I would like to make a request to my colleagues in the States. They should think of providing two such scholarships--if not two, at least one to start with-from their own resources. That will help the cause much better. The quantum of scholarship will be Rs. 1000 per year per student.

Another major programme of ours refers to language development. I have often spoken about it both in Delhi and in States, and hence I will not go into details. I may, however, mention only two points. The first is the provision we are making for providing facilities for learning an Indian language other than one's own. In the first instance, we want the Hindi-speaking States to introduce another Indian language and preferably one of the South Indian languages, in their areas and we also want to train the teachers in every State to teach these languages. This training with the help of modren methods can be given in one year and the en ire cost thereof will be borne by the Government of India. it is for this purpose that we have established a Central Language Institute at Mysore and we are proposing to establish four language Institutes at Mysore, Bhubaneswar, Patiala and Poona. Two of these those at Mysore and Bhubaneswar-have started functioning already. I would appeal to my colleagues, the Education Ministers of all States and especially of the Hindi-Speaking States, to take full advantage of this scheme. This will be a great step towards national integration.

The second programme-and this is a big programme-refers to language laboratories. We have come to the conclusion that language is the most important subject in our country. We have to learn as many languages as possible, At the same time, we do not, want to spend too much time on learning a language. This is, therefore, a problem of methods of teaching or using language laboratories. It is, therefore, necessary to provide trained teachers and language laboratories in educational institutions-not only in universities and colleges, but even in secondary schools. This will mean thousands and thousands of language laboratories. These will have to be produced in the country itself and if possible, through small scale industry rather than through a big factory. An expert Committee is now examining all aspects of the problem. It is my ambition to put this programme on the ground in a big way; and when that happens and people realise that languages can be learnt easily and in a short time, the quarrels over language issue would be considerably reduced.

I want to say a word about national integration programmes. You know of Nehru Bal Pustakalaya, production of core books in regional languages, the production of books in regional languages at the university stage with a view to bringing about a change in, the medium of instruction, provision of subsidy to Indian writers of English books to enable them to compete, on equal terms, with foreign writers, programmes of securing copy-rights, reproduction rights and translation rights, and cheap translations from foreign publishers. All this massive programme of book production is already under way.

Another important central programme which is proposed to be developed relates to the Organisation of pilot projects. We want to develop pilot projects in a number of fields such as girls' education, reduction of wastage, vocationalisation, introduction of work-ex- perience, etc. The idea behind the programme

is that we should evolve new methods and techniques of giving effect to well-known objectives on a small scale, as it were, in a laboratory. In the light of the experience gained, these techniques may be extended to new areas and ultimately to the country as a whole.

I have one more thing to say and that is about the International Education Year. The United Nations has declared that this year will be the Educational Year and Unesco has asked us to have a big programme about this. We cannot do it without the full cooperation of the States. We would like each State to set up a small committee for the purpose. We would like each State Minister of Education to set up a small committee for the celebration of the International Education Year.

Among the more important programmes of the International Education Year, I would like to mention the celebration of the birth centenary of Madam Montessori on 31st of August. On that day, we propose to organise a nation-wide programme to stress the importance of the child education. A postal stamp is also proposed to be released. The second big programme is to organise a number of seminars. The State Governments would organise their own State seminars and a national seminar will be held towards the end of the year in Delhi. The object of these seminars is to discuss the problems of education in the Seventies which will really be preparing children for life in the twenty-first century. It is also proposed to have a seminar, especially of an international character, for all audio-visual aids in education such as the radio, the film and the television. It will especially discuss the problem of the university of the air. I do not want to take your time with further details and would like to conclude by appealing to you all to participate in the programmes of the International Education Year.

There are many other points which I would have liked to mention but, I think, I will conclude here. I thank you, ladies and gentlemen, for the patience with which you have beard me and I hope you will excuse me for having talked at such great length. I am told that Ministers should not be emotional, that they should be soft spoken and that they should speak as little as possible. In so far as I am concerned, I do not accept all this. I function exactly as I think I should function.

I thank you once again, ladies and gentlemen. I have great pleasure, both in presiding over and in inaugurating this Conference.

Vote of Thanks

With a vote of thanks proposed by Shri J. P. Naik, Adviser, Ministry of Education and Youth Services, the inaugural session came to an end.