 ADDRESS BY SHRI RAJMANGAL PANDE,
 MINISTER OF HUMAN RESOURCE
 DEVELOPMENT (ANNEXURE-III)

Respected Members of the Central Advisory Board of Education and distinguished participants:

I have great pleasure in welcoming you to the 46th meeting of the CABE. The CABE was constituted about 56 years ago. From then. on it has been playing a very significant role in the development of education. Education is a concurrent subject, which means it is a partnership between the Centre, the States and the educationists. No partnership can survive. much less be a Success, unless the partners periodically meet, discuss their business and come to an understanding. The CABE is meeting exactly their need. The CABE is a confluence-a triveni sangam-of eminent educationists, the Centre and the Sates. Every meeting has been a family reunion, a get-together of the educational policy community; an occasion to exchange notes, to take stock of what happened since the last meeting, to share experiences, to recall and review failures and successes,. to plan for the future. and to rededicate oneself to the common cause of education. In that process the meetings have helped to evolve national consensus on educational policies and programmes.

2. This meeting has been rather belated. I regret that it has not been possible to call this meeting earlier. In a way the delay is a reflection on the times in which we live and on the events which took place after the last meeting. Ever Since assumed office, I have been keen to convene this meeting and to have the benefit of your advice. When it became clear that the Committee for Review of National Policy on Education, 1986 would Submit its report in December, I decided that we should wait till the State Governments, Union Territory Administrations and other members of the CABE receive the report and have a reasonable time to study it. As you all know. the report was submitted on 26th December, 1990, placed on the Tables of both Houses on 9th January, 1991 and forwarded to all States and Union Territories in mid-January, 1991. The Board will,

therefore, have an opportunity to consider this report at this meeting. You may deliberate on. the report of the Review Committee and advise how to process the report expeditiously.

3. This meeting assumes further importance in the context of the Eighth Five Year Plan. In the Seventh Plan, following the 1986 Policy, many Centrally Sponsored Schemes were introduced in priority areas. These include Operation Blackboard, Teacher Education, Vocational Education, Science Education, etc. This is the time to have a critical took at these schemes and to learn from the experiences of implementation. How are the schemes being implemented ? Are they achieving their objective ? Are there any Unintended consequences ? Are there any weaknesses ? Should any of the schemes be discontinued ? Are any schemes to be modified or extended ? Should any new scheme be introduced ? I would like you to pose all the right questions and to ponder over them. The main function of the CABE is to review the progress of education, from time to time, and to appraise the extent and manner in which the Education Policy has been implemented by the Centre, the State Governments and other agencies concerned. I would, therefore, like you to Suggest the future direction of these schemes.

4. Though ends can't justify means, ends are important. We often tend to forget the ends, the basic objectives. In emphasising the enrolment targets we often lose sight of the learning Outcomes. At all levels of education it is necessary to improve the content and process of education and to ensure the achievement of minimum levels of earning. Since the last meetings considerable progress has been achieved in formulating the minimum level of education at the primary stage. A Committee tinder the Chairmanship of Prof. R. H. Dave has finalised its report. The report has been circulated to you. I Would like you to reflect on the report and suggest. a national approach for implementing the report.

5. It is human nature to count one's sorrows and not to Count happiness. This trait is sometimes carried to extremes. Denigration of national achievements is a pastime for many. One should not miss the silver linings and wallow in cynicism and passimism. The International Literacy Year 1990 has witnessed stirring developments in the literacy scene. First it was the turn of Kottayam city, then of Ernakulam district, to become totally literate. Then the unprecedented mobilisation for

literacy all over the country by the Bharat Gyan Vigyan Samiti, These successful experiences have spurred emulation. Efforts are on to achieve total literacy in all the districts of Kerala, Gujarat and Pondicherry and 30 districts in other States. We plan to take up total literacy campaign in 50 more districts in the next financial year. These developments arouse great hope and enthusiasm, a hope that illiteracy problem can be surmounted. We should not let the enthusiasm ebb.

6. Though neglected, management of education is the critical dimension. I would like to recall the wise observation of the eminent statesman and my illustrious predecessor, Shri C. Rajagopalachari. In the thirteenth meeting of the CABE, welcoming the Sargent Plan he said that the more difficult task of execution had begun. Plans , he remarked, were after all definitely formulated aspirations, while execution was the real thing. Nowhere is management more critical than in governance of universities. We have placed before you for your consideration, the report of the Gnanam Committee on Educational Management and the comments of the UGC on the report.

7. You will no doubt agree with me that we must get the maximum out of this Conference. I will, accordingly suggest that the conference may divide itself into seven priority areas namely :

Elementary Education,

Adult Education,

Secondary Education,

Technical Education,

Higher Education,

Women and other disadvantaged groups like SC/ST and minorities, and

Management and resources.

I request all of you to consider the issues in these priority areas in the groups with special care.

8. I hope that the deliberations in this meeting would lead to a greater clarity on educational priorities, strategies and programmes in the VIII Plan.

Thank You.

ADDRESS BY SHRI RAJMANGAL PANDE, MINISTER OF HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT (ANNEXURE-III)