THE CABE, 49TH SESSION, 1993

Dr. Sudhir Ray, MP said that the UGC should have regional offices in all regions. Refering to the severe financial crunch being felt by State universities, he suggested more allocation of central assistance for State universities. He was for election to The executive bodies of universities and colleges with representation of Students, teachers, non-teaching staff, etc. He was not in favour of any common University Act. He felt that the Senate should act as policy making body. He also observed that the Gnanam Committee had recommended introduction of too many courses without suggesting the ways to fill up the posts. He was against establishment of autonomous colleges as well as conferring deemed university status on any Organisation. He supported the idea of self-assessment of teachers.

Education Minister, Punjab presented the profile of the educational facilities in the State. He felt that

the decentralised management of education was the need of the time. For reducing the load of school bag, he suggested more involement of teachers. He said that textbooks should be made available to students on a rotation at an urgent basis and that there should be no home work at primary level. He also said that no private school should be recognised whose curricula are not in accordance with the national curriculum. Referring to the State POAs, he said that Punjab was thinking of setting up working groups for preparing the State POA. He did not agree with the recommendation of the Soneri Committee. He, however, felt the need for visitor's intervention in the Universities. He also suggested that UGC should make available need-based funds to colleges for rural education. He agreed with the recommendation that there was no need for separate representation for teachers in Legislative Councils.

Shri R. D. Sonker, Adviser to Governor, Uttar Pradesh said that 18 districts in UP were covered under TLCs and the remaining would be covered in a phased manner by AD 2000. He agreed with the recommendation of the Yashpal Committee report but felt-that parents should be given opportunity to offer their views on the recommendations. So far as decentralisation of management of education is concerned, UP had taken initiative. On the proposal regarding Statutory Commission on school textbooks, he wanted more time for the State Government to finalize its views. On teachers' representation on Legislative Councils also he felt that the matter needed to be discussed at different levels. He suggested that the syllabus of vocational education courses should be prepared in consultation with the open school authorities. He also suggested close interaction between industry and educational institutions. He also said that the progress of each university be reviewed every five years.

Shri Anil Sarkar, Education Minister, Tripura said that education for all meant education for those who were deprived of education in the past. He also said that education should be totally secular and free from all communal biases. He supported the recommendation of Yashpal Committee.

Shri M. Natarajan, Adviser to Governor, Madhya Pradesh said that the Madhya Pradesh Government had already constituted task forces for preparing the State POA and that the draft POA would be ready by December end. He generally supported the recommendation of the CABE Committee on Decentralised Management of Education. He, however, pointed out that it would be necessary to develop capacities in the Panchayati Raj institutions to manage education. In his view, constitution of Indian Education Service would be a good idea to create necessary administrative support for education system. He en- dorsed the recommendations of Yashpal Committee. He also suggested laying down of minimum levels of learning for upper-primary and higher levels too. In his view teaching should be activity oriented. He supported the proposal to set up a statutory National Commission for textbook evaluation. Referring to the Gnanam Committee report, he said that gradual decentralisation would be condusive to better management. He, however, felt that the Committee had kept in view the needs and requirements of private colleges but did not pay enough attention to these aspects so far as government colleges are concerned.

Shri V. B. L. Mathur, Adviser to Governor, Rajasthan mentioned that Rajasthan was having the least female literacy rate in the country. Therefore, the stress of Rajasthan's education programmes was on tackling female literacy. He hoped that through the total literacy campaigns Rajasthan would become fully literate state by the end of the Eighth Five Year Plan. However, there would be need for more teachers and more money. Referring to the report of the CABE Committee on Decentralised Management of Education, he said that Rajasthan had been the first State to introduce decentralised educational management. However, the state's experience with that experiment was not very happy. He felt that education functionaries needed, to be trained to work in the Panchayati Raj system. On the discussion paper on the status of the Steering Committee for School Textbook evaluation he wanted more time for the state government to formulate its views.

Shri P. P. Shrivastav, Adviser to Governor, Himachal Pradesh informed the meeting, that Himachal Pradesh had almost completed drafting of the POA. The target of Himachal Pradesh Government was to make the State fully literate by the end of December 1994. He, however, pointed out that the total literacy campaigns would have a better impact on student enrolment and would result in demand for more schools and infrastructure. Referring to the CABE Committee on Sports and Physical Education, he said that Himachal Pradesh had already drawn up a blueprint. As regards decentralised management of edu- cation, the State Government was preparing a plan to hand over primary education to panchyayats. However, they were facing the problem as to who should have the academic and disciplinary control over the teachers who are government servant. He also mentioned that the Panchayats, do not have enough funds and, therefore, more resources would have to be devolved on them. He also talked about the need for inculcating universal values through education. He said that no innovation in school education was likely

to succeed unless basic values were inculcated in school teachers and the dignity of teaching profession restored.

