APPENDIX A(g)- REPORT ON THE ACTIVITIES OF THE CENTRAL BUREAU OF EDUCATION
The Central Bureau of Education has been reorganized in the Ministry and now consists of 5 Units as follows
(1) Information & Publications Unit and Central Educational Library.
(2) Overseas Information Unit.
(3) Audio Visual Aids Unit.
(4) Statistical Unit.
(5) Central Secretariat Library.
The Central Bureau of Education is the oldest establishment of the Ministry dating its existence from the year 1915. Since that date it has gone through various stages of development with its main function of collection and collation of information about education in. India and abroad, and of publication of Educational Reports on different subjects.
During this year it was felt that as the Ministry of Education at the Centre must assume more and more of advisory role to stimulate, coordinate and guide educational effort in all its aspects throughout India, the Central Bureau of Education should be developed in such a way as to render its services to all the states in respect of the new changes and requirements, in an efficient way. For this purpose, a Committee with Secretary as Chairman and Joint Educational Adviser, Divisional Heads and Senior Officers of the Bureau as Members meets periodically to review the work done in the 5 Units of the Bureau.
A brief review of the work done by each of the Units of the Bureau is given below :-
(1) INFORMATION AND PUBLICATIONS UNIT INCLUDING THE CENTRAL
EDUCATIONAL LIBRARY.
Scope and Functions. The Information and Publications Unit, including the Central Educational Library, forms one of the most important units of the Central Bureau of Education. It has three main functions :-
(i) information service,
(ii) research and publications work, and
(iii) library service
(i) Information Service.
The Information Service of the Bureau comprises: (a) disposal of enquiries on educational matters pertaining to India and other countries, (b) collection and maintenance of up-to-date literature and information on education in India and foreign countries, (c) maintenance of up-to-date lists of various types of educational institutions and organizations, educational authorities in the States etc., (d) supply of educational information and literature to Indian Missions abroad. (e) scrutiny of educational journals and other literature received in the Bureau.
L26MofEdu.
90
During the year with a view to collecting and maintaining up-to- date information on various topics of education, some of the -additional headings oft which information has been collected are; Universities in India, Teachers' Training, Physical Education, Compulsory Education, Adult Education. Military Training, Medium of Instruction and Facilities for Women's Education.
Literature in the form of calendars, prospectuses, annual reports, and constitutions and by-laws of various educational institutions and organisations is also being collected.
With regard to the supply of literature, the Bureau has been entrusted with the task of sending University calendars etc., to Indian Missions abroad.
(ii) Research and Publication Work.
The Publication work of the Bureau includes (a) preparation and printing of pamphlets, brochures, directories, journals etc., (b) collection of material for the preparation of periodic and non- periodic publications, (c) printing, stocking and distributing of all the publications prepared by the Ministry and by private individuals and societies sponsored by the Government of India, (d) exchange of Bureau's publications and. (e) distribution within India of gift books received from abroad.
Besides the Education Quarterly, which was started in 1949 and of which the March, June, September and December issues were published this year, the following other publications have been brought out during the year :-
(a) Humanistic Institutions and Societies in India;
(b) a Review of Education in India during 1949-50;
(c) Report on the Activities of the Ministry during 1949-50;
(d) Archaeology in India,
(e) Report on the Indian Education in East Africa;
(f) Syllabus for Basic Schools;
The following publications are in the press :-
(a) Scientific Institutions and Societies in India;
(b) a Memorandum on Education in Assam-1949-50.
The following publications are under active preparation :-
(a) Indian Universities and Institutions of Higher Learning in India;
(b) Teachers' Training in India
(c) a Guide to the Educational System of India
(d) Art in General Education.
Steps are being taken to publish a pamphlet on `Education for Democracy' containing broadcast talks, sent in by the All India Radio, and the Souvenir volumme of the Art Exhibition of the Archaeological Department.
A Publications Committee has been functioning in the Ministry. Its main purpose is to advise on the preparation of publications on subjects within the purview of the Ministry and to coordinate the publication work of the various Divisions of the Ministry.
