BACKGROUND TO THE SETTING UP OF THE COMMITTEE
3.1 The Committee was set up on 27th April, 1994 apparently in the background of an earlier review. As is well known, the centrally sponsored scheme 'Production of Literature in Indian languages as medium of instruction at university stage' was based on the recommendations of the Education Commission (1964-66) that the Indian languages should be adopted as media of education at the University stage. It is also well known that the National Policy on Education 1968 was formulated in the light of Education Commission Report on the basis of State Education Ministers' Conference (April, 1967) and MPs' Committee on Education (July, 1967) and the Vice-Chancellors' conference (Sept. 1967). The National Policy on Education 1968 stated as follows :
'The Regional Languages are already in use as media of education at the primary and secondary stages. Urgent steps should now be taken to adopt them as media of education at the University stages.'
3.2 Accordingly, the Government of India had decided to assist the State Governments to the extent of rupees one crore each during the 6 year period beginning from 1968-69. This was the Annual, Plan year and from 1969-70, the Fourth Five Year Plan was started. During 1968- 69, assistance was given to the State Governments on the basis of 75% of the approved expenditure, the remaining 25% being the responsibility of the State Government. During IVth plan period, the Centre provided assistance on 100%
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basis. It was as a part of the implementation of the centrally sponsored scheme that the academies in various States were set up from 1968 onwards. The chronology of their establishment was as below :
1968 : Andhra Pradesh, Assam (Dibrugarh and Guwahati), Kerala,
Karnataka (Dharwad and Mysore).
1969 : Maharashtra, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan.
1970 : Bihar, Gujarat, Karnataka (Agricultural University),
Orissa, Punjab, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal.
The Granth Academies or Units which came into existence later on were as follows
JB, Bangalore
Karnataka (Prasaranga, 1975), Uttar Pradesh (1977), Haryana Agricultural-University (1978).
Two Units which were not started under the above scheme but which having been established earlier came to be covered under the scheme were the unit in Delhi University and the Unit in Banaras Hindu University (both 1963).
3.3 In 1979, i.e. on the eve of VIth Five Year Plan, the scheme was reviewed and revised and the revised scheme of Book Production at the University level in Hindi and regional languages was introduced. Under the earlier scheme, grants totalling Rs. 928.00 lacs were released to various State Governments and 1400 books in various Indian languages were Produced. However, the scheme did not make much headway at the Post-graduate level and in the professional courses like
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Medicine, Engineering and Agriculture, and therefore, the revised scheme was introduced which was designed to assist the State Governments and, if possible, the Universities and other institutions of higher learning were also made eligible for assistance. For the old academies, additional assistance over and above rupees one crore earlier given was to be restricted to Ps. 3 lacs.
3.4 It was the implementation of this scheme which was reviewed by Suresh Dalal Committee which was appointed on 17th March, 1987 and which reported on 13th Jan., 1988. Dalal Committee noted that Indian languages have been adopted as one of the additional medium of instruction and examination in Humanities and Social Sciences upto graduate level and in some cases at the Post-graduate level, but the same thing cannot be said about Science and professional subjects except Agriculture. It also noted that a total of 5868 titles had been produced under the scheme including 1584 in Hindi. Its main recommendation is contained in para 3.6, which is reproduced below :
"The Central Government had committed to give grant to the participating state for the implementation of the scheme upto the ceiling of Rs. 1 Crore. Most of the States have failed to utilise Rs. 1 Crore. Therefore, the Committee is inclined to recommend strongly that the further Central assistance of not less than, Rs. 3 Crore up to end of 8th Plan should be made available to each participating State Govt. for the programme".
3.5 It should be noted that this recommendation was made in January, 1988 when the VIIth Plan was going on. In the normal course, VIIth Plan would have covered the period from 1990-95. However, because of political developments, the periodicity of
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of the Plan got shifted so that the present VIIIth Plan is for the period from 1992-97.
