Landmark initiatives in education sector in 2009

Landmark initiatives in education sector in 2009

            The year 2009 saw landmark initiatives, both in the School Education and Literacy and the Higher Education Departments. The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009, has been enacted by Parliament to provide for free and compulsory education to all children of the age of six to fourteen years.  Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA), to enhance access to secondary education and improve its quality was launched in March 2009. The National Literacy Mission was recast with a focus on women’s literacy and renamed ‘Saakshar Bharat’. Substantive quality enhancing changes were made to the mid-day meal scheme. The Class X Board was made optional for students of CBSE Schools. The Central Universities Ordinance, 2009 was promulgated by the President on 15.1.2009 for the conversion of three State Universities in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Uttarakhand into Central Universities and establishment of a new Central University each in twelve such States which did not have a Central University.  The Ordinance was subsequently replaced by the Central Universities Act, 2009. The Union Cabinet approved the proposal to introduce a Bill to amend the Copyright Act, 1957.  A new scheme of interest subsidy on educational loans taken for professional courses by the Economically Weaker Students was also launched.

Right to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009

            The Constitution (Eighty-sixth) Amendment Act inserted Article 21A in the Constitution which makes education a Fundamental Right for Children in the age group of 6-14 years by providing that “the State shall provide free and compulsory education to all children of the age of six to fourteen years in such manner as the State may, by law, determine”.

            The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009, which represents the consequential legislation to Article 21A, has been enacted by  Parliament to provide for free and compulsory education to all children of the age of six to fourteen years.  After receiving the assent of the President, the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009 was published in the Gazette of India on 27^th August, 2009.

            The Union Cabinet has, in December, approved the introduction of a Bill in Parliament for carrying out certain amendments to the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009. The following amendments are proposed:

(i)        Inclusion of children with disabilities within the meaning of ‘children belonging to disadvantaged group’

(ii)       Providing that children with disabilities as defined in the National Trust  for Welfare of Persons with Autism, Cerebral Palsy, Mental Retardation and Multiple Disabilities Act, 1999 shall have special rights to pursue free and compulsory elementary education; and

(iii)      School Management Committee constituted under the Act by aided minority institutions  shall perform advisory function.

Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan programme

            In 2009-10, a central budget outlay of Rs.13100 crore was provided for this programme, against which an amount of Rs.10434 crore has been released to States/UTs so far. The success of this programme can be gauged from an independent study done in 2009, which shows that the percentage of out of school children has declined to 4.22% children in the 6-14 age group.

The Cumulative Achievements of SSA till 2009-10 (30.9.2009) and interventions sanctioned in 2009-10 are as under:

Saakshar Bharat

            In pursuance of the announcement of the Hon’ble President made in the joint session of Parliament to recast the National Literacy Mission and to make every women literate in the next five years , the National Literacy Mission, as a programme instrument, has been recast with prime focus on female literacy and a new variant of NLM, ‘Saakshar Bharat’ has been launched by the Prime Minister on International Literacy Day (8^th September, 2009).  Orientation meetings with State Government, State Resources Centres etc. have been organized.  During the current financial year, 167 districts from 9 States stare being covered. 

Mid-Day Meal in Schools:

            Substantive quality enhancing changes were made to the mid-day meal scheme, this year. The government approved, revision of the food norm for Upper Primary children by increasing the quantity of pulses from 25 to 30 grams, vegetables from 65 to 75 grams and by decreasing the        quantity of oil and fat from 10 grams to 7.5 grams. 

            The enhancement of the cooking cost (excluding the labour and administrative charges) for primary to Rs. 2.50 and for upper primary to Rs. 3.75 has also been undertaken by the government.  Now, the cooking cost would include the cost of pulses, vegetables, oil & fats, salt & condiments and fuel. The cooking cost will be shared between the Centre and the NER States on 90:10 basis and with other States / Uts on 75:25 basis.  A separate provision for payment of honorarium to cook-cum-helper @ Rs.1000 per month has been made. 

            The admissibility of transportation assistance for 11 Special Category States , Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Manipur, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Sikkim, Uttarakhand and Tripura. has been revised to the rate prevalent under the Public Distribution System (PDS) in these States in place of the existing assistance at a flat rate of Rs. 125 per Quintal.  The new rates are effective from 1.12.2009.

