WELCOME SPEECH OF DR. S. D. SHARMA, EDUCATION AND LAW
MINISTER, MADHYA PRADESH.
 

Welcoming the members of Central Advisory Board of Education to the thirtieth Session, Dr. S. D. Sharma. Education and Law Minister, Madhya Pradesh, said:

"Friends,

It gives me very great pleasure to welcome you all to this attractive though modest hill-station of Pachmarhi which is usually described as the "Queen of the Satpuras". When the Central Advisory Board of Education kindly accepted our invitation to hold the 30th Session in Madhya Pradesh, it was first thought that Bhopal might appropriately be the venue for our meetings not only because it is the State Capital, but also because it is easy of access from all parts of the country. But it was a happy thought to shift the place of this Session to Pachmarhi, although this involved our making last minute changes in all the arrangements which had already been set in motion at Bhopal. All of you, I have no doubt, were put to some inconvenience by having to revise your travel programme and find your way to Pachmarhi by somewhat tortuous routes involving travel by almost all the known modes of transport e.g., by air, rail and road. Nevertheless, I am sure, that the fresh, bracing air that must have greeted you as you drove up the last winding sweep of the road to this plateau must have made, you feel that the journey has been -worth while.

Tradition has it that Pachmarhi derives its name from the five ,caves that are cut into a low sandstone hill in which the Pandava brothers are supposed to have sojourned during their exile. I hope, during your stay here you will be able to visit this legendary spot, known locally as the Pandava Caves. In fact, this spot is only one of the many lovely points and beauty-spots with which this plateau abounds. Habitual visitors to this hill station recommend that the best way of seeing these points is by trekking. The peak of Dhupgarh whose imposing face looks down upon the plateau is the highest point of the Satpuras and also the highest peak between Himalayas and the Nilgiris and has an elevation of about 4,500 ft. I would recommend a trek up to its top to such of you as are particularly energetic. Indeed, Pachmarhi is described as the "Trekker's Paradise" and there are fascinating walks and avenues in every direction, and brisk stroll along which is known to work up a healthy appetite which, I hope, our culinary artists would endeavour to satisfy to the best of their abilities.

The present boundaries of Madhya Pradesh-- the largest State in our country in respect of the area-are, as you know, the result of the re-organisation of the States. In this State are merged the Princely States that formed Madhya Bharat and Vindhya Pradesh, and the Princely State of Bhopal and the Mahakoshal region including Chhattisgarh States of the former Madhya Pradesh. It is thus a vast crucible, situated in the boosom of our country, in which the rich and diverse elements of our culture and tradition mix and merge to produce the wonderful product of an integrated nation. No wonder, that was this region that produced the great Kalidasa who has immortalised the wealth and beauty of our country, and in his sweeping vision has described the loveliness and unity of our country,

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stretching from the Himalayas to Kanya Kumari. To him the unity of our country was not just a phrase but a rich personal experience. It was in Ujjain that he lived-Ujjaini as it was known, whose beauties thrilled the poet. The great Bhavabhuti whose dramas form some of the richest treasures of Sanskrit literature lived in this State, and so also did the great astronomer-cum-astrologer, Varahmihir.

It was in this region that the great Bhoja lived and ruled, whose name has become a part of popular fable and legend as a symbol of greatness, learning and generosity-himself a poet and a patron of art and literature, besides being a great builder and administrator. It is he who has given the name to the present capital of our State, Bhopal (Bhojpal). The historic city of Vidisha was the birth place of Mahendra and Sanghmitra who lived in the monastry at Sanchi and from there set forth on their journey to Shri Lanka to spread the gospel of universal brotherhood; compassion, non-violence and peace.

In this region again you have some of the finest cultural monuments, of our country, the marvellous sculptures of the temples of Khajuraho, the picturesque monuments of Mandu, the majestic fortress of Gwalior, the sacred temples of Mahakal and Omkar Mandhata the beautiful monuments of Sanchi. Those who are attracted by natural beauty will find in the sylvan forests that envelop more than a third of the State's area, a rich repast of evergreen verdure to feast their eyes. I do hope that you will take this opportunity to visit some at least of these spots during your stay in this State which I am sure will be an experience that you would not like to miss.