DEVELOPMENTS SINCE DALAL COMMITTEE REPORT 3.6 It appears that Govt. have not taken a decision on Dalal Committee Report but financial assistance of Rs. 1 Crore which the three Academies of Haryana, Rajasthan & U.P. had not drawn earlier was sanctioned to each of them in the subsequent years. The total Central and State Govt. assistance provided to the Granth Academies/Text Book Boards/University Cells can be seen in Annexure 1.
3.7 Apart from this lump sum assistance, adhoc releases were made to other Academies/Text Book Boards as below
Year Rs. lakhs Year Rs. lakhs
1987-88 48.37 1991-92 15.60
1988-89 27.26 1992-93 14.00
1989-90 19.71 1993-94 14.00
1990-91 19.40 1994-95 14.00
Thus, since Dalal Committee report, in the eight years, a total assistance of Rs. 472.34 lakhs has been released which works out to annual average assistance of barely Rs. 60 Lakhs.
3.8 The Committee note that since the Report of the Dalal Committee, there have been important developments in the educational scene relevant to higher education and the problem of the medium of education at the University level. It may be pointed out that so far as Education Policy 1986 is concerned it did not change the formulation of 1968 policy relating to languages. Thus para 8.7 of the Policy reads as follows :
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"Education Policy of 1968 had examined the question of the development of languages in great detail. Its essential provision can hardly be improved upon and is as relevant today as before. The implementation of this part of 1968 Policy has however, been uneven. The Policy will be implemented more effectively and purposefully."
3.9 At the time of the Dalal Committee Report there was a Programme of Action (POA) 1986 but this underwent a change in the light of further developments as below. The Central Govt. appointed National Education Policy Review Committee in 1990 under the Chairmanship of Acharya Ramamurthi. As is well-known, the Report of the Ramamurthi Committee was further considered by the Janardan Reddy Committee in the light of the recommendations of which the Central Advisory Board for Education (CABE) under the Ministry of H.R.D. approved in 1992 certain modifications to National Policy on Education, 1986.
3.10 The modified Education Policy 1986 was the basis for preparation of revised Programme of Action (POA) 1992. It is this POA which is relevant as a frame work for future action in, the matter of medium of instruction at the University stage. It would, therefore, be useful to reproduce the relevant portion of the POA contained in para 18.2. thereof.
MEDIUM OF INSTRUCTION AT THE UNIVERSITY STAGE 18.2.1 "The emphasis in the Policy is on the adoption of Modern Indian Languages (MIL) as the media of instructions to the University stage. However, the need to provide education through the mother tongue, which may be differnet from a modern Indian Language included in the VIII Schedule, is recognised on-academic grounds. The constitution of India recognises, in respect of
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linguistic minorities, the desirability of providing instruction through the mother tongue for first five years of education (Article 350-A). Every effort is, therefore, required to implement this obligation, although a number of difficulties are likely to be encountered, administrative and financial feasibility of providing instructional facilities through a variety of mother tongues, difficulty to use some tribal languages as media of education etc. in the context of these difficulties, switch over to a modern Indian/regional languages has to be ensured as early as possible".
REVIEW OF IMPLEMENTATION "18.2.2 The POA formulated under NPE 1986, had, while discussing the implementation of the policy with regard to adoption of MIL as medium of instruction at the University level, noted that the position was not satisfactory on account of (a) preparation and production of these books has not synchronised with the Universities decision to switch over to MIL; ((b) university teacher shaving received education through English find it difficult to teach through the Indian languages; (c) unlike the school stage, control over prescription of textbooks is not tied with the result that for various reasons the books produced by private publishers only get generally recommended; and (d) Indian language-medium courses are generally not popular amongst the students because of lack of professional comparability and poor employment potential. In order to examine this question Dalal Committee was constituted. The recommendations of the
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Committee have been examined and it has been decided to continue the scheme within the overall financial allocations sanctioned therefor."
STRATEGIES OF IMPLEMENTATION "18.2.3 It is felt that the main stumbling blocks, even more important than non-availability of books are (i) the reluctance of Universities to change the medium of instruction in regard to languages; and (ii) lack of employment opportunities to those who have studied in modern Indian languages as medium of instruction. It is proposed to take up these two issues with the State Governments, UGC and Universities".
