Lok Sabha Question No. 876 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2016-11-21
Subject: Downfall in quality of Education
Ministry: HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: M. K. RAGHAVAN

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 876 TO BE ANSWERED ON 21.11.2016

## Downfall in quality of Education

## 876. SHRI M.K. RAGHAVAN:

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

(a)  whether  the  Government  is  aware  that  the  Organisation  for  Economic  Co-operation  and Development has reported that there is a substantial downfall in the quality of education in the country;

- (b) if so, the details thereof;
- (c)  whether the Government envisages to ensure equitable quality education as stipulated under the sustainable development goals;
- (d) if not, the reasons therefor; and
- (e) the steps taken by the Government in this regard?

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

## (DR. MAHENDRA NATH PANDEY)

(a) to (e): Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) in its Report dated 09.02.2015 has stated  that  India  shall  continue  improving  access  to  education,  especially  at  the secondary level, and improve the quality of education. The UN Sustainable Development Goal 4 with target year 2013 states 'Ensure inclusive and quality education for all and promote lifelong learning'.

The  vision  of  the  Ministry  is  to  realize  India's  human  resource  potential  to  its  fullest  in  the education  sector  with  equity  and  inclusion.  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 in  this  direction.  In  elementary  education,  the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) programme aims for improvements in school infrastructure and in teaching  and  learning.  Rashtriya  Madhyamik  Shiksha  Abhiyan  (RMSA),  ICT  in  Schools, Centrally Sponsored Scheme on Teacher Education (CSSTE), Shaala Siddhi, Rashtriya Avishkar Abhiyan  are  being  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),  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.

The Government had initiated the process of formulating a New Education Policy 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.

For formulating the New Education Policy (NEP), , the Government has carried out nearly a yearlong  highly  participative,  inclusive  and  multi-pronged  consultation  process,  through  online, grassroots and thematic expert consultations across 33 identified themes. Meetings were held with Government of India Ministries and State Governments. Six zonal  meetings were  also  held  on NEP with the State Education Ministers, State Education Secretaries and other state officials. The Ministry had constituted a Committee for Evolution of the New Education Policy which submitted its  report  in  May,  2016.    Thereafter  the  Ministry  has  formulated  'Some  Inputs  for  the  Draft National  Education  Policy,  2016'  on  which  comments/suggestions  were  invited  from  the Government of India  Ministries,  State  Government,  Hon'ble  Members  of  Parliament  and  other stakeholders  up  to  30th  September,  2016.  A  Committee  under  an  eminent  educationist  will  be appointed to prepare final draft NEP.

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