Lok Sabha Question No. 3183 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2016-12-05
Subject: Cooperation among BRICS Nations on Education
Ministry: HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: PRITAM GOPINATH MUNDE, SHRIKANT EKNATH SHINDE, Shrirang Appa Barne, RAHUL RAMESH SHEWALE

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

## LOK SABHA

UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3183 TO BE ANSWERED ON 05.12.2016

## Cooperation among BRICS Nations on Education

3183. DR. PRITAM GOPINATH MUNDE: DR. SHRIKANT EKNATH SHINDE: SHRI SHRIRANG APPA BARNE: SHRI RAHUL SHEWALE:

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

- (a) whether  Brazil,  Russia,  India,  China  and  South  Africa  (BRICS)  Ministers  of Education  have  adopted  the  text  of  New  Delhi  Declaration  on  Education  in their meeting in New Delhi on September, 2016 and if so, the details thereof;
- (b) whether  BRICS  nations  have  initiated  actions  to  formulate  country-specific targets within the broader scope of the Sustainable Development Goal 4 and if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether BRICS nations have agreed to share information on various aspects of higher education and if so, the details thereof;
- (d) whether  BRICS  countries  have  also  agreed  to  identify  a  nodal  institution within  each  country and create an institutional network to share Information and Communication Technology policies,  Open  Educational  Resources  and other e-resources, including e-libraries, among BRICS member countries; and
- (e) if so, 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): In the 4 th meeting of BRICS Education Ministers recently held at New Delhi  on  30 th September, 2016, BRICS member countries have signed New Delhi Declaration on Education in which they have inter alia declared to:

- (i) Initiate  actions  to formulate  country-specific targets within  the broader  scope of  the  SDG4  and  corresponding  targets,  taking  into  account  the past  gains and  achievements  in  the  education  sector,  emerging  national  development priorities, availability  of  resources,  and  institutional  capacities;   integrate  the

SDG4-related targets with the national and subnational-level education sector development  plans/programmes;  and build  capacity  at the national  and subnational levels for measuring and monitoring progress towards SDG4 and corresponding  targets  using  the  indicators  adopted  by  the  UN  General Assembly in September 2016;

- (ii) Share  information  on  higher  education  systems,  approval  and  recognition processes,  quality  assurance  and  accreditation,  and  prevalent  procedures and  practices  for  evaluation  and  recognition  of  qualifications  to  facilitate academic  mobility;  may  also  consider  subsequently  to  constitute  an  expert group to work towards the development of  a framework for mutual recognition of qualifications across BRICS countries;
- (iii) Identify  a  nodal  institution  within  each  country  and  create  an  institutional network  to  share  ICT  policies,  Open  Educational  Resources  and  other  eresources, including e-Libraries, among BRICS member countries;

The  implementation  of  these  recommendations  is  a  long  drawn  process  which  is done through various stakeholders in India and other BRICS member countries.

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