APPENDIX A (a) (i) : REPORT ON THE PROGRESS OF EDUCATIONAL DEVELOPMENT PLANS IMPLEMENTED BY THE GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
Government of India Merit Scholarships in Public Schools. For the academic year 1954-55, 65 candidates were selected out of whom 24 have been nominated against the scholarships instituted by various schools, and 41 were offered Government scholarship.
As a result of an informal conference of State Directors of Education/Directors of Public Instruction, and Headmasters of Public Schools, held on 8th April, 1955, to review the working of the Scheme it was decided that (1) The preliminary selection should be done by the Education Departments of the States; (2) Each State should recommend not more than 50 candidates; and that (3) The candidates recommended by the State Governments should be tested finally at ten Regional Centres by a Central Selection Committee which should go round the ten centres to interview and select the candidates.
As a result also of the above conference, Headmasters/Principals of all the Public Schools and the State Governments were requested to institute scholarships tenable in their schools, or public Schools within their States, on the same lines as under the Government of India scheme and the following Schools and States instituted the scholarships mentioned against each.
Name of School No. of Scholarships Instituted.
1. Lawrence School, 22 Scholarships
Sanawar. (12 for children of Armed forces)
for candidates between the age of
6-13 years.
2. Lawrence School, 8 Scholarships.
Lovedale (one for children of Defence per-
sonnel).
3. Rajkumar College, 2 half freeship of the value of Rs.
Rajkot 750/- per annum.
4. Daly College, 1 Scholarship.
Indore.
5. Mayo College, 9 Scholarships.
Ajmer. (4 half freeships and 5 quarter-
free-ships).
The Government of Andhra instituted four scholarships for residents of Andhra State only, (two scholarships at the Lawrence School, Lovedale, and two at the Rishi Valley School, Rishi Valley, Chittoor Distt). The Government of Tripura instituted three scholarships for residents of Tripura State.
The selections for the academic year 1955 are under way, and the awards will be announced very shortly. A budget provision of Rs. 4.49 lakhs has been made in the budget estimates for the year 1956-57.
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Research Scholarships in the Humanities. Out of 31 applicants selected and offered these scholarships in 1953, only 22 availed themselves of the offer.
In 1954, out of 51 candidates selected for scholarships, 37 availed themselves of the offer, the remaining offers of scholarships had to be cancelled as the applicants had secured employment in the meantime.
The scheme was sanctioned as an experimental measure for three years but was continued in its existing form during 1955 and 1956, except that the following provision was added to the original terms and conditions governing awards of the scholarships: -
"A scholar may, however, on the specific recommendation of his/her Supervisor, assigned by the University or Institution concerned, be permitted to study for a specified period (not exceeding applicants six months during the tenure of the scholarships) under some distinguished scholar or at some University, Indian or foreign, other than the one to which he/she is attached on the clear understanding that no increase in the rate of scholarship or the period of scholarship will be allowed and no financial assistance of any kind is involved."
In 1955, 234 applications were received for the third batch of awards and 38 candidates were selected on the recommendations of the Selection Committee under the Chairmanship of Sardar K. M. Panikkar. Twenty-four of the selected candidates have commenced on their approved course of research. The rest will begin research shortly.
Applications for the fourth batch of awards to be made in 1956 have been invited.
A provision of Rs. 3.73 lakhs has been made in the budget estimates for 1956-57. The scheme has been provisionally included in the Second Five-Year Plan and a provision of Rs. 24 lakhs has been proposed for the entire Plan period.
Scholarships to young workers in different cultural fields: About 1600 applications were received for the second batch of awards under the scheme. The Selection Committee appointed panels of experts, one panel for each subject for study of which applications had been received, to test and evaluate the candidates in person (or specimens of their work) and make recommendations to the Central Committee. The Central Committee after taking into consideration the recommendations of the various panels of experts, recommended 29 candidates for awards. The recommendations on the Committee were accepted by the Government and offers of awards sent to the selected candidates, of which 28 have accepted the offer and commenced on their approved course of training under the supervisors or institutions approved for each of them.
Of the 49 candidates selected under the first batch of awards in 1954, 45 have commenced approved course of training.
The scheme will be reviewed by a special committee to be appointed by the Government of India after most of the scholars selected for the second batch have been at their authorised courses of training for sometime, with a view, to improving it.
The scheme has been provisionally included in the Second Five- Year Plan and a provision of Rs. 90 lakhs has been suggested for the entire plan period, A sum of Rs. 3.24 lakhs has been accepted by the Ministry of Finance for inclusion in the Budget for the year 1956-57.
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Grants to Voluntary Organisations Grants and Loans have been sanctioned to the various Institutions for the encouragement of their activities in the field of education. A list giving details of the various grants and loans sanctioned up-to-date under Scheme No. 6 is attached.
STATEMENT
Grants and loans sanctioned in respect of Scheme No. 6 during the
Five-rear Plan to date.
