(d) Resource support to schools through about 150 regional and local resource centres.

Adult Education

6. In accordance with the National Policy on Education and Programme of Action the entire adult education programme has been reviewed and a comprehensive programme viz., National Literacy Mission (NLM) has been prepared. The following specific activities have been undertaken for the implementation of NLM.

(i) Review of Existing Schemes: On the basis of the study of past evaluations and after consultations with the States, the Rural Functional Literacy Project pattern has been revised. in the revised scheme better provision has been made for teaching/ learning material, training of functionaries, reduction of span of supervision from 30 Adult Education Centres to 8-10 Centres and institutionalising of continuing education through Jana Shikshan Nilayams (JSN).

(ii) Special review of Shramik Vidyapeeths: The scheme of Shramik Vidyapeeths has been reviewd from the point of view of

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the demands on these Vidyapeeths in the context of NPE/POA. Specific area of action for them, as distinct from the activities of Workers' Education Programme of Labour Ministry have been delineated and necessary changes required in the whole management system spelt out.

(iii) Mass Programme: This programme was started in May 1986 with the participation of about two lakh student volunteers. They adopted 4.20 lakh adult learners. It is expected that 3 lakh students have participated during the summer of 1987. Training film "YOU CAN DO IT" has been prepared and sent to all concerned. Six lakh special Self-Learning Literacy Kits have been developed, printed and delivered.

(iv) Task Forces for NLM: Ten Task Forces were set upto work out details on the following areas: National Authority of Adult Education, National institute of Adult Education, Media, State Resource Centres, Process of Technology Demonstration, Management Information System and Evaluation, Youth Training, Jana Shikshan Nilayam and Supervision, Training of Instructors/Preraks, and Adult Education for Women's Equality. The reports of the Task Forces have been received and action on them has been initiated.

(v) Voluntary Agencies: Consultations with State Governments were held to review the involvement of voluntary agencies and to evolve procedures to facilitate their involvement. Statewise teams have been set up, consisting of an expert, a representative of the Ministry and a representative of the State Government,, to review the functioning of the existing voluntary agencies in each State. The review is expected to be completed by 15 September 1987.

(vi) Spatial Planning: State Governments have been requested to introduce spatial planning of each district indicating area approach, clear time-targets, agency identification, accountability and resource planning. Directorate of Adult Education has developed illustrative model of spatial planning for Dadra & Nagar Haveli, which has been sent to State Governments.

(vii) Population Education: The new strategy under this programme is to integrate population education with the adult education programme. The integration is envisaged in the preparation of teaching learning materials, special training

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material, post literacy and evaluation. The integrated programmes have been started in five States, viz., Bihar, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, U.P. and West Bengal. The other States will be taken up this year.

(viii) Training: A revised training manual emphasizing the participatory approach has been prepared and sent to the press. Space Application Centre, Ahmedabad has been assigned responsibility for production of 12 training films which will enable the instructors to implement the motivation-oriented Adult Education Programme envisaged in National Literacy Mission.

(ix) Study of Rapid Literacy Learning Methods: information of rapid literacy learning methods being practised by Adult Educators has been collected :

 
        
             Hindi          -5    Marathi                 -1
             
             Urdu           -2    Telugu                  -1
             
             Gujarati       -1    Malayalam               -1
        
                                          

Preliminary study of seven methods has been completed. Directorate of Adult Education is studying these methods for standardisation and for integrating them with functionality, awareness and promotion of national values.

(x) Installation of Solar Panels/Batteries: Five projects have been identified-one each in Bihar, Kerala, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and U.P.- for setting up Solar Panels in all the Adult Education Centres in each project. It is expected that these Solar Panels will be installed by September 1987. The Department of Non-Conventional Energy Sources will instal, operationalise and maintain these projects. Joint groups consisting of representatives of DNES, State Directors and Adult Education and Project Officer will monitor and evaluate the efficacy of the Solar Panels.

Education for Women's Equality

7. The content and processes of education are being modified to introduce the value of women's equality at all stages of education, in formal as well as non-formal areas. NCERT has already prepared

- Exemplar materials for women's equality units in curricula;

- In the massive programme of teacher training there are special modules on women's equality;

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- The existing text books are being screened to avoids exist bias.

