RESOLUTIONS
 

1. The Board records its appreciation of the services of the following persons who have ceased to be the member of the Board after the last session :

1. Dr. Triguna Sen.

2. Prof. Sher Singh.

3. Shri Bhagwat Jha Azad.

4. Shri G. K. Chandiramani.

5. Gen. K. M. Cariappa.

6. Km. S. Panandikar.

7. Shri L. R. Sethi.

8. Prof. Samuel Mathai.

9. Dr. (Smt.) Durgabai Deshmukh.

10. Dr. D. M. Sen.

11. Shri V. K. Gokak.

12. Smt. Raksha Saran.

13. Dr. Romila Thapar.

14. Shri Anil Mohan Gupta.

15. Shri S. K. Vaishampayan, M.P.

16. Shri Samar Guha, M.P.

17. Shri Ram Krishan Gupta, M.P..

18. Shri J. M. Lobo Prabhu, M.P.

19. Dr. A. L. Mudaliar.

20. Dr. D. S. Reddy.

21. Dr. R. M. Kasliwal.

II. The Board extends a hearty welcome to the following new members who were appointed to the Board after the last session:

1. Prof. V. K. R. V. Rao.

2. Shri Bhakt Darshan.

3. Smt. Jahanara Jaipal Singh.

4. Shri S. Chakravarti.

5. Shri Ram Niwas Mirdha, M.P.

6. Smt. Indumati Chimanlal.

7. Dr. P. D. Shukla.

8 Dr. R. K. Singh.

9. Smt. Mina Swaminathan.

10. Dr. A. C. Deva Gowda.

11. Shri S. S. Bhandarkar.

12. Smt. Asha Devi Aryanayakam.

13. Smt. Karnalini H. Bhansali.

14. Prof. S. V. C. Aiya.

15. Shri S. D. Patil, M.P.

16. Prof. Saiyaid Nurul Hasan, M.P.

17. Dr. Surya Prakash Puri, M.P.

18. Smt. Sangam Laxmi Bai, M.P.

19. Shri Suraj Bhan.

20. Shri I. J. Patel.

21. Dr. A.D. Joseph.

The Board also welcomes the Education Minister of the State of Meghalaya which has become a member of the Board for the first time.

III. The Board welcomes the assurance given by the Chairman that a whole-time secretariat will be provided to the Board. It also requests the Chairman to review the procedures laid down for the Board so as to make its functioning more effective in practice.

IV. The Board noted, the report on the implementation of the Government Resolution on the National Policy on Education prepared, by the Ministry of Education and Youth Services. It requests that similar information should be collected from all States and Union Territories and a comprehensive document should be prepared showing the steps taken so-far, in the country as a whole, to implement the National Policy on Education. This should be placed before the next meeting for information.

V. The Board broadly approves the proposals made by the Union Education Minister on Centre-State relations in education as contained in his paper read at the National Convention on the Constitution. (Annexure III).

VI. The Board is distressed to note that, in spite of the strong plea made in the earlier meetings for the provision of a sum of not less than Rs. 1,300 crores for education, the finalised Fourth Five Year Plan allocates only a sum of Rs. 829 crores for the purpose. In the opinion of the Board, this allocation is totally inadequate to meet the needs of the situation. What is even more disturbing is the fact that a very heavy cut has been made in the State sector and particularly in primary education and in schemes of qualitative improvement. In some States, the cut has been as high as about 70 per cent of the original outlays proposed. The Board would like to place on record its deep sense of disappointment over the policy adopted in

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this matter by the authorities concerned. It feels very strongly that unless this policy is changed and adequate allocations aware made, educational standards will continue to deteriorate and pose a serious threat to national progress or even stability. The Board, therefore, urges upon the Government of India, the Planning Commission and the State Governments to reconsider the situation and to make larger allocations to education through the successive annual Plans, in keeping with the declared national policy of increasing the investment in education to six per cent of the national income as early as possible.

VII. The Board accepts the recommendations made by the National Seminar on Gandhian Values in Indian Education held at Sevagram, Wardha, from 9th to 11th February, 1970. It appeals to the Central and State Governments to launch an all-out effort to Implement this programme from the beginning with the next academic year. It requests the Chairman to set up a Standing Committee to guide the development of this programme and to watch over its progress.

VIII. The Board welcomes the three new programmes for discovery and development of talent which have been initiated by the Government of India during the current year, namely, the Sports Talent Scholarships Scheme, the Cultural Talent Scholarships Scheme and the Scheme of Scholarships for Talented Children from Rural Areas. It congratulates the Government of India for this undertaking and especially for the scheme of National Scholarships for Talented Children from Rural Areas which will materially help the rural sector and promote equality of educational opportunity as between rural and urban areas. It joins the Chairman in making an appeal to the State Governments to come forward and add one or two scholarships per block to the scheme. The Board would like to emphasize the need to work.out all details of the scheme and especially the methods of examination and selection. It welcomes- the proposal to set. up a special study Group for this consisting of the members of the Board, representatives of State Governments and experts.

