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One of the important measures for reform of university education is the need to dissociate the possession of a degree from the conditions of service. At present nobody can hope to get a responsible post without a degree. The result is that every one wants to enter a university, not for the pursuit of knowledge but in order to secure a passport to a job. The result of such insistence has been that instead of an emphasis on study and self-improvement, educational institutions have tended to emphasise the securing of a degree by some means or other. Not only have educational standards been lowered and all kinds of malpractices encouraged but students have missed the very purpose of education and concentrated on the acquisition of a degree without considering the means to it. it is not surprising that in this background students have continually pressed for an increase in the percentage of passes. Universities also have consciously or uncon- sciously fallen in line and without adequate attention to standards striven to increase the number of passes in various examinations. There has been in consequence, a slackness both in admission to uni- versities and in examinations conducted by them.

After considering all aspects, it is today my considered judgment that, except for professional services, the possession of a degree should not be a pre-requisite for appointment to government service. I can understand that we may have to make an exception in the case of professional jobs. In the case of an engineer, a medical man, a technician or a teacher, it is not enough that the practitioner has merely the necessary theoretical knowledge. In their case the discipline of studying such subjects for a number of years under proper guidance and supervision is essential' for the successful performance of their duties. Leaving aside such professional services, I do not see any justification for insisting on a degree for appointment to other posts, specially where such posts are filled up by Public Service Commissions on the results of examinations specially conducted for the purpose. I realize that the Union Public Service Commission or the State Public Service Commissions, as constituted today, cannot cope adequately with the volume of work which will devolve on them if this proposal is implemented but we can meet this difficulty by establishing two or more Boards for recruitment of personnel at different levels. It appears to me almost self-evident that since such Boards do, in any case, conduct examinations for recruitment to the Services, the demand for the possession of a degree is very largely unnecessary. For example, in the case of Jobs for which it is necessary today for a candidate to be a B.A., we may lay down that a candidate's general ability and knowledge should be equal to that of a graduate, so that while we ensure that we get the right people for right jobs, the present unhealthy emphasis on degrees will be replaced by that on ability.

With the increase in the number of elementary and secondary students, this will mean that a smaller Proportion will be provided with facilities for education at higher stage. The corollary to this is that ability, and ability alone, must be the criterion for entering into universities and other institutions of higher learning. Today very often it is financial position of the family which decides whether

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a student is to go to the university or not. With limitation of numbers, we must ensure that poverty is not a ban on entering into a university. This demands a much larger provision of stipends and scholarships for meritorious students. The additional expenditure will have to be met by the State and we must explore different alternatives to find the necessary resources. One suggestion which occurs to me is that the less meritorious but more affluent student may be required to pay higher fees. In any case the fees in our universities are exceedingly low. There would be a case for increas- ing these fees provided the number of scholarships and stipends are simultaneously increased to ensure that poor but meritorious students are not shut out of universities.

It appears to me that increasing emphasis will have to be placed on providing higher education in the field of Agriculture, Medicine, Engineering, Technology and Science. This does not, however, mean that we can afford to neglect the Humanities. No nation can survive if it neglects the discipline of the spirit. We must therefore ensure that increasing emphasis on Science and Technology does not lead to any reduction in the facilities for education in the liberal arts. The Government of India are fully aware of the importance of en- couraging higher education in all these fields, and a small beginning. has been made by providing a number of scholarships for encouraging research in science and industry, and you will be glad to hear that from the current year it is proposed to institute similar scholarships for research and further studies in the Humanities as well.

The educational picture I have is that of universal education of the basic pattern for all children of school-going age, followed by a diversified secondary education. Thereafter we must have for a select minority facilities for higher education in all fields of arts and science and see that this is of, the highest standard.

We have been emphasising for years the need for educational reform, but so far no practical step could be taken in this direction. We can no longer afford to delay and must immediately set in motion an effective machinery for reform. The University Education Commission's Report has been with us for the last four years and we have recently received the Report of the Secondary Education Commission as well. We must now seriously consider how best to implement the recommendations of these two Commissions as soon as possible. I would like you to give first priority to this question in your discussions.

It was important in this connection to create an effective and permanent agency to supervise the standards of university education and to coordinated them. Accordingly the Government of India are setting up a University Grants Commission of which the formal announcement will be made very soon. The Commission will be a statutory body. The necessary Pill will be presented in Parliament in the coming Budget Session. But since it is necessary that the Commission should begin to function without delay, the Government have decided to set it up immediately on the basis of a Resolution passed last year. After the Bill is passed, the Commission's scope and powers will be extended in conformity with it and its composition enlarged.