18.2.4 once effective action is taken on (i) and (ii) above, the demand for off-take of books produced under the scheme would improve automatically and the revolving funds would start operating more effectively. In order to enable the Commission for Scientific and Technical Terminology (CSTT) to liaise effectively with the State Governments on all aspects connected with the scheme, suitable measures to strengthen the Commission would be considered subject to availability of resources:
TARGETS, PRIORITIES, PROCESS, PHASING, TIME SCHEDULING AND AGENCIES
RESPONSIBLE "18.2.5 The State Government would have to identify, in consultation with University Grants Commission (UGC), the measures to ensure the adoption of Modern Indian Languages as media of instruction in a phased manner in a definite time frame (say 5 to 10 years). Some of the State Governments participating in the Scheme have been requesting continuance of assistance 32
beyond Rs. 1 crore, which is the maximum ceiling of grant to each State under the Scheme. These State Governments would be advised to make use of the revolving funds created by them to finance the projects from their own resources. However, the State Governments which have not yet received the grant upto the prescribed ceiling, would be given the balance."
Monitoring and Evaluation "18.2.6 At the Central level, the Commission for Scientific and Technical Terminology would continue to coordinate and monitor the programmes and organise orientation courses for teachers of various disciplines. The UGC would also be advised to impress upon Universities to set up Language Cells to monitor the use of Regional Language and also consider some incentives to the Universities which switch over to MIL as their medium. Similar arrangements have to be made at the State Level".
3.11 The Second important development since the Report of the Dalal Committee, was the adoption of the VIII Plan document by the National Development Council (NDC). Vide para 11.2.1 of the VIIIth Plan document, universalisation of elementary education, eradication of illiteracy in the age group of 15 to 35 and strengthening of vocational education (VE) so as to relate it to the emerging needs in the urban and rural settings are major thrust areas of the VIIIth Plan in the Education sector. It would, thus be seen that higher education has not been specified as the thrust area and accordingly, its funding would also be on a restricted scale. The role of higher education is not minimised. In fact para 11.8.2 of the document states that higher education
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is a vast sector and its significance as a source of new knowledge research and manpower for preceeding stages of education viz. elementary and secondary should not be minimised but the emphasis is on mobilisation of resources rather than on higher allocations. A reference to making the higher education sector as far as possible self financing has also been made, vide para 11.7.2.
"The additional enrolment in higher education during the 8th Plan is estimated to be around 10 lakhs of which 9 lakhs will be at the undergraduate level. This expansion in higher education, keeping in view the present resource crunch has to be accommodated in an equitable and cost-effective manner mainly by large-scale expansion of distance education system and providing opportunities to larger segments of population, particularly the disadvantaged groups like women and people living in backward and hilly areas and by measures for resource generation. The programmes of Distance Education should absorb at least 50 percent of the additional enrolment during 8th Plan and their cumulative enrolment should reach 15 lacs, including 5 lacs adult learners beyond the age-group 17-23 who have left school long back. Open Universities should also start- innovative programmes of a Vocational nature for meeting the learning needs of rural areas. Opening of new conventional universities and colleges should not be encouraged. Simultaneously, involvment of voluntary agencies, and private sector participation in the opening and conduct of higher education institutions would be encouraged with proper checks to ensure maintenance of standards and facilities to make higher education as far as possible self-financing. However, the quality of education is not to be compromised at any cost.
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Upward revision of fee structure has to be considered but at the same time, the fees charged should not be exhorbitant and should be supplemented by the provision of scholarships and other financial assistance to SCs/STs and students below the poverty line and loans to other students".
3.12 It would thus be seen that the revised POA of National Policy on Education 1986 has emphasised the need for greater coordination between the Universities, State Governments and the University Grants Commission so as to make regional languages as media of instruction more popular, but the 8th Plan also indicates that since the elementary education and adult education are priority areas, therefore, the funding of the higher education sector would be restricted and consequently the scope for getting additional funds for any new scheme is similarly severely limited. Any proposal which the Committee makes would have to show as to how, in course of time, the new scheme can become self-financing.
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