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the State resources had already been allotted to their own specific schemes. This lack of coordination was aggravated because of the demand that the States should find matching funds in order to earn the Central quota. As the State resources were already earmarked for their own programmes, only the more prosperous States were able to take advantage of the offer of assistance made by the Central Government. The result was that advanced and prosperous States secured a much greater proportion of Central assistance, while underdeveloped States were unable to take a full advantage of the Schemes. The difference between developed and undeveloped States was thus further increased. National well-being requires that there should be a balanced development for the entire country without any marked disparity between different regions. judged by this standard, the first Plan has not proved entirely successful because of these two reasons mentioned above.
IV
We desired that we should profit from the experience of the first Plan. I was determined that the second Plan, while it should continue the good work initiated during the first Plan, must avoid its mistakes and drawbacks. I therefore desired that consultation with the State Governments should be held from the very outset. Accordingly a series of discussions with the Planning Commission and the State Governments were initiated by the Central Ministry of Education. For over a year consultations have been held and several meetings called. Finally, a conference of Education Secretaries was held in October-November 1954, which drew up a plan for the country as a whole: Briefly, the targets embodied in this plan were as follows:-
(i) Provision of schooling facilities for :
(a) Seventy-five per cent of the children of age group six to eleven;
(b) Thirty per cent of the children of age group eleven to fourteen, and
(c) Twenty per cent of the children of age group fourteen to seventeen.
(ii) Conversion of one-third of the existing Elementary schools into Basic schools and establishment of approximately fifty per cent of new schools required for expansion of elementary education as basic schools.
(iii) Improvement of salaries of Elementary school teachers so that a trained matriculate teacher may get basic salary of at least rupees seventy-five per mensem and an untrained teacher rupees fifty per mensem.
(iv) Conversion of all the existing teachers' training institutions into Basic training institutions and opening of new training institutions of basic type.
(v) Introduction of craft in Middle schools.
(vi) Expansion of facilities for education for age group fourteen to seven-teen to provide for twenty per cent of this age group.
(vii) Conversion of five hundred existing multi-purpose High schools, the establishment of which was contemplated under the first Five-Year Plan, into Higher Secondary schools of the multi-purpose type.
(viii) Conversion of 4,500 existing high schools into higher secondary schools of which two thousand would be of the multi-purpose type.
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(ix) Improvement of library and laboratory facilities, equipment, and other amenities in the remaining high schools.
(x) Improvement of salaries of secondary school teachers on the following basis :
Untrained non-graduate ... Rs. 100-200 p.m.
Untrained graduate Rs. 120-250 p.m.
Trained graduate Rs. 150-300 P.m.
Headmaster ... Rs. 250-500 p.m.
(xi) Development of Youth Camps, Work Projects and other extra- curricular activities.
(xii) Production and distribution of adequate literature for literate and neo-literate adults as well as children.
(xiii) Establishment of a large number of community centres, literacy centres and janata colleges for promoting social education amongst adults with special attention to women's education.
(xiv) Expansion of library facilities.
(xv) Establishment of 500 junior technical schools.
(xvi) Establishment of ten new apprenticeship training-cum- schools of industry for high school leavers and provision of similar facilities in ten existing institutions.
(xvii) Establishment of forty new polytechnics.
(xviii) Establishment of three new Engineering Colleges in States not having such colleges.
(xix) Establishment of three more Higher Technological Institutions, one each in the West , South and the North.
(xx) Conversion of the existing degree course into three year degree course.
(xxi) Improvement of the salary scales of University teachers in accordance with the recommendations of the University Education Commission.
(xxii) Improvement and development of institutions of higher learning in Sanskrit and Indological studies.
(xxiii) Assistance to learned societies for research in Humanities.
(xxiv) Expansion of Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and other Backward Classes Scholarships.
(xxv) Award of merit scholarships for higher studies.
(xxvi) Expansion of scholarships for overseas study.
(xxvii) Promotion of activities for the education of the handicapped.
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(xxviii) Expansion of activities connected with the promotion of Hindi.
(xxix) Promotion of activities pertaining to social welfare.
