III SPEECH OF SHRI S. V. GIRI UNION
 EDUCATION SECRETARY
 

I deem it a great privilege to welcome you to this 48th meeting of the Central Advisory Board of Education (CABE). The meeting assumes special significance as it is going to consider the revised Programme of Action which would guide the course of educational development in the next few years to come. As a new entrant to the challenging field of education, I look forward to participation in the deliberations of this historic body as a valuable educational experience.

2. The draft Programme of Action, which has been placed for your consideration, is the outcome of an intensive participatory exercise involving the Government of India, State Governments, resource organisations and eminent educationists. In this context I would like to express my heart-full gratitude to the Chairperson of the Steering Committee, Smt. Chitra Naik, members of the Steering Committee and Chairman and members of the 22 Task Forces, who contributed to the formulation of the draft Programme Chairman of Action. I should confess that we have been unreasonable and demanding in laying down impossible time schedules for completion of the work by the Task Forces and the Steering Committee. However, the members of the Task Forces and the Steering Committee have been very understanding and did a splendid job and accomplished their work with great care and thoroughness. The draft Programme of Action was considered by the State Education Secretaries and Directors in a meeting specially convened for the purpose on 3-4 August, 1992. While endorsing the draft document they made a few suggestions for amendment of the text. These amendments are brought out in a paper now circulated to you on the table, entitled 'Gist of Recommendations of Conference of State Education Secretaries and Directors held on 3-4 August, 1992.

3. In the revision of the Programme of Action, we have taken into account the experience gained in the implementation of the previous POA and the different schemes as well as reports of Acharya Ramamurti and Shri Janardhana Reddy. In the revision, the main emphasis is to make the POA more action-oriented. The success of any policy depends on its implementation. Even the best policy can lead to disastrous results if the implementation is faulty. It is, therefore, on implementation that we have to stress. This implementation depends on the grass roots levels. That is why the revised POA suggests that every State Government and UT Administration should draw up its own Programme of Action. In fact this principle has to be extended to the District and institutional levels.

4. For a successful implementation of the POA, there is a need to involve the community, particularly the teachers and students, in a national endeavour to restore the spirit of hard work, integrating all academic pursuits and a feeling of mutual respect among all persons involved in the education system. I am sure this Programme of Action will lead to such a kind of national system of education. I look forward to your valuable suggestions for the implementation of the NPE and POA. Once again I welcome you all to this important meeting and thank you for accepting the invitation.

18