Rashtriya Madhyamic Shiksha Abhiyan

            A new centrally sponsored scheme, Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA), to enhance access to secondary education and improve its quality was launched in March 2009. The objective of the scheme is to achieve an enrollment ratio of 75% for classes IX-X within 5 years by providing a secondary school within a reasonable distance of every habitation, to improve quality of education imparted at secondary level through making all secondary schools conform to prescribed norms, to remove gender, socio-economic and disability barriers, universal access to secondary level education by 2017, i.e., by the end of 12^th Five Year Plan and universal retention by 2020. The Central Government shall bear 75% of the project expenditure during the 11^th Five Year Plan, with 25% of the cost to be borne by State Governments.  Funding pattern will be 90:10 for North Eastern Sates. 

         Project proposals from 7 states (Chhattisgarh, Kerala, Mizoram, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh) were considered by the Project Approval Board (PAB) on 12.11.2009, and opening of 871 new schools, and in-service training of more than 1.25 lakh teachers inter alia had been approved.

Model Schools

            Under the centrally sponsored scheme to establish 6000 high quality model schools at block level as benchmarks of excellence, first phase of which was launched in November 2008, 419 schools in 12 States have been approved by the Grants-in-aid Committee (GIAC) during 2009. 167 schools in 6 states have been sanctioned so far.

Girls Hostels in Educationally Backward Blocks

Under another centrally sponsored scheme to set up Girls’ Hostels with 100 seats in about 3,500 educationally backward blocks, which was launched in October, 2008, 647 hostels in 14 States have been approved by the Grants-in-aid Committee (GIAC) during 2009. 163 hostels  in 7 states have been sanctioned so far.

Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya(KGBV)

            2573 KGBV have been sanctioned so far, out of which 2558 are operational, enrolling 1.96 lakh girls belonging to SC, ST, OBC & Minorities.

Examination Reform

            After wide consultation held by the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) with various stakeholders including principals, teachers, parents, student and academicians and the public, following decisions were taken;

a.     There will be no class X board examination w.e.f 2011 in CBSE schools.

b.    The students of class IX and X will be assessed on the basis of CCE (Continuous and Comprehensive Evaluation) to be implemented at the school level. CCE will be applicable to class IX students from the session 2009-10.

c.   For students who wish to move out of their schools and for students in schools which have no higher secondary classes, on-demand examination will be offered by CBSE from 2011 onwards. Though it is not required for students continuing in the same school in class XI, they will have the option to appear for on-demand examination to get themselves assessed.

            d.   It has been decided to replace the present system of awarding marks by grades in    all subjects in class X Board examination to be conducted by CBSE in 2010. Such grading would be continued for on-demand examination of 2011 and beyond and also for CCE.

            AICTE (All India Council for Technical Education)::-

            In order to overcome imbalances in technical education, the Council has taken up certain new initiatives:-

            In order to reduce the imbalance between engineering education and polytechnic education the Council has permitted Second shift of Polytechnic in an existing Polytechnic Institution and also a Second shift of Polytechnic in an existing Engineering Institution.

            Keeping in view the regional imbalance in the student intake in various States of the country, the Council has allowed second shift of engineering colleges in existing colleges only in those States where the number of seats available in engineering colleges per lakh of population are less than the all India average.

            For a balanced growth of various streams of education in engineering & technology, the Council has taken a policy decision to allow establishment of new engineering institutions with at least three conventional branches as a mandatory requirement in the States where the number of seats available in engineering colleges per lakh of population are more than the all India average, whereas in the states where the number of seats available in engineering colleges per lakh of population are less than the all India average, no such restriction is applicable.

           A draft Bill for regulation of the profession of Engineering has been formulated and a Cabinet Note has been circulated to all Ministries for comments.

Scheme of Sub-Mission on Polytechnics under coordinated action for skill development: 

            During the period 1^st January, 2009 upto 31^st December, 2009, 175 districts have been covered for establishment of New Polytechnics under the Scheme with financial support of Rs. 425.00 crore.  

            Community Development through Polytechnics: Under this revamped scheme, 703 polytechnics have been included for implementation of this scheme. 

Indian Institutes of Technology (IITS) :

            Academic session 2008-2009 was started by admitting about 120 students each in B.Tech, courses in new IITs at Hyderabad (Andhra Pradesh), Patna (Bihar), Jodhpur (Rajasthan), Bhubaneswar (Orissa), Ropar (Punjab) and Gandhinagar (Gujarat).  Academic Session in the remaining two IITs at Indore and Mandi has been started by admitting about 120 students in B.Tech.  Courses from academic session  2009-10.

Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs):

            During the XIth Five Year Plan, one IIM namely Rajiv Gandhi Indian Institute of Management (RGIIM), Shillong has been established in Shillong (Meghalaya) which has commenced its first academic session from 2008-2009 and the remaining IIMs will be set up in Tamil Nadu, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Haryana, Uttarakhand and Rajasthan.

Establishment of New Central Universities :

            The 11^th Plan envisages establishment of 16 new Central Universities.

            The Central Universities Ordinance, 2009 was promulgated by the President on 15.1.2009 for the conversion of three State Universities in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Uttarakhand into Central Universities and establishment of a new Central University each in twelve such States, namely Bihar, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala, Orissa, Punjab, Rajasthan and Tamil Nadu, which did not have a Central University.  The Ordinance was subsequently replaced by the Central Universities Act, 2009.

            While the three States Universities stood converted immediately on promulgation of the Ordinance, 11 new Central Universities (except Central University of Himachal Pradesh) came into existing in the first week of March, 2009 with the first Vice-Chancellors assuming their respective offices. The first Vice-Chancellor of the Central University of Himachal Pradesh has since been appointed and this University is likely to start functioning very soon. 

            For each of the new Central Universities, the concerned State Government is to provide, free of cost, about 500 acres of land, and the exact location of each University will be notified by the Central Government in the Official Gazette.

            While permanent locations of many of these Universities have not yet been finalized, most of them have already started their academic activities from temporary premises.

            Later on, it was felt that in view of the special circumstances of the State of Jammu and Kashmir, one Central University would not be able to meet the aspirations of the people of two distinct regions – Jammu region and the Kashmir Valley.  The Central Universities (Amendment) Ordinance, 2009 was, therefore, promulgated on 20.10.2009 to rename the Central University of Jammu and Kashmir as Central University of Kashmir with territorial jurisdiction limited to Kashmir Division and to establish a new university by the name of Central University of Jammu having territorial jurisdiction extending over Jammu Division.

            The entire expenditure, recurring as well as non-recurring, of these Universities is met by the Central Government, through UGC.  The UGC has so far released funds amounting to Rs.155 crore to 14 new Central Universities.

National Institute of Technology (NITs):

            Government of India decided to set up 10 new NITs during the 11^th Five Year Plan in the States/UTs which do not have NITs at present.  Accordingly, the Union Cabinet has approved setting up of 10 new NITs in Meghalaya, Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh.  Goa (also catering to the needs of Daman & Diu, Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Lakshadweep), Puducherry (also catering to the needs of A&N Islands), Delhi (also catering to the needs of Chandigarh) and Uttarkhand.  In order to closely monitor as well as facilitate the work of establishment of these ten new NITs, it has been decided that the existing NITs will mentor the new NITs for the first 2-3 years  or till such time as the new NITs are properly set up.

Amendment to Copyright Act:

            The Union Cabinet has approved the proposal to introduce a Bill to amend the Copyright Act, 1957.  The Ministry of Human Resource Development has proposed the amendments in order to gain clarity, remove operational difficulties and to address the newer issues that have emerged in the context of digital technology and the internet. This move seeks to bring in amendments related to bring the Act in conformity with WCT and WPPT; amendment to protect the Music and Film Industry and address its concerns; Amendments to address the concerns of the physically challenged; amendments for rights to authors and amendments being made for incidental changes, which are required in the context of digital technology to cover “storing of copyrights material by electronic means’.

Modernisation  of  Copyright Offices :

            Under the Phase- I of the modernisation of the Copyright Office, a new web-portal of the Copyright office along with online registration facility, has been launched on 9^th September 2009.

            Formulation of a “Brain Gain” policy to attract talent from across the world to the existing and new institutions.

            A Concept Note was prepared and circulated for comments to prominent academics, researchers, premier research organisations and Ministries/Departments of Government. It has also been placed on the website of the Ministry for eliciting views. A Concept Note on Innovation Universities has also been prepared and circulated.

            Launching of a new scheme of interest subsidy on educational loans taken for professional courses by the Economically Weaker Students.

            The proposal has received the approval of the competent authority and the Scheme has been notified.

            Regional Centre of the Indira Gandhi National Tribal University, (IGNTU) Amarkantak to be started in Manipur.

            The State Government has identified land to the extent of 300 acres for the establishment of a Regional Centre of the University in the North-Eastern side of Makhan Village (Kehulubeg area) of Senapati Hill District. The Regional Centre has been inaugurated on 9th September, 2009 by the Chief Minister, Manipur with the launch of M.Phil programme in Political Science by IGNTU.