V
In the Plan Frame which the Planning Commission published, most of these physical targets enunciated by the Ministry of Education were accepted. When however the costs were calculated, and it was found that the implementation of this programme would involve over rupees one thousand crores, the Planning Commission suggested that the Ministry should revise the plan and bring it down to about rupees five hundred crores. Since a major portion of the plan was to be implemented by the State Governments, they were again consulted. After careful examination, it was realised that a drastic reduction in the physical targets was inescapable. Accordingly, a revised plan was drawn up with the following major targets:
Original Revised
Target Target
Enrolment in schools-age group six to eleven 75% 60%
Enrolment age group eleven to fourteen 30% 25%
Enrolment age group fourteen to seventeen 20% 15%
Conversion of existing Primary schools into
Basic schools one-third one-fourth
Conversion of existing High schools into Higher
Secondary schools 2,500 1,500
Conversion of existing High schools into multi-
purpose Higher Secondary schools 2,000 1,000
Further, apart from other reductions, the minimum basic salary proposed for Elementary school teachers was revised from rupees seventy-five to rupees fifty per mensem in the case of a trained matriculate teacher and from rupees fifty per mensem to rupees forty per mensem in the case of an untrained teacher.
I must confess that I was considerably disappointed when this revised plan was drawn up. I reconciled myself to this reduction on the ground that planning must be based on the economic resources of the community. We have resolved that national income must be increased by about five per cent. We must also go, as far as possible, to solve the problem of unemployment and underemployment. The Planning Commission was of the view that these objects required a greater emphasis on industrial development of the country, including development in the sector of small scale and cottage industries. While I fully recognise the importance of developing our water resources, agricultural potential and industrial capacity, I have held and still hold that there must be a right proportion between physical and mental development. In fact, in my view increasing national income or rapid industrial development is not possible without spread of education at all levels. All material improvement must ultimately depend on the intellectual and mental growth of the people. The Ministry of Education have therefore held and still hold that even if a programme for rupees one thousand crores is not feasible in the existing circumstances, at least the following minimum provision must be made, if our educational facilities are to keep pace with the national requirements in different fields of agricultural, industrial and power development:-
1. Rupees 338 crores for the State plans as recommended by the Working Groups consisting of representatives of the Ministry of Education,
11
the State Government concerned and the Planning Commission which went into great detail into the proposals made by each State.
2. Rupees sixty crores to cover the cost of improvement in salaries of teachers according to the revised and reduced proposals of the Ministry of Education (the total cost of the improvement for five years is only rupees ninety-three crores but of this, rupees thirty-three crores had already been provided in the recommendations of the Working Groups).
3. Rupee; 128 crores for schemes to be implemented by the centre.
As you are aware, even this modest figure of rupees 526 crores has not yet been accepted as part of the second Plan. I do not want to conceal that on this point I differ sharply from the members of the Planning Commission. I believe that in a plan approximating rupees five thousand crores, a demand for a little over Rs. 500 crores for Education is neither extravagant nor unjustified. I am continuing with my endeavours and it is my resolve that we must try to provide a reasonable allocation for education in the second Plan, and I have no doubt that all of you will be at one with me.
I may however bring to your notice that there is one redeeming feature in the situation. The second Five-Year Plan is not rigid. It is intended that we shall consider afresh proposals at the end of each year. In the light of experience and the needs of progress, there will thus be scope for readjusting the Plan.
VI
I would now like to draw your attention to another problem which requires careful consideration and a firm policy decision. Education is a State subject and it is both desirable and necessary that the largest possible autonomy should be given to local communities in, planning and implementing their educational programmes. There are however certain general and basic features which transcend local limitations and are, in fact, common for the whole of India. We are still in the process of implementing our national programmes. It is necessary that national needs and considerations must continually be kept before our minds. The Central Advisory Board has been constituted because of the recognition of this basic fact. It consists of representatives of the Centre as well as all the State Governments, and as such its advice represents the collective wisdom of educationists from the country as a whole. You are also aware that the Government of India never accepts any proposal that has 'not been first considered and approved by the Board. You will also remember that the decisions of the Board are almost without exception unanimous. Hence what the Board advises is the opinion not only of the Central Government but also of the State Governments who constitute the majority of the membership of the Board.