Our heritage of history is thus rich; but our legacy after the formation of the present State has been one of bristling problems. In education, in particular, we have a legacy of vast tracts which have been very backward, and large areas where educational facilities were almost non-existent. A variety of educational set up and rules as they existed in the constituent units of the State had to be brought into a shape of uniformity, and the diverse service conditions that prevailed had to be unified. Despite the complexity of the situation, I am happy to say that we have made some headway in bringing our State abreast of the others in the matter of education. In the sphere of primary education our aim has been to establish a primary school in every village having a population of 500 and above, and in pursuance of this we had 32,722 primary schools in 1962-63 as against 22,781 which existed in 1956-57. The increase in the number of children in these schools was from 13.98 lakhs. in 1956-57 to 24.58 lakhs in 1962- 63 a rise of over 75 per cent. The growth is equally significant in the middle school and in the secondary school stages. In 1956-57 about 1,604 middle schools imparted education to about 1.69 lakh students and this rose in 1962-63 to 3,345 middle schools, having about 4.22 lakh students. In the secondary school stage we converted all the high schools into higher secondary school into higher secondary schools, and the number of schools rose from 421 in 1956-57 to 1,040 in 1962-63. The corresponding increase in the number of students was from 50,390 to 1.57 lakhs. I have inflicted these statistics on you not only to give you an idea of the strides we have been able to make in the different stages of school education, but also to indicate the ground which we have still to cover. We have yet to bring to our schools more than 45 per cent of the children of school-going age.

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Technical education assumes a special significance in the context of the present emergency. The increased facilities for technical education that we have, been able to provide in the last six years are now being geared to the quick training of skilled craftsmen required for our defence. The progress in the different kinds of technological training has been quite conspicuous. We had two Engineering Colleges and four Technical Schools in 1956-57, while now we have six Engineering Colleges and 18 Polytechnics, besides 14 Junior Technical Schools. The total number of students getting technological instruction in these institutions is nearly 9,000. To meet the needs of the present emergency we are introducing craftsmen's training in our polytechnics and also graduates' course in pure science, so that the equipment in our polytechnics may be put to the maximum use. We have also introduced Master's Course in applied sciences in our Engineering Colleges. The intake of the existing Engineering Colleges is to be increased next year by 260 more seats, and we propose to establish two more Engineering Colleges, at Bilaspur and Rewa. One of the directions in which we wish to develop technical education is by bringing about a closer co-ordination between the technical institutions and the needs of the industries and factories in the State. Considering the vast natural and mineral resources, contained in our State, I have no doubt that such a coordination would be richly fruitful in bringing about the economic development of the State.

The growth of higher education in the State has been limited by the extent of the resources that were available. Nevertheless we. have been planning on the assumption that every district in the State should be assured of at least one science college teaching up to the graduate stage. On this basis the number of colleges has grown from 40 in 1956 to 144 today, while the number of students in the colleges has increased from 11,033 to 37,349 during the same period. Our State has four universities, and the grants given by Government for their maintenance and development have increased steadily. In 1961-62 they amounted to 20 lakhs, while last year the grants totalled Rs. 41 lakhs. As you are probably aware we have passed legislation in our last budget session of the Vidhan Sabha, for the establishment of three more universities at Indore, Gwalior and Raipur, so that the extensive tracts of this large State may be better served in the matter of higher education. A separate Agriculture University is also to be established at Jabalpur.

One particular aspect of education which gains special significance in this time of emergency is the growth of the National Cadet Corps. In 1956 we had 9,524 cadets in the NCC and 21,991 in ACC. Their number in 1962-63 were 32,192 cadets in NCC and 45,110 in ACC. We have received the sanction of the Ministry of Defence for raising additional 166 Rifle Companies of the NCC in our State, and the universities in our State have decided to make NCC compulsory for all students from the next academic session.