IX. The Board deplores and condemns the concerted and organized attacks that are recently being made on educational institutions libraries, portraits of national leaders including that of Mahatma Gandhi, the Father of the Nation. These in the opinion of the Board, should not be regarded as acts of student indiscipline. Behind them is a group of persons who are committed to bring about a complete social change in the country through organized violence. While the Board reserves its opinion on the ideology of this group, it unequivocally condemns the methods employed which can only endanger the progress of democracy in the country and national security and growth. In the opinion of the Board. violence has no place in the civil life of a democracy and certainly none in the holy precincts of educational institutions.

X. The Board is distressed at the growing incidence of student unrest and its increasing manifestations of violence. It is deeply pained to hear of malpractices in examinations and of the attacks made on invigilators, teachers and principals, some of which have ended fatally. The Board is of the view that the situation is serious and effective programme of action will have to be developed to counteract these trends. It, therefore, requests the Chairman to set up a Committee to go into this problem in detail and to make appropriate recommendations to the Central and the State Governments, universities and other concerned.

XI. The Board views with concern the progress of primary education in the country. On the basis of the present trends, it appears that no State would be able to realise the goal set in Article 45 of the Constitution earlier than 1980, and several States will be able to do so only in the 21st century. The Board, therefore, feels that the whole situation should be reviewed afresh and concrete proposals put forward, both before the Central and the State Governments, so that the goal set down in the Constitution with regard to free and compulsory primary education would be reached in all parts of the country by 1985 at the latest. The Board requests the Chairman to set up a high level Committee to examine the whole issue in all its aspects.

XII. The Board requests the Chairman to set up a Committee on Examinations which will examine the present situation and make recommendations to counteract malpractices and to give protection to invigilators and others concerned with examinations.

XIII. The Board views with concern the slow development of the NSC/NSO programmes due to inadequacy of the funds provided. The original proposal recommended by the Board was that NSC/NSO should be an option to the NCC, but that

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every student should be required to opt for either one or the other. In the present situation the NCC has been made optional and, reduced while NSC/NSO has not been expanded adequately with, the result that there is a vacuum for a large proportion of students. This is highly undesirable. The Board therefore recommends that NSC/NSO programmes should be expanded in such a way that every student will be covered either under the NCC or under the NSC/NSO.

XIV. The Board emphasizes the urgent need to provide. buildings to educational institutions, especially at the primary stage. In its opinion, this, massive problem can be tackled only if local resources are harnessed and a scheme is devised under which it would be possible to make loans available to State and local Governments and voluntary organizations at minimal rates of interest. The possibility of the nationalised banks making some funds available for this programme should be explored and, as a long term measure, a Central Financing Corporation for educational buildings may be get up. Full use should be made of the work done at the Central Building Research Institute, Roorkee, to reduce constructional costs.

XV. The Board broadly approves the programme of the International Education Year drawn up by the Central Committee. It appeals to the State and local Governments, universities, teachers organizations and educational institutions of all categories to participate in the programmes for the Year and to make them a success. In the opinion of the Board-the occasion should be used to awaken public opinion and to strengthen all efforts for. the development of education.

XVI. The Board emphasizes the need to develop facilities for physical education and games and sports for student and non-student youth in a coordinated manner. It, therefore, requests the Chairman to work out a scheme, to be implemented over the next few years, in consultation with the State Governments and the All-India Council of Sports. XVII. The Board requests the State Education Ministers to convene conferences of all Vice-Chancellors of their universities to discuss problems of higher education. Among others, these conferences should consider ways and means of expanding programmes of correspondence and part-time education at the university stage, the manner in which centres of excellence could be developed in State universities in a coordinated manner and the establishment of autonomous colleges. The UGC should be associated with these conferences.

XVIII. The Board recognises the significance or pre-primary education and commends the proposal to try out pilot projects to develop a programme of pre-primary schools by mobilizing local community resources, especially in rural areas.

XIX. The Board notes the clearing house services being provided by the Ministry of Education and Youth Services. In order to further strengthen the exchange of experiences and information between States, the Board recommends that each, State Government should send to the Ministry self-contained notes on significant developments, experiences, institutions, etc., in the field of education for transmission to the other States. The Board also welcomes the proposal to establish a National Staff College for Educational Administrators.

XX. The Board recommends that the Ministry of Education and Youth Services should bring out an Annual Report on Educational Developments in India in collaboration with the State Governments and Union Territory Administrations.

XXI. The Board recommends that the Central and State Governments should adopt all measures to promote the study of Sanskrit.

XXII. The Board requests the Chairman to `examine' further the suggestions made at the meeting which could not be incorporated in the form of specific resolutions. It also recommends that, wherever possible, the necessary steps should be taken to implement them.

The Chairman announced that the next meeting of the Board would be held earlier, probably in January or February 1971 and that by then, the reports of the committees constituted by the Board would also be available. He also assured the Board that he would report to the next meeting the action taken to implement the recommendations made by the Board at this meeting and the suggestions made by its members.

The meeting was then adjourned after a Vote of Thanks to the Chair was, proposed by Prof. Nurul Hasan.

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