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On a motion by the Chairman, the Board observed two minutes' silence in memory of the late Dr. S. P. Mukerji.

3. The Board passed the following Resolution proposed by Dr. Amar Nath Jha:

"The Government of India are very anxious that the recom- mendations made by the University Education Commission should be implemented as early as possible. Ever since this Report was published, they have been exercised about this matter, particularly because, except in the case of the Central Universities, not much progress has been made in the actual implementation of its important recommendations. The contemplated appointment of the University Grants Commission is one of the measures for raising the standards of the University education and for ensuring its properly planned and coordinated development.

"The Central Advisory Board of Education, therefore, autho- rises the Chairman to appoint a Committee consisting of members of the Central Advisory Board of Education and other distinguished education- ists to survey the progress so far made in the implementation of the recommendations and to suggest further steps which should be taken by the governments and the universities in this behalf."

4. The Board then considered the Agenda (Annexure 'B'):

Item I.-The Chairman welcomed the new members of the Board and expressed his appreciation of the services of those members who have since retired. (Annexure 'A').

Item II.-It was reported that the proceedings of the 19th Meeting of the Central Advisory Board of Education held at New Delhi in March, 1952, had been confirmed by circulation to members.

Item III.-The Board considered the report on the progress of Educational Development Plans implemented or proposed to be implemented by the Government of India and recommended that a separate section dealing with basic education should be set up in the Central Ministry of Education.

While appreciating the idea of introducing merit scholarships in public schools, the Board recommended that the Government of India should request the State Governments to introduce similar scholarships, particularly in the public schools situated in their respective areas. In the award of scholarships, preference should be given to deserving students, coming from lower income group.

The Board suggested that a note on the scheme of merit scholar- ships in public schools as well as that of direct grants to public schools, giving the necessary details, should be circulated among the members of the Central Advisory Board of Education.

With regard to the Cultural Scholarships Scheme applicable to young workers, the Board recommended that the subject of literature should be considered separately from other subjects like Fine Arts, Music, Dance and Drama.

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Item III (a).-The Board considered the report on the progress of Educational Development Plans implemented or proposed to be implemented by the State Governments and recommended that:

(i) the summary of the reports submitted by the various State Governments on Basic education should be adequate and should contain important statistical data;

(ii) the present form on which the State Governments furnish their reports should be modified so as to include data on the productive aspect of Basic education;

(iii) the Board appointed a sub-Committee consisting of Sarva- shree E. W. Aryanayakam, D. C. Pavate and J. C. Mathur (convener) to suggest necessary modifications;

(iv) the Primary teachers should be provided with suitable residential accommodation at a reasonable rent; and

(v) the scales of pay of teachers should be revised and made attractive so that able men are recruited at all levels of education. Children of teachers should be given free education in the schools in which their parents are serving. The Government of India should formulate a general policy in this direction.

Item III (b).-The Board considered the report on the progress of education of Scheduled Tribes and Scheduled Areas in various states, with particular reference to the Educational Development Schemes under Article 275 of the Constitution and the Welfare of the Tribal People in Part 'C' States, and recommended that steps should be taken to construct roads in Scheduled Areas as well as residential accommodation be provided at State Governments' cost for pupils in Scheduled Areas.

Item III (c).-The Board considered the report on the publications of the Central Bureau of Education. It was of the opinion that

(i) the Government of India should consider reduction in the price of the publications to enable educational institu- tions and teachers to purchase them in larger quantities;

(ii) the graduate teachers under training should be advised to buy The Education Quarterly and other Indian education journals for their own library; and

(iii) the State Governments should be asked to buy these publications in bulk and distribute them to educational institutions under their control.

Item III (d).-The Board considered the report 'Audio-Visual Aids in India' and emphasised the need for the Government of India to help in the preparation of films in the regional languages. The Board also recommended that some of the films for children should be in cartoons.

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Items III (e) (f) and (g).-The Board considered the report on the education of the handicapped and recommended that in addition to providing vocational training for the handicapped, the State Govern- ments should take necessary steps for providing sheltered workshops for their employment. Further, a central survey should be made of the handicapped in the country so as to devise a more comprehensive and concrete scheme for their rehabilitation.

Item III (h).-The Board considered the report on the work of rehabilitation of students and teachers displaced from Pakistan and recommended that the Government of India should consider paying at least a part of their dues to displaced teachers after making adequate investigation of their claims, without waiting to settle this matter with the Government of Pakistan.