I have taken up this much of your time to indicate briefly the main features of the educational landscape in our State not in any spirit of self-satisfaction, but rather in the manner of a traveller bound on a long pilgrimage, who gathers strength for his arduous journey that lies ahead by looking back upon the path he has already

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covered successfully. This session of, the Central Advisory Board of Education is bound to have far-reaching effect upon our educational policies in the years to come. I am happy to note that emphasis is being given to achieving the target of universal primary education by providing additional teachers under a Centrally sponsored scheme and at the same time care is being taken to provide proper training facilities for these teachers so that they may help in the proper development of the future citizens of India.

`I might remind the members of the Board that it was during the Madras session of the Board in 1959 that we from Madhya Pradesh raised the important issue of moral and religious instruction in our educational institutions. A Committee presided over by Shri Sri Prakasa went into this question and made very valuable recommendations. These have been before us, and attempts have been made to put them into practice in varying degrees. I am convinced that no education can be stabilised on strong foundations without a sound moral and spiritual instruction. In fact, the rapid growth of scientific and technological education has to be balanced and humanised by a rich leven of moral and spiritual instruction. We should be untrue to our great heritage if we ignore this aspect of a well-rounded education.

`There are other weighty items on our agenda during the present session which also call for our earnest and determined attention. The Sampurnanand Committee's Report on Emotional Integration is a document of vital importance especially at the present time. Regional, linguistic or provincial prejudices should receive no, quarter from education. Within the realm -of education such difference's have no right to exist. Seekers of knowledge in all parts of the country are one common fraternity-whether they are students, teachers or educational administrators-and we should take determined steps to bind more firmly all bonds that tend to bring the fraternity closer together. It is in this spirit that we have to consider the recom- mendations of the Emotional Integration Committee.

Equally important is the subject of education and the national emergency in fact the two are closely allied. No doubt, a `shooting' war seems to have receded for the present but I am sure you will agree that a manly and passionate sense of patriotism, an intensity of love for the soil of the mother-land which counts no sacrifice too great for its defence, has to be instilled into our youth in whom this awareness is not, by and large, vividly present. Not only has this awareness to be ever present in them, but it has to go hand in hand with the preparation-both physical and spiritual to meet any threat to the security and integrity of our country. This is a matter which should receive our most serious consideration. Subjects like an integrated programme of National Discipline and Physical Education, and the introduction of productive labour in our schools and colleges are relevant in this context.

The report of the Expert Committee on Evening Colleges is very welcome. I am specially happy that the Committee has recommended Evening Colleges for science also. To my mind the future of India lies in the development of science and the proper scientific atmosphere and outlook in the country. We have not only to provide for

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science teaching in colleges and secondary schools, but also provide scientific bias at the primary stage. For all this a large number of science graduates and post-graduates are-needed. The National Emergency has also brought into strong focus our national requirements of persons trained in science for various defence needs. To achieve all this it is essential that all the scientific equipments and laboratories are put to the maximum use. It is from this point of view that I consider that the evening colleges will serve a useful purpose.

I do not wish to take more of your time by going over the various aspects of our deliberations in the next two days. We are meeting here at Pachmarhi under the shadow of God Mahadeo-Shiva who symbolises Universal Good. There is an annual fair at the Mahadeo Hill where pilgrims from far and near carry with them the sacred Trisul and plant it there. As you know the Trisul stands for the trinity of KARMA, JNAN and BHAKTI--which is also the three-fold purpose of education- physical, mental and spiritual development. Meeting here under the solemn shadow of Mahadeo, I am sure this meeting of the Central Advisory Board will make a lasting contribution to educational development.

We are indeed fortunate in having here with us in this important session of the Central Advisory Board so many eminent educationists. As I said earlier we are very happy that the Board is meeting in our State, partly for a selfish reason because we can take advantage of the advice and guidance of this gathering of experts in tackling some of our own problems. We sincerely hope that you will enjoy your stay here, and that you will continue to take a lasting interest in all the educational plans and development in our State. I hope that when you leave you will take with you happy recollections of your stay in this charming hill station, and I wish you will come again to this State and give us the benefit of your wisdom, experience and guidance in the numerous tasks that face us in the coming years.

Once again, I extend to all of you a most cordial welcome."