III. ADDRESS BY SHRI ARJUN SINGH,
UNION MINISTER OF HUMAN RESOURCE
 DEVELOPMENT
 

We are meeting here today at the 47th meeting of the CABE to consider some vital facts that governed educational policy of this country and all those present here today, in my view, represent the cream of the educational family of this country, the hon'ble Ministers, hon'ble Governors, whose constitutional responsibility is to run the States' educational programmes, eminent educationists to whom this country is beholden for their contribution in the involving of the educational system. Some of those who are present here like Dr.Adiseshiah, many others also like Dr. Kothari by whose name education is associated in this country. They have given some leading insights into the entire educational ethos in postindependent India. It is in this gathering that today we have to consider the report of Acharya Ramamurti on the National Policy on Education, 1986 and the consideration of the report by Shri Janardhana Reddyji's committee which was set up as a sequel to the decision taken by this Board last year.

2. I am very indebted to Shri Janardhana Reddyji and all the members of his committee who have in a very short time prepared the Report we were certainly requesting them all the time, but our requests would have been of no use if they had not brought to bear on this task that they had undertaken their own personal commitment and I want to thank each and every member and the hon'ble chairman Shri Janardhana Reddy for presenting this

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report which we will consider today.

3. There are one or two things which I would like to say about the general educational scene in the country. It is obvious that in the sphere of education while we must concede that it is an endeavour, views and opinions and sometimes which are quite sharp and sometimes which are quite precise and sometimes not, must be there and a continuous review of the educational scene must take place. But I think the time has also come that we must put an end to unlimited uncertainties about the course that we are to adopt in our educational effort in the nation. The 1986 Policy which Shri Rajiv Gandhiji gave to the nation itself was evolved after a great debate in the country, in the nation, in the Parliament and ultimately Parliament adopted that Policy and it was then put into operation. There was even an action plan attached to the Policy. In the last six years I think the Policy has stood the test of time. May be some revisions as Acharya Ramamurti tried to point out and as Shri Reddy has now assimilated in his own report nay be necessary. But, by and large, the parameters set by that Policy and the action programme initiated alongwith that policy have been accepted broadly by the country. We have to see, therefore, that while we have this continuity we do not also lose sight of the fact the present situation in the entire world in a very fast changing scenario has also to be borne in mind. The ever expanding frontiers of knowledge whether scientific, academic or any other sphere imposed upon us who are entrusted with the tasks in the States and the Centre and in the educational system to enlighten and

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inform the young minds of this country about the responsibilities that they had to shoulder in the future, to make them useful citizens it in necessary that they are kept abreast of all that is new and all that is relevant in the sphere of knowledge.

4. These are the tasks that lie before us and I am quite confident that all those who are familiar will bring to bear upon their deliberations in this meeting that sense of purpose which you insists in your own activities, in the discharge of your various responsibilities and this Board, its deliberations and its decisions will prove to be landmarks in the field of educational progress of India. With these words I welcome you all and the deliberations can begin.

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