(F) PHYSICAL EDUCATION As stated under "University Education" the U. G. C. has sent a communication to all Indian universities requesting them to expand N. C. C. and N. C. C. Rifle activities. The Union Education Secretary has also addressed a D. O. letter to all Vice-Chancellors requesting them to extend full co-operation to Officers-in-charge of the Rifle programmes and to depute teachers in sufficient numbers for the Pre- commission and Refresher Courses. The Vice-Chancellors have also been requested to ensure that at least four periods in a week in college curriculum are set apart for N. C. C. work and to treat N. C. C. training as part of the regular college programme.
The Ministry of Education has also formulated an Emergency Scheme of Physical Education and National Discipline which seeks to co- ordinate the existing schemes of physical fitness at the school level into a comprehensive National programme to cover all students up to the age of 16 plus. The State Governments have been requested to implement the scheme in to their middle, high and higher secondary schools and also issue directions to heads of schools to set apart five regular periods in a week for physical fitness activities for all classes including the highest class in the school. The State Governments have also been requested to encourage N. C. C. (junior) amongst the senior school students.
The ways in which education can make a significant contribution to the building up of the Nation's Defence potential are outlined in the Union Education Minister's note Appendix-I, which was sent to all the State Governments and Union Territories on 12 November, 1962 with the request that this. may be made the basis for developing their detailed programme. A summary of the measures already taken and now being taken by the State Governments and Union Territories may be seen in Annexure III at page 75.
ANNEXURE II
A note on possible action in the present National Emergency
(Ministry of Education) 1. A war for the defence of the motherland against the wanton and calculated attack of a powerful and unscrupulous enemy, whose challenge to the integrity of our territory and honour is likely to be serious and long drawn out, must be organised on the basis of a stupendous national effort requiring all the strength, the deter- mination, and the resourcefulness of the human spirit. The immense needs for trained manpower and material resources can only be met if the national morale is built up quickly to a high pitch and sustained over a long period. In the emergency created by the Chinese aggression, the activities in all sectors of national life have to be focussed on our supreme objective; the defence of the Motherland and victory for our army. Education can and must make a significant contribution to the fulfilment of this objective.
2. All the resources of the educational set-up in the country both in terms of personnel and organisational machinery, will be geared to the defence effort and particularly to the raising and sus- taining of civilian morale and educating public opinion.
(i) There are at present, at all levels of education, 1.25 million teachers, spread all over the country, covering all cities and towns and reaching out into the remotest villages in the countryside. Their influence should be mobilised for building up civilian morale through the institutions where they are working as well as by their active participation in the local community. Their organisation and training for this task will be undertaken by the National Council of Educational Research and Training, in close collaboration with the State Governments. Apart from the informational literature that would be produced by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, special literature and audio-visual material will be produced for use in the schools. This will also be done by the National Council and the Central Hindi Directorate. in collaboration with the State Governments.
(ii) A powerful youth movement should be built up which will provide the young people in schools and colleges opportunities for constructive participation in the national effort. Corps of young people in secondary schools and colleges and other educational institutions will be organised to work on projects connected with the national defence effort.
3. Physical education should be made compulsory in all educational institutions, with particular emphasis on physical strength, fitness and efficiency.
(i) The strength of the National Cadet Corps should be expanded rapidly with the object of making N. C. C. training universal at the collegiate stage.
(ii) The training programme of the National Discipline Scheme should be doubled and the scheme should be expanded as rapidly as feasible to cover all schools.
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4. Trained manpower will be required on a massive scale and at different levels to meet the need of military defence and civilian defence.
(i) In the light of the needs that may be indicated by the defence authorities, short-term courses and training programmes should be organised at the universities, technical and vocational institutions. Teachers training colleges and higher secondary schools. The output of science teachers will be stepped up through Regional Colleges and the National Council.
(ii) Training-in first-aid will be organised on an extensive scale for secondary school and college students.
(iii) The universities will organise their resources of scientific laboratories and manpower for such projects, connected with the defence needs, as may be indicated by the Defence authorities.
(iv) Schools and colleges will organise career information ser- vices to facilitate recruitment of suitable persons for defence needs. Such service will be organised by the National Council of Educational Research and Training through educational and vocational guidance units and by training up teachers for the work.
(v) The Ministry will use all its translation facilities to translate the instructional material given to it by the Defence Ministry for their training programmes.
5. The organisation for social welfare will be switched over to undertake the responsibility for looking after the families of those who are in active service.
6. The provision for scholarships would be utilised, whenever needed, to help the children and dependants of those who have lost their life in active service.
