APPENDIX I : MEMORANDUM ON ITEM 11 : REPORT ON THE PROGRESS OF IMPLEMENTATION OF IMPORTANT PLAN SCHEMES DURING 1961-62.
PART I
CENTRAL AND CENTRALLY SPONSORED SCHEMES The most significant development during the year was the establishment of the National Council of Educational Research and Training. The Council is an autonomous body (recognised under the Societies Registration Act (Act XXI of 1860), with the Union Ministry of Education as Ex. Officio President.)
The main objects and. functions of the Council shall be :
(a) to under taken aid, promote and coordinate research in all branches of education ;
(b) to organise pre-service and in-service training mainly at an advanced level ;
(c) in Collaboration with the State Governments and other autho- rities or agencies concerned ;
(i) to organise extension services for such institutions in the country as are engaged in educational research, training of teachers or provision of extension services to schools;
(ii) to undertake or organise studies, investigations and surveys relating to educational matters or the appraisement of educational programmes; and
(iii) generally to disseminate improved techniques and practices in educational institutions in the country;
(d) to establish and conduct a National Institute of Education at the Headquarters of the Government of India for the development of research, advanced training (both pre-service and in-service) of educational administrators, teacher educators and other high level personnel required for education, and the provision of extension services
(e) to establish and. conduct Regional institutes in different parts of the country for the development of research, training and extension in general, and Or the development of multi-purpose secondary education in particular;
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(f) to act as a clearing-house for ideas and information on educational research, training and extention ;
(g) to advise the Government of India, the State Governments, and other educational organisations and institutions on matters relating to education ; and
(h) to undertake the publication of such books, periodicals and other literature as may, be necessary for the furtherance of its objects.
The Council has started functioning with effect from 31 st August, 1961 and five offices/institutions of the Ministry transferred to it.
A brief account of the progress under different schemes is given below :
ELEMENTARY AND BASIC EDUCATION
Setting up of a Printing Press for the Production of Children's
Books The West German Government have agreed to give, as a gift, a printing press worth one million D.M. to India. The Government of India have accepted the offer and requested the Government of West Germany to send a delegation of two experts to India to examine the possibilities of establishing the press and to advise them regarding the details of the project. It is expected that the location of the press and other details will be finalised by the end of the year.
Unesco Regional Centre for Training of Educational Planners
and Administrators It has been decided to set up at New Delhi a Regional Centre for the Training of Educational Planners, Administrators and Supervisors in Asia (sponsored by Unesco). The main functions of the Centre shall be :
(a) to provide short in-service training courses for the officers of the various ministries or departments of Education of the participating Asian Member States and Associate Members of Unesco
(b) to undertake and promote research in the technique of educational planning, administration and supervision and to 'place the results at the disposal of such Member States and Associate Members and
(c) to assist such States, upon request, in organising educational planning services and in holding national training courses.
The establishment of the Centre is in hand.
Extension Services in Training Institutions for Primary Teachers A scheme for establishing 60 Extension Centres in Training Institutions for primary school teachers has been prepared and will be implemented with effect from 1962-63,
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Assistance to Voluntary Education Organisations Grants have so far been sanctioned to seven institutions. Appli- cations for grants during 1961-62 have been received and are being examined.
Production of Literature for Children Sahitaya Rachnalayas There is provision for organising six Rachnalayas as for the purposes of training-authors in the technique of preparing literature for children during the current year. Administrative approval has been issued to three States so far.
SECONDARY EDUCATION
Establishment of four Regional Training Colleges for the Training
of the Teachers of multipurpose Schools Sites have been selected for location of three of these colleges at Bhubaneswar, Bhopal, and Mysore, Action for the' selection of suitable site for the fourth college is in progress. Committees are being established for drawing syllabus, etc., for the courses and working out details regarding affiliation, selection of trainees, etc. Detailed estimates of the accommodation required for the colleges have been drawn up and action regarding the construction of the buildings is expected to get underway very shortly.