90,000 adult educational pamphlets published by the Jamia Millia have also been taken tip for being distributed to State Governments.
(iii) Library Service.
The Library service refers to the work of the Central Educational Library. It has a good collection of books on education, educational system and educational methods, the total number of books being slightly over 22,000. It contains books on all aspects of education such as Administration, curricula, Finance, Organi-
91
sation method. etc. Besides, it has specialised in the collection of children's literature, books on Art Education, Adult Education, Secondary Education and Psychology as well as Methods of Teaching. The main sections of the library are : Adult Literature, Children's section, Technical section, Arts section, Films Section and Periodicals section. It maintains the Adult Educational Library for Class IV servants of the Central Secretariat. During the year under report, 45 magazines and newspapers were subscribed to for the Adult literature Section and Reading Room.
Nearly 200 Periodicals which cover all the important educational journals, Indian and foreign, are being subscribed to by the Library. An index of the various articles in the Indian educational journals is published regularly in the Education Quarterly. The Library also renders bibliographical service and during the year, 50 bibliographies and reference lists have been prepared on various topics.
The C. E. Library has a budget provision of Rs. 23,600 for the purchase of books and periodicals. During the year 1949-50, 4,100 books were added to the Library. 12,583 books were issued to readers. The membership of the Central Educational Library is 110, and the Adult Literature Section has a membership of 500.
(2) OVERSEAS INFORMATION UNIT. The,Overseas Information Unit has three important functions with regard to information to those desirous of going abroad for higher education :
(a) information service,
(b) publications, and
(c) maintenance of a library.
The following are the activities of this Unit during the year under review with reference to the functions mentioned above
(i) The O.I.U. Provides information to the students proceeding overseas for advanced studies, if the same information is not available through the local University Bureau. The information relates to the facilities available in foreign institutions, mainly universities and colleges, that provide higher studies and research in the various branches of learning. The O.I.U. also provides information regarding practical training facilities available in the various technical subjects in foreign countries.
(ii) It collects, maintains and distributes up- to date literature and information on education regarding foreign countries in the form of calendars, prospectuses, and constitutions and bye- laws of various educational institutions. A Library is maintained for the purpose.
(iii) Information regarding facilities for education abroad on specialized topics is circulated to all the Students' Advisory bodies in the country.
(iv) Information is collected from our Missions abroad and classified and indexed in the. Unit.
(v) Foreign journals are scrutinized and information thus collected is passed on to the Foreign Information Bureaux of various Universities in India.
92
(vi) Publications.-The following publications have been brought out by this Unit :-
1. Architecture.
2. Public Health.
3. Pharmacy.
4. Social and Welfare Work.
5. Teachers' Training.
6. Electrical Engineering.
7. General Information about the U.S.A.
8. Some Private Hints for students going abroad.
The main purpose of the Overseas Information Unit is to see that the advisory service of the various States and University Bureaux is kept up-to-date and necessary steps are being taken for the purpose.
(3) AUDIO VISUAL AIDS UNIT. The Audio Visual Aids Unit was at first only a Film Library but later on it was decided that other visual aids should also find a place in this Unit, and therefore it was necessary also to have a Library of Educational Charts & Posters in this Unit. It has therefore been called Audio Visual Aids Unit of the Bureau.
The film library of the Unit has a stock of 1,034 educational films and filmstrips which are loaned free of charge to educational institutions and approved organizations engaged in social and cultural activities throughout the country. The total strength of the members of the library is 230. This film library is the only one of its kind in this country for all the educational and allied institutions and organizations for obtaining films and filmstrips. free of, charge for the benefit and promotion of educational and social activities. On an average 400 films and filmstrips are issued every month
The Preview Committee set up in the Ministry for selecting suitable film and filmstrips has held 47 meetings during the year, at which 270 films were previewed and 64 of them approved for purchase.
The Unit arranges film shows in local schools and also for organizations which do not possess film equipment. During the year 57 shows have been arranged. The technical staff is also sent to institutions for examination of projection equipment and to advise on the purchase of suitable equipment.
Other items of work in this Unit are
(a) Preparation of a descriptive catalogue of films and filmstrips in the Central Film Library.