7. The organisation, training facilities and other resources for the education and welfare of the handicapped will be devoted for the benefit of those persons who are disabled in the war.
8. The setting up of residential schools for the children of the defence personnel and Central Government servants will be speeded up in order to meet the urgent requirements of the defence personnel.
ANNEXURE III
Action taken in the present National Emergency by the State
Governments and Union Territories in. the field of education.
ANDHRA PRADESH The Annual Plan for 1963-64 in Andhra Pradesh is being revised keeping in view the requirements of the national emergency. The State has set up a cell in the Education Department consisting of eight senior officers to deal with the planning and implementation of measures in the context of. the national emergency.
2. Teachers and students in educational institutions are being asked to contribute effectively to the national effort and instruc- tions to this effect have been issued by the Director of Public Instruction to all educational institutions. A Sainik school has been started in the State and has been sanctioned a further amount to provide liberal scholarships to all deserving candidates who secure admission on merit. Non-Government funds in educational institutions are being diverted wholly or partly towards the national defence fund or allied activities.
3. The State Government has formed a People's Defence Committee under the chairmanship of the Chief Minister which has also a publicity and propaganda Sub-Committee entrusted with the task of producing publicity material, films, literature, songs, dramas and other cultural items to meet the present emergency. A cultural pro- gramme wing of the Sub-Committee has been formed to organise and sponsor cultural shows in the Ravindra Bharati Theatre in Hyderabad and in other places to raise funds for national defence. Expenditure on these cultural programmes is proposed to be met from the funds available with the Reserve Bank and the State Sangeet Natak Akademi.
4. The Director of Public Instruction has urged all teachers to associate themselves actively with local Citizens' Committee.
Pupils and parents should be influenced by teachers to adopt austerity measures so that food. clothing, stationery, money and other articles can be saved to the maximum possible.
5. Heads of educational institutions are to hold periodic meet- ings for the benefit of the local public where authentic information pertaining to the current border news and other information may be disseminated. Daily assemblies in secondary schools are to be utilised for the dissemination of authentic news and for counteracting false rumours and propaganda. For news items in schools, news wall boards are to be utilised to the fullest extent possible.
6. Emphasis is to be placed on mass physical exercise and parades to improve the physical fitness of students and to foster the spirit of discipline in them. Training in first aid, sports and recreational activities, the organisation of women's services for the welfare of the families of defence personnel will be conducted in
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schools. Heads of educational institutions will be responsible for the collection of all voluntary contributions from, teachers and stu- dents within their institution. A register would be maintained for proper accounting of collections indicating the names of donors the amount donated, the signatures of donors and how and where the amount is to be remitted. All collections are to be credited to the National Defence Fund.
7. At the Emergency Educational Cell meeting held on November, 27, 1962 under the Chairmanship of the Secretary Education Department, it was decided that scholarships would be made available to such students who are dependents of defence personnel and all universities are to be informed of this, if such action has not already been taken.
8. in order to open a training Centre for the National Discipline Scheme at Hyderabad and Secunderbad, accommodation for 700 trainees and 50 members of the staff is to be found. The State Government is exploring the possibilities in this connection.
9. The Director of Women's Welfare and the Chairmen of the State Social Welfare Advisory Board have offered to provide facilities for training dependents of defence personnel in condensed courses run in 16 places in the State. Such dependent women may also be admitted into Service Homes run by the Director of Women's Welfare and to the Adult Women's training centre where residential facilities and education for women who have passed primary school are available.
10. Centres for teaching typewriting, short-hand and commercial subjects are being run by the Women's Welfare Department and will be utilised for providing women dependents of defence personnel with facilities for such training.
11. Orphanages which receive aid from the Social Welfare Board will accommodate the children of defence personnel if the need arises. The social Welfare Board runs a Training-cum-Production Centre in Hyderabad which can be utilised for training Women dependents in crafts. The Social Welfare Board is willing to start a Home for the women and children of defence personnel who may need shelter and training. The State Government is in touch with the Army authorities in respect of these facilities so that further necessary arrangements be made.
12. The two Homes in the State for the aged and disabled run by voluntary organisations may be placed at the disposal of the Army authorities to help those disabled in war. The possibilities of utilising these to Homes will be explored.
13. The Director of Technical Education is taking action to put up schemes for additional training in 20 trades as required by the D. G. R. & E., Government of India by utilising facilities available in engineering colleges, polytechnics, industrial institutions and junior technical schools and introducing 3 shifts. The financial implications of the schemes are being worked out. Meanwhile he has been allowed to go ahead with preparations for implementing the scheme in anticipation of Government orders.