Maintenance and Development of Extension Service Centres During the Third Plan the existing 54 Centres would continue to receive grants on 100 per cent basis. In addition, it is proposed to, establish 25 new Extension Service Centres. Owing to limitation of funds, it is not possible to cover the other training colleges by the establishment of full-fledged Extension Service Centres and these will, therefore be provided with 72 Extension Units., Action regarding 'the selection of a few training colleges for the establishment of Extension Service Centres is in progress.
Examination Reform It is proposed to establish Evaluation Units in the States and also to expand Central Evaluation unit and provide it with a Psychometric Wing. Considerable test materials have been prepared in selected subjects and further work in this direction is in progress. Reorientation programmes for teachers and lectures of training colleges and others have been undertaken.
Science Education A programme has been drawn up for the development of Science education. It includes proposals for preparation of textbooks, guide books, etc. An important aspect of the programme is to locate Science talent amongst the student and to foster it by granting scholarships, etc.
Science Clubs and Experimental Projects A number of institutions have been selected for grant of financial assistance for the establishment of Science Clubs and For undertaking experimental projects.
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Textbooks In view of the general complaints about the quality and get-up of text books produced in the country it has, been decider to undertake during the Third Plan, a programme for the production of model textbooks for adaption/adaptation by the State Governments Guide-books for teachers and supplementary readers will also be produced in selected subjects. On a specific request from the Government of Punjab, action is already in progress for the preparation of textbook# in science. Steps will shortly be taken for the production of textbooks in social studies also.
Educational and Vocational Guidance in Secondary Schools Proposals are also under consideration for the grant of financial assistance to the State Governments for the establishment of Educational and Vocational Guidance Bureaux which do not have them already and for strengthening the already existing Bureaux. The Central Bureau of Educational and Vocational Guidanne will also be strengthened. In a limited number of institutions full guidance services are proposed to be introduced and in some others Career Masters would be provided for Supplying occupational information to the students.
Assistance to Voluntary Educational Organizations Till the end of November, 1961, grants totalling Rs. 1.41 lakhs were paid to seven institutions.
Central Institute of English, Hyderabad The sixth regular course commenced on 10th July, 1961. Fifty five trainees are attending the course. The first issue of the Bulletin of the Institute was brought out in September, 1961. It has been decided to start a nine-month training course with effect from July, 1962.
National Awards for Teachers Under the Fourth National Awards for Teachers, 84 primary and secondary school teachers received awards from the Vice-President.
Promotion of Inter-State Understanding On the recommendations of the State Education Ministers' Con- ference held in November, 1960, an expert Committee, under the chairmanship of Dr. Sampurnanand, has been set up with the following terms of reference :
(a) To study the role of education in strengthening and promoting the process of emotional integration in national life and to examine the operation of tendencies which come in the way of their development;
(b) In the right of such study, to advise on the positive educational programmes for youth in general and the students in schools and colleges in particular, to strengthen in them the process of emotional integration.
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The Committee is expected to submit an interim report. shortly. Further steps to implement the activities falling under the scheme will be, taken after the above Committee has submitted its report to the Government of India.
Promotion of Gandhian Philosophy It is proposed to implement the following programmes during the Third Plan
(i) Lectures by Kumari Menuben Gandhi in the States and Union Territories not covered in the Second Plan. Kumari Gandhi has finished her tour of Himachal Pradesh in September October, 1961.
(ii) Lectures in various universities by eminent authorities on Gandhiji's life and thought.
(iii) Supply of a set of books on Gandhiji to universities and selected colleges. In this connection the Ministry has invited books and publications from publishers and authors for selecting suitable books.
(iv) Assistance for the setting up of a Gandhian Institute of Studies.
Educational Assistance to Children of Central Government Employees The Second Pay Commission inter-alia made the following recom- mendations to help the education of children of Central Government employees distributed all over the country:
In the interest of Central Government employees as well as of other floating population in the country, the growth of schools with common syllabus and media of instruction and moderate fees should be encouraged.
The railway scheme of setting up hostels, with concessional lodging and boarding charges at a graduated rate, should be extended for the benefit of other employees drawing pay not exceeding Rs. 300 p.m.
A draft scheme has been worked out in the light of discussions in an inter-Ministerial meeting held in the Ministry of Education on the 21st September, 1961, and is under finalization.
