INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION
Introductory 5.1 India is one of the leading countries in promoting the ideal and objectives of the UNESCO. The Indian National Commission for Cooperation with UNESCO (INC), is the apex advisory, executive, liaison, information and the coordinating body at the national level. INC has been playing the principal role in UNESCO's work particularly in the formulation and execution of its programme in collaborating with National Commissions of Asia and Pacific region.
5.2 India continues to extend its cooperation to UNESCO workshops and its regional offices through participation in numerous symposia and conferences, organising national, regional and inter-regional activities in India in areas of competence of UNESCO, arranging placement of UNESCO fellows in Indian Institutions, implementing projects under the Participation Programme of UNESCO and administration of UNESCO Coupons scheme. Public Information activities relating to UNESCO continued to be operated in the form of publication of Hindi and Tamil editions of UNESCO Courier.
5.3 The country being one of the promoters of UNESCO's Regional Programme of Educational Innovations for Development of Asia and the Pacific (APEID), participation in APEID programmes and activities continue at a significant scale. A National Development Group (NDG) for APEID in India has been set up which functions as an identifier, stimulater and coordinator of activities of educational innovations for development within the country. The NDG, which is headed by Secretary, Department of Education, comprises representatives of con- cerned Ministries and Departments and pioneering institutions engaged in educational research.
On the lines of NDG, State Development Groups (SDGs) have also been established in States and Union Territories which function in, close collaboration with the NDG. The NCERT, one of the principal associate centres of APEID, acts as the secretariat of NDG and facilitates dissemination of information about APEID activities, innovative experiences at the regional level and making outcomes of the regional cooperation within APEID known widely in the country.
5.4 One of the most important regional programme of UNESCO in which India has contributed significantly is the Asia-Pacific Programme on Education for All (APPEAL) which was launched from New Delhi by UNESCO in 1987. With an overriding concern to wipe out illiteracy from the face of the earth by the year 2000, UNESCO designated 1990 as the International Literacy Year (ILY) to focus global attention on the need to initiate, promote and consolidate measures for eradication of illiteracy completely by the year 2000. The high level National Coordination Committee, set up by India to coordinate activities under APPEAL and EFA, met on September 6, 1991 tinder the Chairmanship of Education Secretary. Government of India.
5.5 The sixth meeting of the National Coordination Committee on APPEAL and EFA took note of the programmes launched in the fields of adult education and literacy, elementary education and universalisation of primary education. The Committee was also apprised of the components of strategy for universalisation of primary education which had emerged after an evaluative study of the projects. The Committee made a number of recommendations particular-
46 Development of Education in India
ly with regard to universalisation of primary education.
5.6 The twenty-first session of the INC was held on July 22,1991 under the Chairmanship of Shri Arjun Singh, Minister of Human Resource Development. The session of the National Commission was preceded by the meetings of the Sub-Commissions on Education, Natural Sciences, Social Sciences, Culture and Communication. The principal matters which were discussed related to the Draft Programme and Budget of the UNESCO for 1992-93. The session gave detailed consideration to the recommendations made by the Sub- Commissions on the Draft Programme of UNESCO for evolving a national perspective and strategic approach to the issues which were to come up for consideration at the 26th Session of the General Conference of UNESCO. At the XXI Session, Draft Resolutions to be moved at the General Conference were approved and guidelines were laid down on the national stand which the Indian Delegation should take on matters or issues to be raised in the 26th Session of the General Conference of UNESCO.
5.7 India participated in twenty-sixth session of the General Conference of UNESCO held at Paris from 15th October to 7th November, 1991.
5.8 The leader of the Indian delegation Shri Arjun Singh, Minister of Human Resource Development delivered a statement in Hindi in the Plenary Session on 18th October, 1991. This was for the first time that the leader of the Indian delegation addressed the General Conference in Hindi.