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14. In regard to the starting of the 2 year Technicians' course in selected polytechnics, equivalent to the diploma course, informa- tion from the Government of India regarding further particulars of the names of the polytechnics in the State where this particular course is to be started, are awaited. In the meanwhile the Director of Technical Education proposes to select some polytechnics and write to the Ministry of S. R. & C. A. in the matter.
15. The Director of Women's Welfare has reported the facilities for training of wives, widows and children of defence personnel in certain crafts, and vocations can be provided in service Homes, State After Care Homes, Vocational Training Centres and Children Homes, which are under the control of the Women's Welfare Department. Although there are present vacancies for women in these institutions, the children's Home are now full and extra provision will be necessary if more children are to be admitted.
16. The Emergency (Education) Cell of the State Government which met at the end of December, 1962, reviewed the decisions taken at the first meeting. Orders have already issued for the free education of defence personnel falling under certain categories and for providing amenities in the establishments run by Women's Weleducation of children of defence personnel falling establishments fare Department, the State Social Welfare Advisory Board and the Director, Social Welfare, for the wives, widows and children of defence personnel and for disabled Jawans. These orders will be brought to the notice of the Army Officers concerned so that persons requiring the facilities offered may contact the District Educational Officers and education institutions, the Chairman of the State Social Welfare Advisory Board or the Director of Social Welfare for the accommodation of dependents of defence personnel and those disabled in action and for their training in shorthand, typewriting and similar useful courses.
17. The Director of Technical Education reports that arrange- ments have been made to start training 2,088 persons in 20 trades in the various technical institutions in the State with effect from the 1st February, 1963. The training of instructors will have commenced on the 1st of January. Candidates are then enrolled at the various Employment Exchanges in the State. Recruiting Officers or Assistant Recruiting Officers from the Defence Services are to be associated with the recruitment of the principals of the industrial training institutes and the Employment Officers of the Employment Exchange. All Recruiting Officers and Assistant Recruiting Officers, in the State are to assist in the selection of trainees according to the procedure laid down by the Director General of Training and Employment in consultation with the Army authorities. The Director of Technical Education has already taken steps.
ASSAM A personal letter has been addressed to all educational institu- tions by the State Education Minister requesting them to contribute their share to the defence effort. Teachers have risen to the occa- sion and have contributed whatever they could in cash and in kind. The response in respect of N. C. C. training both for students and staff is stated to be excellent and any organisational difficulties the State Government may have encountered in this respect are being looked into and removed.
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2. There is a tremendous upsurge of feeling among the students in Assam which has to be canalised into constructive channels. They have been encouraged to start canteens at the airports and various other places on their own initiative so that they can in some small way look after the comforts of the Defence personnel. Pending the introduction of NCC training, in certain institutions drills have been introduced. Staff of all teaching institutions have been requested to enrol themselves in the Home Guards and for civilian defence. All educational institutions have further been requested to grow vegetable gardens in their school compounds and to serve as an example to the community in growing more food and in keeping their homes and surrounding clean.
3. First aid training programmes are being introduced through the Junior Red Cross. The State reports that although vocational guidance units are yet in their infancy measures will be taken to improve them so that they may be able to, discharge their respon- sibility in giving students sufficient information to facilitate their recruitment for defence needs. They also propose to get into touch with the State Employment Exchange in this connection. The Assam Government has under consideration a proposal to give free education to children of combatant Junior Commissioned Officers and other ranks in the Army and equivalent ranks in the Navy and Air Force. A fuller note is expected from the State Government shortly.
GUJARAT The State Government in various circulars to, the educational institutions have suggested (i) to educate children on the Northern border highlighting the Chinese aggression with the help of maps (ii) to observe one minute silence in a week in the memory of those who laid their lives defending the border (iii) to grow vegetables in the available land of the schools (iv) to pledge to economise daily necessaries such as kerosence, food etc. (v) to help in harvesting, sowing etc. (vi) to impart training in the first-aid (vii) to sing the National Anthem in mass.
The response from the teachers and students is encouraging, The State Government has made provision for the free education at all stages to the children of the jawans and non-Commissioned Officers. One single Section-NCC Unit, seven Junior Divisions (Boys) and one Junior Division (Girls) Troops have been raised which will give training to 400 cadets. The Government have also sanctioned to the raising of 68 New N. C. C. Rifles (Boys) covering the allotment of 13,600 cadets.
All the Educational institutions in the State have been advised to increase the school timings by half an hour and to utilise this time for physical education activities over and above the normal curricular periods in education.