7.1 A Project entitled "Education for Women's Equality" based on NPE and POA to be implemented in ten selected districts in the current year has been formulated. Details of the Project will be worked out in consultation with the State Governments, academics interested in women's issues and women development workers. The main features of the project are as under:

(i) The project envisages a comprehensive programme of women's development and views the problem of women's education as linked with overall improvement in women's status.

(ii) The participation of girls at the elementary stage can be substantially enhanced by provision of support services, provision of local women teachers and effective non-formal education programmes. This project will take responsibility for ECCE and supplementation of the inputs of other Departments.

(iii) A literacy centre is envisaged essentially as a place for education, recreation and the forum for an understanding of the process of/development to enable women to actively participate in it.

(iv) Special vocational and pre-vocational programmes will be introduced in girls' secondary and higher secondary schools. These courses will be related to the work opportunities in the region. A variety of part- time/non-formal vocational courses will also be organised.

(v) District Institutes of Education (DIETs) will be required to subserve the objective of the Project, namely, be an instrument for women's empowerment. Training of all teachers in the districts concerned, men as well as women, will be reoriented towards this goal.

(iv) In the project districts there will be a strong wing on women's education. Academics interested in women's development and women activists will have a dominant say in this wing. The programmes meant for women's development will be closely monitored and arrangements provided for introduction of mid-term correctives.

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7.2 This programme will be periodically reviewed and on the basis of the assessment improvements will be made in it, and decision will also be taken to expand it in other districts.

Language Development

8. The Programme of Action drawn up in relation to the National Education Policy 1986 has identified for language development the following thrust areas needing priority attention:

- the need for progressive adoption of modern Indian Languages/regional languages as media of instruction at the University stage;

- effective implementation of the three language formula;

- improvement in the language competencies of students;

- translation of books and preparation of bilingual and multi-lingual dictionaries;

- development of Hindi as link language; and

- the promotion of inter-disciplinary research in Sanskrit and Indology.

8.1 Necessary measures are being taken in pursuance of these thrust areas. The progress made so far is as under:

(i) Programme of Action has recommended that pattern of central assistance be restored from 50 to 100 per cent for appointment of Hindi teachers in Non-Hindi speaking States. Necessary processing has been done in this regard.

(ii) With a view to undertaking a study of language attainments of students, the work relating to the designing of tests for English proficiency for school level stage has been entrusted to the Regional Institute of English, Bangalore and H.M. Patel Institute of English Training and Research, Vallabh Vidya Nagar, Gujarat. The work on the first version of the English language proficiency test has since been started by these two institutions.

(iii) A detailed scheme for appointment of South Indian language teachers in Hindi speaking States to facilitate implementation of three-language formula has been

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prepared. Under this scheme 100% assistance will be given to the Hindi speaking States/UTs for appointment of teachers of South Indian languages viz., Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam and Kannad. The scheme will be implemented from this year.

(iv) Rashtriya Veda Vidya Pratishthan has been set up in March 1987 for preservation, promotion and propagation of vedic learning.

(v) The meeting of eminent educationists and Sanskrit scholars was held under the Chairmanship of Minister of Human Resource Development at Tirupati on 30.1.87. As a result of this meeting several proposals have emerged for popularisation and promotion of Sanskrit education at different levels such as schools, colleges, universities, traditional colleges, etc.

Technical Education

9. After the adoption of NPE/POA, further discussions were organised at various forums for the purpose of creating awareness of the national commitments and for outlining the planning and implementation task. Attempts were also made through these discussions to streamline the mechanism for breaking the task into viable programme and schemes.

Central and Centrally Sponsored institutions

9.1 All Central as well as Centrally Sponsored institutions (for example, IITs and Regional Engineering Colleges) were asked to prepare their own programme of action for implementation of the Policy. The institutions have prepared a perspective plan covering remaining years of the 7th Plan as well as the tasks for the 8th Plan. Financial allocations as well as other resources are being examined and provided on the basis of these documents. This would ensure that all the activities of the institutions are constantly guided by the imperatives of the new policy.

