VI. REPORT OF THE STANDING COMMITTEE ON EDUCATIONAL ADMINISTRATION, FINANCE AND PLANNING.
 

The Standing Committee of the Board of Educational Administration, Finance and Planning Committee met in the afternoon of 20th August in Vigyan Bhavan, New Delhi under the chairmanship of Shri V. R. Nedunchezian, the Education Minister of Madras.

The Committee welcomed the decision of the Government of India to issue a statement on National policy of Education. Subject to the following amendments it broadly endorsed the report of the Committee of Members of Parliament on Education (1967).

1. Para 73 (page 18) to be amended to read as follows: "Voluntary organizations have played a very important role in the development of education in the past. In the days ahead also, they can make a useful contribution at the school and university stages and in the field of adult education. It should therefore be an objective of educational policy to encourage and to make full use of all assistance that can come through the voluntary efforts of the people."

2. Para 74 (page 19) to be modified to read as follows: "The system of grant-in-aid should be simplified and made more liberal. While undersirable practices in aided institutions should be firmly curbed, encouragement should be given for new initiatives and healthy experimentation in institutions doing good work, even in academic matters and in day-to-day administration."

3. A new para to be numbered as 74A should come after para 74. This should consist of the last two sentences of the present para 74 (page 19).

4. The last sentence in para 77 (page 19) should be, replaced by the following:

"The matter was further considered at the meeting of Chief Ministers of States and Central Minister in

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August 1961 and by the National Integration Conference in September-October of the same year. As a result a number of important recommendations bearing, among other things, on educational safeguards for the linguistic minorities at the primary and secondary stages and the affiliation of institutions using minority languages, for purposes of examinanation have emerged.

5. Para 79 (page 19) to be replaced by the following: "It is desirable to bring the school and the community together in a programme of mutual service and support. The immediate plan to be adopted in all parts of the country is to associate the village panchayats and the municipalities with the primary schools in their areas through the creation of local schools committees with specified powers and responsibilities."

6. The word "boards" in the first sentence of para 80 (page 20) to be replaced by the word "authorities".

7. The penultimate sentence in para 84 (page 21) should be modified to read as follows:

"The Govt. of India, should in consultation with all the State Governments, formulate the national policy on education and revise it from time to time."

8. The following sentence to be added at the end of para 85 (page 21).

"The manner in which funds provided for programmes in the Central Sector are to be distributed should be determined in consultation with all the States."