5.9 The Minister of Human Resource Development (HRM) in his statement highlighted the need for the entire UN system, including UNESCO, to equip itself to deal with new challenges ahead. tic said that the new era of global interdependence required the culture of multilateralism and democracy. The HRM emphasised that the 26th General Conference was grappling seriously to improve the programme delivery of UNESCO through structural refroms. He also offered India's full cooperation to the proposed International Commission on Education in the 21st Century.
5.10 External academic relations both bilateral and multilateral perform a significant role in international diplomacy. With a view to deepen India's academic interaction with important countries the educational component of the Cultural Exchange Programmes and other bilateral arrangements are being implemented vigorously. New avenues are being explored to encourage studies regarding India and Indology in Foreign Universities. Institution to Institution linkages in areas of relevance to India are being promoted. Selected Indian Missions abroad have also been approached to take active interest in promoting bilateral collaboration in the field of education. A dialogue has been established to concretise new ideas in this area with our Missions in China, Pakistan, Japan, USA, Germany, Bhutan, France, etc.
International Literacy Prizes 5.11 UNESCO has instituted International Literacy Prizes which are awarded annually in recognition of the services of institutions, or- ganisations or individual displaying outstanding merit and achieving special success in contributing to the fight against illiteracy. The award of the prizes is also intended to stimulate the sympathy and support of public opinion for literacy programmes in progress. On the recommendation of the INC, UNESCO has awarded Noma Literacy Prize to the Government of West Bengal for its outstanding contribution to the fight against illiteracy. The value of the Prize is $10,000/-. The prize was presented by Director General, UNESCO to the representative of the Government of West Bengal at a function in Paris on 8 September, 1991. Puduvai Arivoli Iyakkam of Pondicherry has been awarded UNESCO's 'King Sejong Literacy Prize' for the year 1992 for having meticulously planned literacy and post-literacy campaigns. The King Sejong Literacy Prize was awarded in 1990 to the Kerala Sastra Sahitya Parishad, Trivandrum.
Exchange of Scholars and Students 5.12 India also has bilateral, cultural exchange programmes, including educational programmes with more than 60 countries. The cultural ex- change programme is a mutual process in which
International Cooperation 47
the Government of India sends delegations to other countries for studying their educational systems and innovative practices and also receives similar delegations from other countries. This part, India participates in several programmes of bilateral and multilateral import, providing for the exchange of scholars through a number of scholarship and fellowship schemes. For the promotion of goodwill and friendly relations, 180 scholarships are offered every year by Government of India, to the nationals of selected African, Asian and other developing countries for under-graduate and post-graduate studies in India. Also, as a member of the Commonwealth, India participates in a number of programmes of exchange of scholars from among the various Commonwealth member countries. Under the Technical Cooperation Scheme of the Colombo Plan, the Government of India offers assistance for placement of scholars coming from different countries of the sub-region. Also, more than hundred scholarships are offered every year to the nationals of Bangladesh for higher studies in India. Apart from operating these specific programmes of cooperation at the regional and sub-regional levels, India is extending active support and cooperation for educational development by offering the services of its scholars to various other countries and also by providing facilities for higher education at Indian Universities for scholars from a number of developing countries, particularly from Asian and African continents.
Joint Research 5.13 In the field of technical education some of the leading technical institutions of the country have international collaboration projects under umbrella agreements through the Department of Economic Affairs and the Department of Science and Technology of the Government of India. At present, such collaborations are with institutions in advanced countries like the USA, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Switzerland, Canada, Norway and Sweden. Besides transfer of technology, the specific objectives of such collaborations are joint research and manpower development in emerging areas of science and technology.
Book Promotion 5.14 In the area of Book Promotion, India has undertaken a number of bilateral as well as multilateral programmes. In the publication of low-priced university level books of foreign origin, the Department of Education is operating three programmes in collaboration with UK and USSR. Under this project. the latest edition of standard foreign university-level text and reference books for which comparable Indian books are not available, are taken up for publication in low-priced edition. A new import and export policy for book publication also came into force from April 1988 and will be effective until March 1991. Under this policy, recognized educational, scientific, technical and research institutions as also the Central and State Government Departments engaged in research and development work can import educational equipment as specified in their areas of specialization.