REASONS FOR SUB-OPTIMAL
PERFORMANCE
 

4.1 The Centrally sponsored scheme for production of university level text-books 1968-69 has been in operation for more than 25 years. During this time, the total financial assistance of Rs. 16.08 crores was released to the Granth Academies/Text Book Boards which have produced 11239 publications in various regional languages (Annexure 2). The progress while it can be considered to be good as far as it goes, cannot, however, be said to be entirely satisfactory. The Dalal Committee made some observations in this regard by way of an explanation.

4.2 So far as the programme of action is concerned, it has identified the factors responsible for the situation as below. It is stated in para 18.2.3 that the main stumbling blocks in the matter of medium of instruction are i) reluctance of Universities to change the medium of instruction in relation to languages and ii) lack of employment opportunities to those who have studied in modern Indian languages as medium of instruction.

4.3 While one may not disagree with this diagnosis, it is felt that there are certain other factors which also need to be studied so that additional reasons for inadequate progress can be identified and measures taken. According to us, these factors may be specified as below :

1. Factors bearing on structure of higher education.

2. Factors relating to the machinery identified for implementation of the scheme.

3. factors relating to managerial and marketing deficiencies of the machinery actually implementing the scheme.

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STRUCTURAL FACTORS:

4.4 It appears to us that the fact that higher education sub-sector is not a unified whole but is fragmented into different sub-sectors and corresponding agencies dealing with it has not been kept in view and hence there has been a failure to develop linkages between various relevant agencies. We have, first of all, the University Grants Commission, which was established under the 1956 Act of Parliament for coordination and determination of standards of higher education in the country. The authority of the U.G.C. directly extends to all the institutions of higher learning dealing with general education. In relation to these institutions and in particular, Universities and colleges, the U.G.C. is also the funding agency. The U.G.C. enjoys immense leverage vis-a-vis the Universities, the leverage which is not available either to the Central Ministry of Education or to the State Governments. However, the University Grants Commission was not involved in the scheme. It is not quite clear why this was not done. During the course of our enquiries, we came to know that U.G.C. is involved in the matter only to the extent of implementation of a scheme called "preparation of University level books by Indian authors (Annexure - 5)".

4.5 In the fourth meeting of the Review Committee, the concerned officer from the U.G.C. stated that this scheme which is being implemented for a long time did not make much progress. For two to three years, it was totally dysfunctional. Therefore, a Committee to review the scheme was appointed and on the recommendations of the Committee, a revised scheme was prepared in 1991. It was further stated that so far, that is to say, till

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December, 1994, they have received about 180 proposals but most of the proposals were for text books in English. There are very few proposals for text books in Hindi and regional languages and even those proposals relate to text books on Humanities and Social sciences and non of the proposals related to text books on Engg. and Medical Education. It appears that the scheme is implemented jointly by U.G.C. and N.B.T.National Book Trust). The U.G.C. would provide assistance for preparation of manuscripts and N.B.T. would provide subsidy towards publication of the books found suitable by U.G.C. under their scheme of subsidised publication of books. It is stated in the scheme that books prepared in English or Hindi under the scheme would be sent by U.G.C. to the State Granth Academies for possible translation into the regional languages. For ready reference, we also enclose a copy of the 'Scheme for Subsidised Publications of books' implemented by N.B.T. (Annexure 6).

4.6 The "Programme of Action" recommends that the U.G.C. would be advised to impress upon the Universities to set up Language Cells to monitor the use of regional languages and also consider some incentives to Universities which switch over to Modern Indian Languages as their medium.

4.7 When we asked the representative of the U.G.C. regarding action taken in terms of this recommendation, we were given to understand that so far no concrete action has been taken.

4.8 This is the situation, so far as the U.G.C. which functions under the Ministry of Human Resource Development is

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concerned, but as is well known, subject to the over all coordinating role of the U.G.C. technical education, agricutural education and medical education sub-sectors are controlled by separate bodies called, All India Council of Technical Education, Indian Council for Agricultural Research and Medical Council of India. Let us consider what is the role of these bodies in the matter of medium of instruction.

4.9 All India Council of Technical Education was, till 1990, an administrative agency. Under the AICTE Act, it was given the statutory backing. The Act provides for proper planning and coordinated development of the technical education system in India and promotion of qualitative improvement of education in relation to the planned quantitative growth and the regulation and proper maintenance of norms and standards in technical education system.

