Lok Sabha Question No. 3829 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2015-08-12
Subject: Learning Levels of Students
Ministry: HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: ADHIR RANJAN CHOWDHURY

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

MINISTRY OF HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT

DEPARTMENT OF HIGHER EDUCATION

LOK SABHA

UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3829

TO BE ANSWERED ON 12.08.2015

**Learning Levels of Students**

|                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            | 3829. SHRI ADHIR RANJAN CHOWDHURY:   | 3829. SHRI ADHIR RANJAN CHOWDHURY:                                                                                                                                                                                                      |
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| **Will the Minister of HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT be pleased to state:**                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   |                                      |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         |
| (a)                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        | (a)                                  | whether rote learning and abysmal teaching has led to an absence of critical thinking amongst Indian students, especially engineers;                                                                                                    |
| (b)                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        | (b)                                  | if so, the details thereof along with the response of the Government thereto;                                                                                                                                                           |
| (c)                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        | (c)                                  | whether the Government is aware that the country's top schools exhibit rote learning and if so, the details thereof along with the reaction of the Government thereto;                                                                  |
| (d)                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        | (d)                                  | whether the recent UNDP report shows that India's stagnation in the Human Development Index (HDI) is lowest among all performing nations in BRICS and if so, the details thereof along with the reaction of the Government thereto; and |
| (e)                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        | (e)                                  | the corrective measures being taken by the Government to improve learning levels of students?                                                                                                                                           |
| **ANSWER**  **MINISTER OF HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT**  **(SMT. SMRITI ZUBIN IRANI)**                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      |                                      |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         |
| **(a) to (c):**  It has been the endeavour of Government to promote education that fosters knowledge with analytical skills, logical reasoning and the ability to imagine beyond the given. Government is determined to replace rote learning wherever it exists, with a more scientific education system.                                                                                                                                                                                 |                                      |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         |
| **(d):**  Historically Brazil, Russia, China and the South Africa (BRICS countries) had higher Human Development Index (HDI) than India. The Human Development Report 2014 released by UNDP showed that India has improved its HDI score over 2013, though its rank remained the same at 135 out of the 187 Countries.                                                                                                                                                                     |                                      |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         |
| **(e):**  To improve learning levels of students, the Government has taken several measures such as:  1. Study Webs of Active Learning for Young Aspiring Minds (SWAYAM) for online interactive learning 2. National Digital Library 3. Accreditation by National Board of Accreditation (NBA) and National Accreditation and Assessment Council (NAAC) 4. Ranking of the Institutions 5. Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA) 6. Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan  (RUSA)  ***** |                                      |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         |
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