UNIVERSITY AND HIGHER EDUCATION
Correspondence Courses and Evening Colleges The scheme to assist universities to impart instructions through correspondence courses and evening colleges was approved in principle by the Central Advisory Board at its meeting held in January, 1961. On the recommendations of the Board, a nine-member Expert Committee under the chairmanship of Dr. D. S. Kothari was appointed to work out the details of the scheme. On the recommendations of the Committee
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it has been decided to amend the Delhi University Act to enable the University to start correspondence courses and a Bill to this effect is being introduced in the current session of the Lok Sabba. As regards the evening colleges, a sub-Committee has been set up to make a fact finding survey of evening colleges in Delhi.
The question of starting evening colleges was considered by the Expert Committee at its meeting held in September, 1961. More details will be considered in the subsequent meetings.
Grants-in-aid to the University Grants Commission A sum of Rs. 4.99 crores has so far been sanctioned to the Commission.
Assistance to Voluntary Educational Organisations for the
Construction of Hostels in Big Cities On the recommendations of the Central Advisory Board of Education and in consultation with the Planning Commission it has been decided to convert this scheme into a grant-in-aid giving scheme. The Ministry of Finance has approved it in principle and- further details are being worked out in consultation with the Ministry of Finance.
Loans for the Construction of Hostels for Affiliated Colleges The Scheme has been approved and its details are being circulated to the State Governments.
Assistance to All-India Institutions of Higher Education It has been decided to give a non-recurring grant of Rs. 28,000 and a recurring (maintenance) grant of Rs. 25,000 to the Kanya Gurukul, Dehra Dun on the recommendations of the Visiting Committee appointed in 1960-61.
It is expected that by the end of the year grants to the extent of Rs. 5 lakhs will be disbursed to eligible institutions..
Educational Conference A conference of the vice-chancellors of the Indian universities was held in October to discuss university problems. It is proposed to send a delegation of educationists to the U. A. R.
Cheap Re-publication of Foreign Textbooks To make textbooks cheaply available to Indian students, a pro- gramme for the re-publication of textbooks on reasonable prices has been undertaken by the Government of India. Under the scheme, selected lists of titles in basic sciences, humanities medicine, agriculture and veterinary science and engineering and technology have been finalised on the recommendations of the Inter-Ministries Committee, appointed for the purpose.
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Negotiations are in progress for bringing out cheaper editions of American textbooks in India. The financial requirements are likely to be met from the funds of P. L. 480 programme. So far, three titles have been taken up for publication and one of them namely `College Chemistry' by Lunus Pauling has already been published.
To evaluate additional titles suggested by the U. S. I. S. and Indian publishers, it has been decided to draw up a panel of experts in the various subjects.
Under the scheme of Government of the United Kingdom to produce low-priced books for use in India, the first batch of twenty-three textbooks on scientific, engineering and other technological subjects, including a book on economics, has been produced.
Rural Higher Education Two new rural institutes, one each at Wardha and Hanamanumatti (Mysore), have been started' One more institute is likely to be started before the close of the year.
The Post-diploma course in cooperation has been started in the Rural Institute at Coimbatore. Similar courses in the various subjects are proposed to be started in the Rural Institutes at Amravati, Madurai and Udaipur.
Two research projects namely `Socio-economic Survey of Students of Rural Institutes' and 'Socio-economic Survey of the Service Area of Rural Institutes Tests' were approved by the Research Committee, appointed by the Ministry, at its meeting held on July 25, 1961.
A seminar on `Research and Extension' was organised at Udaipur Rural Institute in September, 1961. Three more seminars-one each on the Teaching of Economics, Teaching of Agriculture and Problems of the Teachers of Civil and Rural Engineering Course are proposed to be organised at Rajpura, Sanosara and Coimbatore respectively during November, 1961-January 1962.
National Institute for the Higher Training of Women On the recommendations of the Indira Gandhi Committee, it has been decided in principle to set up an institution for the higher training of women in Organisation, administration and management in Delhi. The broad outlines of the' courses of study to be started in the institute have been prepared and a memorandum for setting up the institute as an autonomous Organisation has been approved.