4.10 The ANTE functions directly under the Ministry of Human Resource Development. However,, so far as the medium of instruction is concerned, there is no reference to this topic in the chapter dealing with technical and management education in the Programme of Action. In the paragraph relating to "contents and process of technical educaton", no reference even occurs to the subject of text books in the regional languages. We must presume that the ANTE is bound by the guidelines in the National Policy on Education as much as U.G.C. However, the ANTE does not appear to have addressed itself to the problem. It is well known that AICTE has under it four Technical Teacher Training Institutions (T.T.T.I's), which are involved in the field of training, transfer of technology, extension etc. and as part of the

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above, preparation of textutal material. However, in the meeting with the representative of AICTE, he acknowledged that the issue of preparation of textual material in the regional languages has not been considered by the AICTE. Further, the representative of AICTE stated that the matter has to be referred to the respective boards dealing with degree programme, diploma programme, management education and post-graduate education and research. We received no further feedback from AICTE in this regard.

4.11 So far as Agricultural Education is concerned., CSTT has been funding two or rather three Agricultural Universities, namely, the part-time cells at Haryana Agriculture University, Hissar, G.B. Pant Agriculture University, Pant Nagar and the University of Agricutural Sciences at Hebbal near Bangalore. These cells are publishing books and other materials on agricultural sciences on their own, as well as those prepared by CSTT. The administrative control of these cells vests in the respective universities and the staff-of these cells are an integral part of the concerned University. Accordingly, the Agricutural University at Hissar has reportedly produced 10 titles in Hindi and Pant Nagar has produced 114 titles in Hindi and Hebbal has produced 189 titles in Kannada. The total Assistance to them as on 31.3.1993 was Rs.7.90 lacs, Rs.21.78 lacs and Rs.16.70 lacs respectively. However, when we made enquiries with the ICAR regarding its policy in regard to adoption of the regional languages as the medium of instruction for Agricultural Education, we initially drew a blank. The meetings convened by the Review Committee were not attended by the representative of ICAR. We note on this occasion, that the mandate of the ICAR covers "to plan, undertake, promote and coordinate education research and its applications in agriculture, agroforestry, animal husbandary, fisheries, home science and

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allied sciences". Thus coordination and determination of standards in these areas is very much a part of the acitivity of ICAR, but it does not appear to be concerned with the question of textual materials in regional languages inspite of the National Policy on the subject. They would appear to consider that this is a subject to be dealt with by CSTT through Granth Academies or through units located in a few Agricultural Universities ignoring the fact that CSTT/Granth Academies have no leverage with the Agricultural Universities which are the instituions which alone are competent bodies to prescribe and adopt the text books in the Agricultural subjects. In fact, the latest Report of the ICAR for the year 1992-93 has nothing to say regarding text books in regional languages but they reportedly have a scheme for production of text books in English (Annexure-7). The Report states that ICAR is implementing University level books production scheme and that more titles have been approved. During the year 1992-93, in all 17 titles of University level books were approved and the authors have taken up the assignment following the curriculum recommended by the Deans' Committee.

4.12 When our Report was at the stage of drafting, we were fortunate to receive an authoritative communication from DG ICAR. It is reproduced below:

"With the commitement that ICAR is proposing to have for utlisation of professional competence, exellence and inter-institutional and inter regional exchange & scientists and teachers under its World Bank supported human resource development and management programme, I hope you will appreciate that decision to introduce regional languages as the medium of instruction needs to

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be taken after carefully examining its over all impact on agricultural education."

"It may not be out of place to mention that ICAR itself has a scheme for the production of text books at University level under which it provides funds to learned scientists and teachers to write text books in their respective areas of specialisation."

"Drastic structural changes in professional and technical educational systems may have their repercussions on the future and demanding requirements of Agricultural Research and Education especially in the context of globalization of Agriculture."

4.13 This statement refers to the scheme for production of textbooks which reference need not detain us. We share some of the sentiments in the above statement, we also accept the need for proper planning and time frame. But if the reference to World Bank assisted project and to globalization implies a suggestion for deferment of action) We are unable to agree. In our view the national policy is quite clear and non negotiable.

4.14 In our view, a more balanced approach is to be found in the Report of the Randhawa Committee in the Review of Agricutural Universities which was submitted in June 1978, In para 4.21 of, the Report, it is stated as below :

"The question of the medium of instruction for higher education is a broader policy question and we are aware that this is engaging the attention of experts in the field. In the case of professional subjects like agriculture it would be safer to follow the pragmatic policy of combining both English and the regional language. Any change in the medium of instruction has to 42

be made only after thorough preparation and after ensuring text books and preliminary manuals are available in the medium to be adopted. The teachers should be given a thorough training in teaching in the changed medium. We endorse the view of the U.G.C. Review Committee (1977) on this subject that- "advantage of student receiving higher education in his mother tongue can be reaped only if various measures are devised to improve the teaching through the regional language and to ensure that the change in the medium in no way affects standards".

4.15 In sum non-involvement of the ICAR is an important causative factor in the matter of lack of progress in the area of adoption of regional language as medium of instruction in the agricultural subjects taught in agricultural colleges/universities.

4.16 So far as medical education is concerned, the situation is most unsatisfactory. There may be great problems in the use of regional languages as media of instruction in the field of medical education related to the inherent technical complexity of the subject. However, the Committee notes that some progress in preparation of materials at least in the area of higher secondary stage just prior to degree stage has been made.