Education Minister, Karnataka referred to the Supreme Court judgement on capitation fee colleges and said that it had created many problems for the state. He also said that through the AICTE more powers were being centralised. He pleaded for not taking away the States' powers to legislate on technical education. He also urged the UGC to give more funds to the State universities. He also pleaded for more central assistance for encouraging research in applied sciences and engineering.

Smt. C. Nagamma Keshavamurthy, Minister for Primary & Secondary Education, Karnataka agreed that school education, particularly, primary school education should be made an enjoyable experience. She also briefly mentioned about the details of the Akshaya programme launched by the State Government. She said that education had been decentralised in Karnataka and school education was with the Zila Parishads and Village Education Committees. District plans were being formulated. Referring to the recommendations of the Yashpal Committee, she said that while there was considerable merit in the recommendation, we should keep in mind, that there more than one remedies and no uniform pattern should be prescribed for the entire country. We should, however, move towards reducing the academic burden on children. Referring to the proposal for statutory National Commission on textbook evaluation, she said that there was need for greater clarity on the proposal. She also wanted the textbook evaluation committee to address the issue of gender bias. She agreed that textbooks should not be used for political purposes.

Education Minister, Haryana requested for more assistance from the Central Government for the vocational education programmes in the State which, he said, were mainly concentrated in the rural areas. One particular problem the vocational course students were facing was that of facilities for apprenticeship training. He also wanted the Central, Institute of Vocational Education to be activated.

Shri S. S. Chakraborty, Minister (Higher Education), West Bengal cautioned that the process of decentralisation should not be hasty. He was against the proposal not to have election to the executive bodies of university and also recommendation relating to keeping away politicians. He said that the proposal of the Gnanam Committee to have nominations only was against the principle of participative democracy.

He also wanted the teachers' representation in Legislative Councils. Referring to decentralisation, be wanted to know how the Government would decentralise Navodaya Vidyalayas and Kendriya Vidyalayas. He said that the objective of decentralisation should not be weakening of the State Government.

Prof. S. K. Khanna, Chairman, AICTE responded to some of the points raised by the other members regarding the functioning of the AICTE. He said that steps had been taken to clear the back log of pending cases with the AICTE and that the Council had already announced a calendar, according to which by March, 1994 decisions in regard to all pending cases would be taken. Referring to the Supreme Court judgement on capitation fee, he said that we should look at the positive aspects of the judgement and invite private participation. General guidelines in this regard were being prepared. He also said that the AICTE did not approve any programme unless recommended by the State Government.

Prof. (Smt) Savithri Lakshmanan, Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha agreed with the suggestions in regard to more financial assistance for the States made by the Education Minister, Kerala.

Shri Shankar Dayal Singh, Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha wanted the CABE to do a retrospection as to its achievement. We should reassess whether our education system had been able to produce human beings with the right kind of values. He said that a sense of ethics and morality should be inculcated in the students by the system. He felt that, curriculum development and textbook preparation should be the responsibility of the Central Government. Elementary education should be in mother tongue. States needed to be ranted more funds by the Central Government. He felt it was a good idea to levy educational cess with a view to creating more funds for primary education. He also suggested that all the States in the country should have model schools in every block and in every province there should be one Central University. He was not in favour of compulsory English teaching. He mentioned that we should be prepared to innovate and experiment and should not be afraid of failures.

Shri Surender Nath, Governor, Punjab and Administrator, Chandigarh cautioned against handing over of education to panchayati raj without adequately preparing the panchayati raj institutions as that would have an adverse effect. He also stressed the importance of motivation of teachers in improving the quality of education.