In the matter of grants to the universities by the Government of India, the universities in the partitioned provinces should be accorded preferential treatment.

Item III (i).-The Board considered the report on the Five-Year Plan of Educational Development and expressed the hope that effective steps would be taken by the Government of India and the State Governments to accelerate the progress of education during the remaining two years of the Plan period.

Item III (j).-The Board recorded the report on the development of Basic education in Primary and Middle schools.

Item IV.-The Board recorded the reports of the Government of India and the State Governments on the action taken by, them on the recommendations of the Board made at its 19th meeting.

The Board recommended that the State Governments should promote hobbies and establish Scout and Guide organisations, youth hostels etc., and stress the importance of athletics and of the N.C.C. in their schools.

The Board recorded its appreciation of the research work done at the Central Institute of Education, Delhi.

Item V.-The Board considered the report of the Secondary Education Commission and resolved as follows:

The Government of India appointed a Commission for the reorganisation of Secondary education, under the Chairmanship of Dr. A. L. Mudaliar, and the Commission has submitted its report recently, which has been placed for consideration before the Central Advisory Board of Education. In the interests of the reorganisation not only of Secondary education but of education as a whole, it is essential that the report should receive the earnest attention of the Board and its recommendations implemented as effectively and speedily as possible.

The Central Advisory Board of Education, therefore, authorises the Chairman to appoint a Committee, consisting of the members of the Central Advisory Board of Education and some distinguished educationists from outside, to report to the Board at its next meeting

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in January 1954, regarding the recommendations which could be implemented by the Central Government and recommended for implementation to the State Governments and also the order of priority of their implementation.

Item VI (a).-The Board considered the recommendations of the Higher Education Committee on the report of the Committee on Rural Education at the collegiate stage and recommended that the Government of India should set up an All-India Council on Rural Higher Education to examine the work of the present rural higher educational institutions in various parts of the country and advise on their future development.

Item VI (b).-The Board considered the report of the Indian National Committee on Early Childhood Education and suggested that the recommendations of the Committee be brought to the notice of the State Governments.

Item VII.-The Board noted the work done in connection with the preparation of Scientific Terminology in Hindi and the propagation and development of Hindi by the Ministry of Education.

Item VIII.-The Board unanimously approved the nomination by the Chairman of five members to represent the Central Advisory Board of Education on the Indian National Commission for Unesco.

Items IX and X.-In considering the place that the teaching of English should occupy in the educational institutions in the country, the Board generally endorsed the report of the Conference of Pro- fessors of English held at New Delhi in January 1953. It particularly drew the attention of the Central and State Governments and the universities to the recommendations of the Conference that questions relating to the medium of instruction should be tackled by the universities on an All-India basis and that the transition from English to regional languages or Hindi should be effected in a gradual and coordinated manner so that there would be no fall in the academic standards or hardships to students or teachers.

Item XI.-The Board considered the recommendations of the Conference of University Teachers of Hindi regarding the teaching of Hindi in the universities. It drew the particular attention of the universities to the recommendation that they should take steps for the establishment of academies and bureaux for the preparation of suitable textbooks in all subjects and also for translating books into Hindi from other Indian and foreign languages.

A Central Committee of representatives of all universities should coordinate and direct the work done in Hindi by the various universities.

Item XII.-The Board recommended that the State Governments should set up suitable machinery to safeguard teachers from possible unwarranted dismissal and other injustices.

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Item XIII.-In considering the suggestion for conscripting matri- culates for social work, the Board was of the view that such work should be on a voluntary basis. Wherever students volunteer for such work, suitable residential accommodation and other facilities should be provided for them.

Item XIV.-The Board considered the memorandum on the progress of free and compulsory education in the country and special measures to be devised to achieve the target of providing compulsory and free Primary education by 1960 as provided in Article 45 of the Constitution and requested the Ministry of Education to urge the Planning Commission to make more adequate provision for education, particularly for universal, free and compulsory education during the second Five-Year Plan. The Board was of the view that special consideration should be given to States that were economically or otherwise less developed.

Item XV.-The Board considered the memorandum submitted by the Government of Bihar on the desirability of changing the medium for competitive examinations from English into the regional languages, enumerated in the Constitution of India, for entrance to preparatory schools for the Armed Forces. It recommended to, the Government of India that the medium in competitive examinations for entrance into schools for the Armed Forces, recruiting children of 12 or below, may be the mother tongue of the candidate After a student has been selected for admission to the school, he should undergo an intensive course in English for six months either at his own expense or at the expense of the Government of the State from which he comes.