agricultural Science.
(iii) One-year Preparatory Course.
10. Mouni Vidyapeeth Rural
Institute Gargoti. One-year Diploma in Teaching.
Ad hoc grants amounting to Rs. 2 lakhs each to the first five and Rs. 1 lakh each to the remaining Institutes were sanctioned during the year 1955-56 to enable them to make preliminary arrangements. Further grants on the basis of the Central Government meeting 75 per cent of the non-recurring and 50 per cent of the recurring expenditure have been sanctioned to the following eight institutions so far:-
Rs.
1. Rural Institute, Amravati 1,86,565
2. Vidya Bhawan Rural Institute, Udaipur 2,22,435
3. Gandhigram Rural Institute, Madurai 1,31,280
4. Ramakrishna Mission Vidyala Rural
Institute, Coimbatore 2,07,612
5. Balwant Vidyapeeth Rural Institute, Agra 2,37,104
6. Institute of Rural Higher Education,
Sriniketan. 2,35,822
7. Lok Bharati, Sanosara 1,32,772
8. Mouni Vidyapeeth, Gargoti 29,580
Grants for other Institutes are under consideration.
During the Second Five-Year Plan period, these Institutes will be further developed to run all six courses suggested by the Rural. Higher Education Committee. A sum of Rs. 2 crores has been made in the Central budget for this purpose for the Second Plan period,
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The Ford Foundation has approved a grant of $ 14,90,000 for the scheme of which a sum of Rs. 16.37 lakhs has already been released.
The syllabuses of the three following courses as prepared by experts and approved by the National Council have been adopted in the Rural Institutes.
1. Three-year Diploma in Rural Services.
2.. Three-year certificate in Civil and Rural Engineering.
3. Two-year Certificate in Agricultural Science.
The syllabus for the Rural Health Workers course (women) is still under consideration.
A National Council for Rural Higher Education has been set up at the Centre. The Council will serve as an expert Body to advise the Central and State Governments and the Rural Institutes about improvement and expansion of Rural Higher Education in all its phases and maintenance of standards of Education. The Council has set up a standing Committee which is its principal executive and consultative body.
The Government of India have introduced for the year 1956-57 in the first instance a scheme of stipends in the Rural Institutes up-to a maximum of 20 per cent of the students on roll at the following monthly rates; Diploma in Rural Services Rs. 60; Certificate in Civil and Rural Engineering Rs. 50; Certificate in Agricultural Science Rs. 40 and Preparatory Course Rs. 40.
The following amounts have been sanctioned to Rural Institutes ,on the above basis for disbursement to students:-
Rs.
Gandhigram Rural Institute, Madurai 6,312
Jamia Millia Rural Institute, Jamia Nagar 3,600
Institute of Rural Higher Education, Sriniketan 1,650
Vidya Bhavan Rural Institute, Udaipur 4,332
Balwant Vidyapeeth Rural Institute, Agra 8,380
Ramakrishna Mission Vidyalaya, Coimbatore 4,200
Lok Bharati, Sanosara 3,240
Rural Institute, Amravati 7,840
Rural Institute of Higher Studies, Bihar 4,800
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Among the schemes to be implemented by the Ministry of Education and Scientific Research in collaboration with the Ford Foundation is one for the training of key personnel in the field of Secondary and Rural Higher education, for which the Foundation has provided a sum of $ 25,000. Under this scheme, scholars from the ten Rural Institutes selected, are proposed to be deputed to a study tour to Denmark, the U.K. and the U.S.A. to see Rural education at work in those countries, so that the experience gained may be made, available to Rural Institutes in India.