An annotated list of 16 mm films possessed by the film library is under print.
(b) Advising educational authorities of the State Governments and educational institutions on the selection and purchase of suitable films and film equipment.
A circular letter was issued to State Governments to declare the expenditure on visual apparatus and films as approved expense for the purpose of calculating grants, so that schools are encouraged to possess their own visual apparatus and a limited number of films and filmstrips.
93
(c) The Unit also proposes to take up the following items of work
(i) collection and co-ordination of views and proposals of various educational authorities, societies and associations engaged in popularizing the use of films and other visual aids in schools and colleges;
(ii) encouraging the provision of training teachers in the use of films and other visual material in the class room;
(iii) promoting the establishment of regional and local film libraries in co-operation with educational authorities;
(vi) helping the production of visual aids such as charts, posters, maps etc. at various levels of education.
(v) promotion of production of Indian educational films by private firms interested in it.
4. STATISTICAL UNIT. The following are the present activities of this unit
A. Collection, scrutiny, consolidation and interpretation of the following statistics and reports:-
(i) Educational statistics from States in India;
(ii) Statistics of Universities in India;
(iii) Statistics of Boards of Secondary Education in India;
(iv) Statistics of Centrally Administered Educational and Research Institutions in India;
(v) Statistics of Education in Foreign Countries;
(vi) Annual Reports on the Progress of Education in States in India,
(vii) Statistics of Centrally Aided Institutions in India;
(viii) Statistics of Public Schools in India;
(ix) Statistics of Child Welfare in States in India;
(x) Reports (for U.N.O.) regarding Delinquent and Neglected Children in States in India;
(xi) Budget Estimates of Expenditure on Education in States in India,
(xii) Statistics of Vocational and Training Centres for ex-servicemen and displaced persons in India;
(xiii) Scheme of School classes in States in India;
(xiv) Scales of pay of Schools and College Teachers in States in India;
(xv) Educational Development Programmes of States in India;
(xvi) Literacy Figures of some Foreign Countries;
(xvii) Statistics of Libraries in India.
B. Designing of forms to be prescribed for the collection of required statistics.
C. Preparation, printing and distribution of educational publications detailed under item J. In order to bring out the publications in time, the work of consolidation of General Educational Tables which was being done by D. G.C.I. & S., Calcutta was taken over by this Section. One verifier and two punches have been bought for this purpose.
D. Preparation of Educational charts, graphs etc., for the Ministry publications, national and international exhibitions, seminars, etc.
94
E. Attending to statistical enquiries on education from different sources. The number of such enquiries attended to during the period 1-1-50 to 31-10-50 was 100 as against 94 attended to during the whole of the last year.
F. Compilation of statistical tables required for Educational Commissions & Committees, Planning Commission, Decennial Review on the Progress of Education, etc.
G. Maintenance of Statistical Library containing publications received in exchange for those of ours and required occasionally for reference purposes.
H. Population Studies concerning educational programmes in the country.
J. Publications
(a) During the last three years the following publications have been brought out by this section :-
(i) Educational Statistics, British India, 1942-45;
(ii) Educational Statistics, India, 1945-46;
(iii) Educational Statistics, India, 1946-47;
(iv) Educational Statistics, Indian States, 1945-46, Part I.
(v) Educational Statistics, Indian States, 1946-47, Part I.
(vi) Education in Centrally Administered Institutions in India, 1946-47:
(vii) General Educational Tables, India, 1941-42;
(viii) General Educational Tables, In a, 1942-43;
(ix) General Educational Tables, India, 1943-44;
(x) General Educational Tables, India, 1944-45;
(b) The following publications are in the press :-
(i) Educational Statistics, India, 1947-48;
(ii) Education in Centrally Administered Institutions in India, 1947-48;
(iii) Education in Universities in India, 1947-48; (containing statistical information on University Education in India from as far back as 1916-17);
(iv) General Educational Tables, India, 1945-46;
(v) Expenditure on Education in India, 1947-48, (being printed as required by Parliamentary Committee on Education)
(vi) Central Expenditure on Education, 1948-49 to 1950- 51.