xix) Some States have already set up special sports schools and hostels for nurturing of sports talent. There is also a central scheme for setting up of sports hostels. This endeavour needed to be encouraged and adequate funds provided in the State and Central Plan budget as the case may be.

xx) The UGC have accepted the report of a committee constituted by them to consider the introduction of a 3- year degree course in physical education, health education and sports in multi-faculty colleges and advised the universities to introduce such a course in one College of General Education in a district on a selective basis. These colleges with the 3-year degree course should also be developed to become institutions where excellence in sports is actively fostered. The U.G.C. will have to work out the actual number of such colleges for the Seventh Five Year Plan and beyond.

xxi) In keeping with the principle that physical education should be given the same status in educational institutions as other subjects, the physical education teachers at different levels should have the same status as that enjoyed by the teachers in other disciplines. In higher education, physical education should be one of the

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elective subjects at the undergraduate level, at least in some institutions.

xxii) For effective implementation of the various programmes mentioned above, some integration at the administrative level in States will be necessary. For this purpose, there should be an officer of the level of Joint Director exclusively looking after Physical Education and Sports in the office of the Director of Public instructions/Director of School Education/Director of Collegiate Education.

TARGETS AND PHASING

9. (i) Since over 80% of secondary and higher secondary schools have playgrounds already and 92% of them have the necessary sports equipment, the integration of physical education and sports into the learning process and evaluation can begin as soon as the model curriculum and syllabi for this stage have been finalised. It might be possible to introduce this from the academic year 1987-88.

(ii) The integration and evaluation at the lower and upper primary stages can begin when the orientation of at least one teacher in physical education from each school has been completed. The process is likely to take about three years as mentioned earlier, and it may, therefore, be possible to make integration and evaluation at this stage mandatory only from the first year of the Eighth Five Year Plan. Meanwhile, wherever facilities exist and physical education teachers are available, Primary schools can be encouraged to lay stress on physical education and sports.

(iii) At the first degree level, participation in sports and games, social service activities like NSS and other beneficial activities like NCC, adventure, scouting and guiding etc. can be made compulsory sooner than later since a great deal of innovation is possible with grown up students. By utilising all the different possible activities suited for this purpose, it might be possible to start integration and evaluation of performance from the year 1987-88. However, this needs to be looked into greater detail by the UGC and realistic targets set.

(iv) The provision of equipment and upgradation of sports facilities in all the institutions will go on for quite some time as the States will have to build requirements of funds into their Plans. Therefore, as a general principle, the whole process in respect of lower and upper primary schools could be targeted to he completed by the end of the Eighth Five Year Plan with about 25% of schools not having playground facilities and equipment being covered in the Seventh Five-Year Plan. In respect of the secondary and higher secondary schools, with funds becoming available, 50% of schools, not having playgrounds, could be covered in

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the Seventh Five Year Plan and the remaining 50% in the initial years of the Eighth Five Year Plan.

MONITORING AND EVALUATION

10. As made clear in the National Policy on Education- 1986, sports and physical education and also rendering of social service by students while learning, are an inseperable part of the 'Learning process and, therefore, the same agencies at the State and Central levels should monitor the implementation of these programmes as will monitor the general process of education at the levels of schools and higher education.