Action points in Programme of Action

9.2 The Programme of Action for the technical education sector would necessitate launching of about 40 new schemes in the coming years. Of these, 23 schemes are being launched this

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year. Some of these schemes have been combined to ensure better coordination. The new schemes and the targets which are proposed to be achieved are given below:

- Strengthening of existing institutions and establishing new institutions for non-corporate and unorganised sectors. The target is to establish one centre in each State during the 7th Plan period.

- Grant of autonomy to selective institutions. The target is to institute the scheme at 15 Engineering Colleges and 35 Polytechnics during the Plan period.

- Establishing/strengthening State level Curriculum Development Centres. The target is to set up Resource Centres in the existing (12) Centres and establish one centre each in the remaining States.

- Restructuring degree/diploma courses on a flexible modular pattern. The target is to cover one engineering college and two polytechnics each in 25 States within the 7th Plan period. New courses will also be offered in specialized areas.

- Establishing residential polytechnics for women. The target is to establish 4 such polytechnics-one in each region during the 7th Plan period.

- Strengthening of continuing education programmes in selected institutions, setting up one Continuing Education Cell each in 25 States by the end of 7th Plan period, and setting up Departments of Continuing Education and Distance Learning in selected institutions.

- Industry Institution Interaction. The target is to undertake 50 projects during the 7th Plan.

- Hostel accommodation for students. The target is to provide 150 hostels during the 7th Plan.

- Providing Staff Quarters. The target is to cover 25% of the staff during the 7th Plan period.

- Establishment of Indian Institute of Technology, Assam, by the end of the 7th Plan.

- Longowal institute of Engineering and Technology, to be established by the end of the 7th Plan period.

- R&D selected institutions. The target is to cover 70 institutes in the 7th Plan.

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All India Council for Technical Education Bill

9.3 The National Policy on Education stated that All India Council for Technical Education will be provided statutory authority. In pursuance of this, a National Working Group, Task Force and some other Discussion Groups have worked to arrive at the objectives of the new Bill, structure of the new AICTE, its powers and functions and linkages with other organisations. The Bill is expected to become law during 1987-88. This is a major development inasmuch as AICTE has existed for over four decades and for more than two decades the need for giving statutory status to AICTE has been articulated at various levels. When the Bill is passed, it will be possible for the AICTE to ensure coordinated planning of the technical education system, to promote qualitative improvement and ensure the realisation of norms prescribed by it and also to prevent aberrations in admission to institutions on the basis of capitation fee without regard to merit.

Higher Education

10. Revision of pay-scales of teachers in University and College and other measures for maintenance of standards in Higher Education.

In fulfilment of the constitutional responsibility for coordination, determination and maintenance of standards in higher education, the Central Government and the University Grants Commission have been taking several measures for improvements in the quality and standards of teaching and research in the universities and colleges. As a part of these efforts, the pay scales of teachers have been revised from time to time in order to attract and retain talents in the teaching profession. The National Policy on Education-1986 also lays emphasis on the need to improve the pay and service conditions of teachers as well as other measures to improve the system of selection of teachers, their accountability and performance. on the basis of the recommendations of the Mehrotra Committee, set up by the University Grants Commission to go into these matters, and the Commission's recommendation, the Government of India have decided to revise the pay scales of teachers in universities and colleges with effect from January 1, 1986. The

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revised scales are being implemented in Central Universities and institutions financed by the Central Government. The State Governments have been requested to consider the scheme for adoption so far as the teachers in the State Universities and colleges are concerned. The State Governments have been offered financial assistance to the extent of 80% of the additional expenditure involved in the revision of pay scales for the period from January 1, 1986 to March 31, 1990.

Open University and Distance Education

10.1 The Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) has started two diploma courses in Management and Distance Education in January 1987. Preparatory work for the introduction of diploma programmes in rural development, creative writing and computer science is nearing completion. The University has announced an Entrance Test to be held in September 1987 for those who have not qualified in Higher Secondary Examination for admission to its first Degree Programme. The candidates who qualify in the entrance test, will have to do a preparatory course before they are admitted to 'the regular Degree course. The University has so far set up a network of 26 study Centres and 4 Regional Centres.

10.2 The University has suggested certain guidelines for establishment of new open universities by the State Governments and for coordinating their programmes and activities with those of the IGNOU. These guidelines envisage a net-working of all the Open Universities in the country with the IGNOU so that the programmes and resources can be pooled together.