Prof. G. Ram Reddy, Chairman, UGC responded to some of the suggestions made by the other members

regarding UGC. He said that the issue of autonomous colleges had been discussed in the past and included in the Programme of Action and we need not reopen such issues. He also pointed out that although the Programme of Action and the National Policy on Education had provided as early as 1986 for the setting up of State Councils of Higher Education, only three States had set them up so far. He also men- tioned that UGC had taken steps to improve interuniversity collaboration. As regards vocational courses in the universities, he said that UGC had appointed a committee and the committee had submit- ted its report and vocational courses would now be introduced in 30 universities and 70 colleges. He also felt that every state should have one open university. Responding to the suggestion to have more media facilities for education, he felt that there should be a special channel on TV for educational programmes. So far as the recommendation of the Gnanam Committee were concerned, they were moderated by the CABE Committee and further modifications could be considered still. He said that regional committees had been set up by the UGC to decentralise its functioning. About the demand for more central universities, he drew attention of the members to the POA provision that what was needed now was the consolidation of the existing institutions than that of setting up new institutions. About the Nagaland university he hoped that the notification would be issued very soon.

The written statements of State/UT Education Ministers, Advisers, etc. are at Annexure-VII.

Union Minister of Human Resource Development responded to the suggestions made by the members. Referring to a question about financing of setting up of Open Universities, State Councils of Higher Education, etc., he said that both the Centre and the States would have to find the necessary resources required. He exhorted the State Governments to take immediate steps for introduction of de-centralised management structures in education. He also requested the States to expeditiously prepare their State Programmes of Action. Referring to the Yashpal Committee Report, he said that the matter of academic burden was of crucial importance and required wide-ranging debate. Similarly, there were many areas in which more debate was called for on the recommendations of the Gnanam Committee. However, University Administration needed to be re-organised with a view to making them more. professional and responsive. Ways have to be found for this. On the proposal to raise the status of National Sterring Committee on School Text-books Evaluation to a Statutory National Commission he said that the Ministry would initiate further action in this regard.

After discussions the meeting took the following decisions:

1. The CABE noted the progress in the preparation of Programmes of Action of different States and resolved that all State Governments and UT Administrations should prepare, latest by 31st December 1993, comprehensive Programmes of Action comprising all stages and aspects of education, on the lines of the Programme of Action, 1992 and keeping in view their situational imperatives. The process of preparation of State POAs should be fully participative. The POAs should have adequate pedagogical, academic and managerial input.

2. The CABE resolved that in pursuance of the 73rd and 74th Constitutional Amendments, immediate action and measures need to be taken by all State Governments and UT Administrations for introducing decentralised management structures in education so as to facilitate achievement of the national goals in the field of education. The report of the CABE Committee on Decentralised Management of Education was endorsed and commended for appropriate adaptation and effective implementation by the States and UTs keeping in view their specific situations as well as the spirit of the constitutional amendments.

3. The CABE considered the report of Yashpal Committee alongwith the recommendations made by the Ministry of Human Resource Development Group, which processed this Report. The CABE decided that a wide- ranging debate should be organised among educational experts, teachers and parents on the relevant issues. The import of such debate would be taken into account by the CABE when it further considers Yashpal Committee Report.

4. The CABE considered the report of the CABE Committee on Teachers' Representation in Legislative Councils and agreed with the recommendation of the report that there is no need to have a separate constituency for teachers in the Legislative Councils. However, Shri S. S. Chakraborty, Minister-incharge of Higher Education, West Bengal had reservation about the recommendation.

5. The CABE considered the report of the CABE Committee on Gnanam Committee report at felt that there are many issues on which wid

ranging debate is called for. There was, however, unanimity on the need to urgently initiate reforms to make university administration more professional and responsive. However, Shri S. S. Chakraborty, Minister- incharge of Higher Education, West Bengal had reservations about certain aspects of the Gnanam Committee's recommendations like nominations, instead of election of teachers, students, etc. on the committees.

6. The CABE considered the discussion paper to raise the status of National Steering Committee on School Textbook Evaluation to a statutory National Commission. It endorsed the proposal and desired that the design and powers of the Commission should be consistent with autonomy and constitutional powers of the States.

In his concluding remarks the Chairman said that there were systemic constraints. While significant progress has been made in the field of education much more remains to be done. Cooperation of parents, teachers, students, etc. would be necessary for improving the present education system. The Chairman felt that may be sometime next year a meeting of the CABE could be organised without any structured agenda and without written speeches where substantive issues could be deliverated. That would facilitate free expression of views on general concepts that are relevant for education.

The Chairman thanked the members for their cooperation and the various suggestions made. He also told the members that he would try to ensure that the State Education Ministers would be able to attend the EFA summit meetings to be held in New Delhi in December 1993.