IV. VISITS BY STUDENTS IN VACATIONS TO THE DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE COUNTRY TO PROMOTE NATIONAL INTEGRATION
The National Integration Council which met at Srinagar in June 1968, has recommended that "visits by groups of students during vacations to different parts of the country should be encouraged and facilitated". To give effect to this recommendation, it is proposed to include a suitable scheme in the Fourth Five Year Plan in the Central sponsored sector the grants to State Governments and Universities being made available, outside their plans, on a 100 per cent basis for the purpose.
A broad outline of the scheme is indicated below
(1) The scheme will be introduced at the university stage and will be expanded largely at this stage, the target being to cover about 5 per cent of the total enrolment by the end of the Fourth Five- Year Plan. It will also make a beginning as a pilot project on a small scale, at the secondary stage as well.
(2) The implementation of the scheme at the university stage will be the responsibility of the U.G.C. and the universities. The scheme at the school stage will be implemented by the State Education Departments in collaboration with the Ministry of Education.
(3) Each university will select, every year, a number of students for participation in this scheme. The selection will be made on the basis of criteria laid down. The idea should be that participation in the scheme is an honour and a privilege and that it goes to students who have shown excellence in some way or the other i. e. in studies, in sports and games, in co-curricular activities, in social service, programmes etc. These students could then be sent out to other parts of the country for two purposes :
(i) for studying specific problems (e.g. students of sociology may go out to certain tribal areas for personal study, students of engineering may pay a visit to certain important works, etc.) and (ii) for parti- cipation in programmes of academic studies, social services, etc., which will be organised on a national or a regional basis, so that students from different parts can live together and participate in joint activities. Sight seeing would no doubt be a part of the programme, but will not receive an emphasis.
(4) Every student participating in this programme will be paid a in-aid to cover his travelling expenses and boarding and other charges connected with the programme.
(5) In each university, therefore, there will be students going out to other parts of the country as well as students coming from other parts to work therein. Each university will, therefore, be required to organise adequate challenging programmes for incoming students. This should be the special responsibility of the university and the necessary facilities in terms of staff and expenses should be provided.
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(6) It would be very desirable to involve students themselves in making arrangements for receiving students coming from outside and making arrangements for their programmes.
(7) It would also be desirable, wherever possible, for the incoming students to spend a part of their time with local families etc. This will promote better understanding and will also reduce costs.
(8) The programmes for secondary school students should be organised on a similar basis, mutatis mutandis, and selected schools or groups of schools in each State should act as hosts. This should ultimately help in building up a national level organization of schools, co-operating and collaborating in professional projects of school improvement.