Name of the Institu- Amount Amount State
tion sanctioned on
loan basis
1 2 3 4
1. Rama Krishna Mission, 78,000 - (West Bengal)
Calcutta.
2. Rama Krishna Mission
Vanavilla Vidyalaya,
Mysore. 1,00,000 - Mysore
3. Harijan Ashram, 10,000 - U. P.
Allahabad.
4. Shri Shivaji Vidyapeeth 1,35,000 - M. P.
5. Vidya Bhawan Society 70,000 - Rajasthan
6. Gujrat Research Society 35,929 - Bombay
7. D. M. College, Moga 71,612 - Punjab
8. T. S. Avinashalingam 1,92,720 - Madras
Trust,
9. South India Education Trust,
Madras. 2,51,193 2,10,000 Madras.
10. Prayag Sangit Samiti 4,00,000 - Allahabad (U.P.)
11. Banasthali Vidyapeeth 2,71,600 1,17,140 Udaipur (Rajasthan)
12. Vidyadaya Girls High
School, Madras. 2,00,000 - Madras.
Rural Higher Education The expansion of facilities of higher education in rural areas was strongly recommended by the Radhakrishnan Commission. Similar recommendations regarding secondary stage were made by the Mudaliar Commission. The recommendations coupled with the increasing interest shown by a large number of social workers and voluntary agencies in the development of Rural education led to the appointment of a Committee on Higher Education in Rural Areas.
The Committee appointed by the Ministry of Education in October, 1954, has, however, recommended the establishment of Rural Institutes or institutions of Higher learning which could give to the rural youth that training and skill which will make them effective leaders of the community, help in eradicating
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poverty of rural masses and inspire youth with a sense of social responsibility and make them conscious of ethical values and the philosophy of human relations on which democracy is based.
This aspect of Rural education was discussed at a conference of the. educationists interested in the work, and on the careful consideration of the recommendations made by it, the Government of India have decided to develop a number of selected rural institutions according to the standard envisaged by the Committee on Rural Higher Education. A National Council of Rural Higher Education is being established, which will work out the expenditure to be incurred on each institute on the basis of the proposals submitted by them and their capacity to expand and maintain their activities in all fields.
Meanwhile proposals regarding the development of the various existing institutions in rural areas are being received in the Ministry, that has since set up a new section to examine these proposals.
University Education The Central Advisory Board of Education is already aware that the University Grants Commission was set up by the Government of India in 1953-54 as a principal advisory and executive agency to deal with the problems connected with the coordination of facilities and maintenance of standards in Universities. The Commission was also made responsible for disbursement of grants to Universities. A Bill to reconstitute the University Grants Commission as a statutory body is already before Parliament and is expected to be enacted into law before long.
During 1954-55, the U. G. C. distributed grants amongst various Universities in India, amounting to Rs. 1,78,46,546-14-3. Out of this sum, Rs. 96,86,365/-/- was given to Universities for development of Higher Scientific education and Research as well as for Engineering and Technological education. Another sum of Rs. 13,53,057 was paid to Universities for development of Humanities under the First Five-Year Plan. For the year 1955-56 a lump provision of Rs. 3.5 crores exists for Grants-in-aid to the U.G.C. Up to 1-12-1956, the Commission has distributed grants to Universities (including Constituent Colleges of Delhi University) for different purposes amounting to Rs. 1,13,31,150/-/-. With effect from 1-4-1955, U. G. C. has also been made responsible for grants-inaid to the Constituent Colleges of Delhi University.
One of the important schemes undertaken by the U. G. C. is the improvement of salary-scales of Professors and Lecturers in the Universities. As a first step, the Commission decided to raise the salary scales in Universities to Rs. 800-40-1000-50-1250 for University Professors and Rs. 250-25-500 for Lecturers wherever the existing scales were lower. The difference between the salary scales actually drawn by a University Professor or Lecturer and the salary he would have drawn, if he had been on the scale proposed by the Commission, is being paid as personal allowance to those teachers of the Universities concerned with effect from the 1st July, 1954. The scheme will continue up to the end of the First Five-Year Plan period.
A Centre of Public Administration has been established at the University of Lucknow under the T.C.M. Programme. Under this Programme, an Agreement has also been executed between the Government of India and the Government of U. S. A. for assistance for the development of Home Science education and Research in selected Indian Colleges and Universities.
With the assistance from the Ford Foundation and in cooperation with Community Projects Administration, a pilot scheme for granting "Student-
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Apprenticeships" was tried in West Bengal. The purpose of the scheme was to develop in selected University students a realistic spirit of social service and a responsible understanding of the problems of rural reconstruction in India. Forty-two students of the Calcutta University were enrolled as apprentices and ,given a short Orientation Course of seven days at the different Community Development Training Centres at Fulia and Burdwan and placed as aids to different Gram- Sewaks for a period of 16 days . The Course was rounded off by a gathering of the apprentices at the training Centres for a period of three days where they summed up their experiences and discussed various problems arising out of the training. It is proposed to extend the scheme to other Universities with effect from the next financial year.
