Lok Sabha Question No. 1254 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2017-07-24
Subject: Reforms in Education
Ministry: HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: DEVJI MANSINGRAM PATEL

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT OF HIGHER EDUCATION

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1254 TO BE ANSWERED ON 24.07.2017

## Reforms in Education

## †1254. SHRI DEVJI M. PATEL:

Will the Minister of HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT be pleased to state:

(a)  whether  the  Government  proposes  to  spend  six  per  cent  of  its  budget  on  education  as recommended by the Kothari Commission Report and if so, the details thereof; and

(b) whether the Government is aware that there is need for extensive reforms in education sector and  if  so,  the  reasons  for  the  delay  in  implementing    the    new  Education  Policy  and  the  TSR Subramanian Committee  Reports?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT

## (DR. MAHENDRA NATH PANDEY)

(a): Yes Madam. The Government has been making efforts to reach the long pending goal of raising  the  investment  in  education  to  6%  of  the  national  income  as  articulated  in  Kothari Commission Report and the National Policy on Education, 1986.

(b): The  extant  National  Policy  on  Education  (NPE)  provides  for  a  National  System  of Education which implies that up to a given level, all students, irrespective of caste, creed, location or sex, have access to education of a comparable quality. The Government is committed to provide equitable access to quality education to all sections of the society. Having nearly reached the goals of  universalizing  elementary  education,  and  making  substantial  gains  in  expanding  access  to secondary and higher education, the focus is on improving the quality of education at all levels. Several initiatives are currently being undertaken to enhance the quality of education across the spectrum. In elementary education, the Sarva Shikha Abhiyan (SSA) programme harmonized with Right  to  Education  (RTE)  aims  for  improvements  in  school  infrastructure  and  also  improving learning  outcomes.  Rashtriya  Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA), ICT in schools, Centrally Sponsored Scheme on Teacher Education (CSSTE), Shaala Siddhi, Rashtriya Avishkar Abhiyan are  implemented  to  improve  the  quality  of  secondary  education.  In  higher  education  also, various  schemes  ,namely,  Rashtriya  Uchchatar  Shiksha  Abhiyan  (RUSA),  Global  Initiative  for Academics  Network  (GIAN),  Impacting  Research,  Innovation  &  Technology  (IMPRINT), Technical Education Quality Improvement Programme (TEQIP), Pandit Madan Mohan Malviya National Mission on Teachers and Teaching (PMMMNMTT), Study Webs of Active-Learning for Young Aspiring Minds (SWAYAM) and SWAYAM PRABHA, National Academic Depository, National Digital Library, campus connect programme, Uchhatar Avishkar Abhiyan, Unnat Bharat Abhiyan are being implemented to improve the quality of higher education. To promote objective assessment of performance annually, Government has launched the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) in September 2015.  A number of initiatives are also undertaken by UGC and AICTE for quality improvement in higher and technical education.

Presently, the Government is in the process of formulating a New Education Policy (NEP) to meet  the  changing  dynamics  of  the  population's  requirement  with  regard  to  quality  education, innovation and research, aiming to make India a knowledge superpower by equipping its students with the necessary skills and knowledge and to eliminate the shortage of manpower in science, technology,  academics  and  industry.  The  Government  has  recently  constituted  a  9-member Committee  for  preparation  of  the  draft  National  Education  Policy  under  the  Chairmanship  of eminent scientist Padma Vibhushan Dr. K. Kasturirangan, which is expected to submit its report by 31 st December, 2017.

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