I am, therefore, somewhat surprised when certain groups or areas complain that the Centre is trying to impose on them a particular programme or pattern of education. For the reasons I have stated above, such complaints are unjustified. I would go further and say that the Centre will be failing in its duty if it did not take the initiative where national interest is involved. We want to build in India a national outlook which will transcend the limitations of province, State, religion, caste or language. That is why the Central Government has come forward with one scheme after another to assist and advise States in their educational plans. It has not however been content only with offering advice but has also agreed to share the financial burden for carrying out the necessary reforms. I am sure you will agree that when the Central Government
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provides a part of the expenses, it also has the responsibility of explaining to Parliament how and why that money has been spent.
VII
Another problem which requires your special consideration relates to Secondary education. When we were engaged in carrying out measures for reform and improvement, it was a painful surprise to find complaints of fall of standards from all sides. We had all hoped that with the adoption of an Indian language as the medium of instruction at the secondary stage there would be an immediate and perceptible improvement in standard. Unfortunately this hope has not been justified and we every day hear complaints from all sides. The demand has already been made in Parliament and outside that the Central Government must take some action in dealing with the situation. An Advisory Council for Secondary Education has recently been established to advise Central and State Governments on necessary measures for effecting the desired improvement. It has been suggested that one reason for fall of standards is the removal of English from the list of compulsory subjects in Secondary schools. Whether this is true or not is a matter which requires careful 'consideration by educationists.
The question of improvement of standards is one of the burning questions of the day. We are framing plans for the future development of the country, but how can we ensure progress unless the future generations are properly trained? I would therefore urge that this body of eminent educationists will consider this question carefully and suggest measures for improvement of standard of Secondary education in the country.
VIII
I would conclude by saying that the Indian people have shown a wonderful resilience in the last eight years. In spite of the difficulties and obstacles which India faced after partition, India has made progress in all fields, which has evoked the admiration of the entire world. I have therefore every confidence that our people will prove equal to the challenge of the times and provide for the coming generations an education which I will assure her a rightful place in the comity of nations.
The Board then took up the consideration of the agenda. (Annexure "A")
Item 1 -The Chairman welcomed the new members to the Board (Annexure B) and recorded appreciation of the services rendered by those (Annexure C) who have ceased to be members. On a motion from him, the Board observed one minutes' silence in memory of the late Dr. Amara Nath Jha.
Item 2(a) -It was reported that the proceedings of the 22nd meeting of the Central Advisory Board of Education held at New Delhi in January, 1955, were confirmed by circulation to members and the copies were sent to State Governments and Universities, etc.
Item 2(b) -The Board noted the following nominations by the Chairman to serve on the All- India Council for Secondary Education/ Indian National Commission for Cooperation with Unesco.
All-India Council for Secondary Education 1. Dr. Zakir Husain.
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2. Prof N. K. Sidhanta.
3. Smt. Hansa Mehta.
Indian National Commission for cooperation with UNESCO 1. Shri K. Q. Saiyidain, Additional Secretary to the Government of India, Ministry of Education.
Item 3(a) (i)-The Board noted the progress Report and recommended that the National Fundamental Educational Centre and the National Centre for Research in Basic Education should be located in a rural area.
Item 3 (a) (ii)-The Board noted with regret that progress reports from most of the States had not been received and even in cases, where reports had been received, they were incomplete and did not conform to the pattern approved by the Central Advisory Board of Education.
(b) As that was partly due to difficulties expe- rienced by the States on account of lack of staff etc., the Board recommended that a planning unit should be set up in each state in order to act as a liaison between the Centre and the State Govern- ments in regard to development plans.
(c) It was further suggested that qualified and experienced staff, competent in Basic Education, should be appointed at the Centre to act as field officers and help the States in the development of Basic Education.
Item 3(a) (iii)-The Board suggested that in order to minimise possible difficulties of adjustments which the foreign scholars have to face in this country, every effort should be made for their admission to institutions located in large and cosmopolitan centres as far as possible.
Item 3(b) -Same as under item 3(a) (ii) above.
Item 3(c) -The Board approved the Report and strongly recommended that efforts should be made to promote the teaching of Gandhian thought at different stages. For this purpose, efforts should also be made to study the teachings of Mahatma Gandhi through systematic research.