Direct Grants to Public Schools In accordance with the scheme of "Direct Grants to Public Schools", the Government of India have sanctioned grants of Rs. 50,000/- and Rs. 25,000/to the Mayo College, Ajmer and the Doon School, Dehra Dun, during the year 1954-55.
The following grants have so far been given to the Public Schools, shown against each, during the current year where there was enough justification for the same:
1. Daly College, Indore Rs. 15,000
2. Birla Vidya Mandir, Naini Tal. Rs. 25,000
3. Doon School, Dehra Dun Rs. 25,000
4. M. G. D. Girls Public School, Jaipur Rs. 10,000
Audio-Visual Education (a) Building of an Audio-Visual Wing at New Delhi. A sum of Rs. 5,00,000/- was sanctioned for the building of the Audio-Visual Wing in New Delhi in August, 1954. The construction work began in early 1955 and is expected to be completed during 1956.
(b) Development of the Central Film Library.
Under this scheme, a sum of Rs. 1,05,000/- was sanctioned during each of the year 1954-55 and 1955-56 for the replacement of damaged films, purchase of duplicate prints, children's entertainment films, selected feature films, films on specialised subjects, posters, charts, books and journals etc., for the development of Audio-Visual Aids Library of the Ministry of Education. 230 duplicate prints, 85 in replacement of damaged films, 15 children's entertainment films, 4 selected feature films and 10 films on specialised subjects have been added to the Audio-Visual Aids Library, in addition to its normal acquisition.
(c) Organisation of seminars for training in the use and preparation of audio-visual aids.
Under this scheme, the Ministry of Education organised two seminars, one at Delhi during May-July, 1954 and another, a joint Indo-Australian Seminar, at Lucknow during November, 1955. In the seminar at Delhi, 30 trainees, actually associated with the work of Audio-Visual education, were selected from different States. The Seminar at Lucknow was attended by 43 delegates from different countries of South-East Asia, of which 24 were Indians, selected from different States in India.
National Fundamental Education Centre The Ministry of Education has decided to set up a National Fundamental Education Centre for Training of personnel in the field of Social education;
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research into the problems of Social education; and production of Social education materials.
The number of officers to be trained is about 350. It is intended to train 70 Social Education Organizers in a year in two batches. The work will thus extend over the extra period of the Second Five-Year Plan. Social Education Work in the development blocks/N. E. S. areas have revealed many urgent problems in the field. To name a few-correct literary methods, proper motivation of adults, choice and training of local leadership are some of the problems that need to be investigated. Besides the training and research functions, the National Fundamental Education Centre will also produce various kinds of teaching aids and organise conferences, seminars, 'etc. The project has been approved for inclusion in the Second Five-Year Plan.
The Financial implications are:
Non-recurring Rs. 3 lakhs-for building and equipment.
Recurring (per year) Rs. 2 lakhs-for staff and contingencies etc.
It has been decided to locate the Centre at Delhi, with the National Institute of Basic Education.
A working group has been set up to go into the detail of problems which have to be studied as preparatory to the setting up of the Centre. The Group has met twice and it is hoped that by the time the Board meets, the Group will have finished its work.
It has been decided to appoint a nucleus staff consisting of a Director, two members of the teaching staff and the necessary clerical and class IV personnel to start the Centre and get it going before the three-fold work of the Centre is actually undertaken.
National Institute of Basic Education Under the First Five-Year Plan the Government of India have decided to set up a National Institute of Basic Education to serve as a National Institute for the improvement of Basic education. The functions of the institute will be-
(i) To carry out research in fields like the following:-
(a) Curriculum construction.
(b) Correlation and other problems of teaching methods.
(c) Research in Crafts.
(d) Improvement of Craft equipment and materials.
(e) Production of Literature for children and teachers including guide books for teachers.
(f) Finding Crafts for Basic Schools in urban areas.
(g) Finding out Crafts being practised in specific areas and which would be taken up as basic crafts for schools in those areas.
(h) Finding out the optimum time which may be allotted in the curriculum to various crafts.
(i) Factors involved in reconstituting schools on the Basic pattern.
(ii) To undertake the training of Basic Education Workers at the higher level only i.e., inspectors , administrators and supervisors, and to associate itself in various ways with the work of the existing training institutions.
(iii) To function in an advisory capacity and as a clearing house of information on various issues to be referred to it by the Central and State Governments.
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The Financial implications are:
Non-recurring Rs. 3 lakhs - for building and equipment etc.
Recurring per year Rs. 1.5 lakh - for staff and contingencies
etc.
For reasons of administrative and supervisory convenience it has been decided to locate the institute in Delhi along with the National Fundamental Education Centre. An attempt is being made to select a suitable building for the two institutions.