4.17 In the Fourth Meeting of the Review Committee, the representative of Central Health Education Bureau stated that his Bureau was involved in the work relating to preparation of material for health related vocational education programmes for higher secondary stage in selected higher secondary schools in Delhi and four sets of programmes have been Started and the textual material in Hindi prepared with the help of NCERT, in the following subjects :

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                 1.    Nurse midwife
        
                 2.    Radiology (X-ray Technician)
        
                 3.    M.L.T. (Medical Laboratory Technician)
        
                 4.    Opthalmology
                                          

4.18 So far as introduction of Hindi and regional languages in higher academic programmes are concerned, we were told that the Medical Council of India and the D.D.G. (Medical Education) dealt with the subject. In our earlier meeting, namely, the held on 19.11.1994 Third Meeting attended by the representative of M.C.I., we were given to understand that in 1978, the Executive Committee of M.C.I. had passed a resolution that from the point of view of maintenance of standards, it would not be feasible to switch over to regional languages as medium of instruction in medical and health education. When we tried to obtain the text of the resolution, we were not able to get the same but we were informed that the Executive Committee in its meeting dated 10.12.1994 decided as follows :

"The Executive Committee did not agree to switch over the medium of instruction in medical subjects to regional language and translation of medical books into regional languages because it was felt that time is not ripe enough at present for this purpose."

4.19 We feel that there is hardly any need for comment on this. apart from noting that the date of the resolution is subsequent to meeting dated 19.11.94.

4.20 The Committee has not dealt with the legal education, because this subject is dealt with by the appropriate bodies

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under the Ministry of Law and also the Bar Council of India. But so far as technical, agricultural and medical education are concerned the Committee substantiated its view that an important reason for lack of progress in these areas of education is non-involvement of the apex bodies with the work of switch over to the regional languages as the medium of instruction. This is particularly disheartening because all of them are funding agencies excepting the M.C.I. and to the extent that they deal with the standards of education they can also fund the activities in this area, but there has been a clear and damaging failure to involve them.

FACTORS RELATING TO THE MACHINERY FOR IMPLEMENTATION OF THE SCHEME :

4.21 Although, it is the University which prescribes syllabus and it is the appropriate University bodies which recommend text books, they are not involved in the work of preparation & production of text books but it is State Govt. agencies which have been made responsible for the implementation of the policy of medium switchover. This was a conscious decision taken by Govt. in 1968, in successive government resolutions approving the scheme or modifying the scheme, it is recognised that the Universities are the consumers of the text books, but the need for closer invovlement of the Universities in the whole venture some how or the other has not been realised in practice. Even the latest POA says that the State Governments should consult the Universities and U.G.C. and the University should have Language Cells for which the U.G.C. should assist them. The Committee is of the view that the Universities should have a stake in the working of the scheme for preparation and production of regional language text books and this stake can be ensured only

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by making the University Text Book Boards, a consortium of the respective Universities specially in the States with multiple Universities. The Committee is of the view that the Management Committee of the Board should be chaired by one of the Vice- Chancellors by rotation and Vice-Chancellors of other Universities should be the members of the Committee. Further, the Chairmen- of the Boards of Study of the respective subjects should constitute the Academic Committee of the Text Book Board. Even the funding of the Text Book Boards should be linked up with the funding of the Universities in the sense that a proportion of the maintenance grants given to each of the Universities should be earmarked as that University's share of expenditure of the concerned Text Book Production Board. The personnel manning the Board should also be drawn from the Universities. Thus an experienced Professor of the University should be the Director of the Text Book Production Board and he should be Preferably assisted by the appropriate staff at Reader and Lecturer levels.

4.22 The more important factor relating to the comparative lack of success of the Granth Academy Scheme is that they do not have an appropriate model to emulate as in the case of NCERT in the school sector. It is well known that NCERT has a strong publication cell, which produces model English text books in various subjects at the secondary and higher secondary level and its books have become standard text books which are being translated into regional languages by the respective school text book bureau in the states. So far as the Granth Academies and the Text Book Boards are concerned, they do not have a comparable model both in the matter of Organisation as well as contents of the text books.

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4.23 At this point in the Report we wish to make a reference to the very important but neglected recommendation of the Education Commission, 1964-66 popularly known as Kothari Commission, which recognised the importance of the production of text-books or the university-level in the context of the policy of adoption of regional language as medium of instruction. We think it desirable, therefore, to reproduce the relevant from the recommendations in the chapter relating to "teaching methods, guidance and evaluation" appearing at pages 229 and 230 of the Report.

"Programme at the National Level: It is essential that the best talent available in the country should be brought together to produce the text books and other literature needed, both at the school and at the university stages. This can only be done at the national level by agencies set up."