ORGANISATIONAL STRUCTURE
The present Ministry of Education and Culture comprises two separate
departments viz., the Department of Education and the Department of
Culture. Both the Departments are under the charge of the Minister of
State who is assisted in the discharge of her functions by a Deputy Minister.
The Secretariat of the Ministry is headed by a Secretary, who is a senior
member of the Indian Administrative Service. The Ministry has one post
of Additional Secretary and two posts of Educational Advisers, who are
working to the Secretary. The Ministry is organised into Bureaus, Divisions
and Desks, Sections and Units. Each Bureau is under the charge of a
Joint Secretary/Joint Educational Adviser who is assisted by Deputy Secre-
tary/Deputy Educational Adviser, each holding charge of a Division. The
officers of both the Departments are borne on a common cadre. The set
up of both the Departments is indicated in the Administrative Charts
appended to the report. The Archaeological Survey of India is an attached
office under the Department of Culture. It is headed by a Director-General
who is responsible to the Additional Secretary, and through him, to the
Secretary.
Attached and Subordinate Offices/ To carry out its responsibilities, the Ministry has, two attached offices
Autonomous Organisations viz., National Archives of India and the Archaeological Survey of India
which form part of the Department of Culture, and has, during the years,
built up a number of subordinate offices and organisations. For coordination
and determination of standards, in higher education, Parliament enacted
legisiation for setting tip of the University Grants Commission. Besides, a
number of organisations have been set up to discharge specific responsibili-
ties. The most important among them is the National Council of Educa-
tional Research and Training which strives to promote the qualitative aspects
of school education throughout the country. The more important amongst
others are : the National Institute of Educational Planning and Administra-
tion, New Delhi; Indian Institute of Advanced Study, Simla; Central Schools
Organisation, New Delhi; Central Board of Secondary Education, New Delhi;
Central Hindi Institute, Agra; Central Institute of Indian Languages, Mysore;
Central Institute of English and Foreign Languages, Hyderabad; National
Sanskrit Institute, New Delhi; National Book Trust, New Delhi; Lakshmibai
National College of Physical Education, Gwalior; and Netaji Subhas
National Institute of Sports, Patiala. In the field of technical education there
are five Indian Institutes of Technology, the Indian Institute of Science,
Bangalore, fifteen regional engineering colleges, three institutes of manage-
ment, four technical teachers' training institutes, Indian School of Mines,
Dhanbad; School of Planning and Architecture, New Delhi; National
Institute for Training in industrial Engineering, Bombay; and National
Institute of Foundry and Forge Technology, Ranchi. While scientific research
is promoted in a chain of specialised research laboratories under the Council
of Scientific and Industrial Research set up by Central Government and in
the Universities, the Indian Council of Social Science Research and Indian
Council of Historical Research have also been set up to promote research
in social science and history.
Functions With the 42nd Amendment of the Constitution, education has become a
subject in the Concurrent List, except certain entries in the Union List. The
necessity to assign a more positive role for the Central Government in the
field of educational development, and more pointedly to the achievement of
the goals set forth in the Directive Principles of the Constitution and the
National Policy on Education, 1968, were some of the basic considerations
which prompted transfer of the subject from the State to the Concurrent List.
Thus the powers, which were formerly enjoyed by the State Governments
1
alone are now being enjoyed by the Union and the State Governments con- currently. This has created a new possibility for the Centre to bring about desired changes and reformation in the field of education. However, it is the considered opinion of the Education Ministry that the State Governments ought to continue to shoulder responsibility for educational development and that nothing should be done through legislation which will have the effect of diluting or abridging the developmental responsibility of the States. Though the Centre may justifiably intervene to ensure coordination and maintenance of standards of education to take care of matters which are of national importance like promoting national integration through education, promoting the growth of national institutions of quality, ensuring adherence to the National Policy and providing correctives in cases of substantial departures, Because of these considerations, the Ministry discharges such functions as are fundamental and essential to the growth and development of education in the country in all its aspects excepting medical and agricultural education. This includes maintenance of standards in higher education, technical education, promotion of research relating to higher education, elementary and secondary education, adult education, Hindi, Indian languages and Indian classical Languages, promotion of games and sports, scouts and guiding programmes, yoga and other programmes of physical fitness, encouraging reading habits and production of books in Hindi and regional languages, especially books in regional languages at university level, administering scholarships pro- grammes at national level to promote equality of educational 'Opportunities, arranging for exchange programmes with foreign countries in the field of education and research, administering the Copyright Act, Central Schools Organisation, Central Universities and Institutions of national importance.
Some of the activities of the Ministry having more direct bearing on social welfare are : (i) Mid-day meals programme for children in primary schools to help improve enrolment and retention of children in schools; (ii) the national adult education programme which aims not only at providing' literacy skills but also relates it to the needs of learners for development of self reliance in working and living; (iii) programmes for student youth such as National Service Scheme, Special Camping Programme, National Service Volunteer Scheme and Planning Forums; (iv) Programmes for Non-student Youth such as Nehru Yuvak Kendras, Training of Youth Leaders and Assist- ance for Promotion of Adventure Programmes; (v) National Foundation for Teachers' Welfare set up in 1962 for providing financial assistance to teachers and/or their dependents in distress.
2