Lok Sabha Question No. 3451 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2015-12-21
Subject: Education Policy
Ministry: HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: NANABHAU FALGUNRAO PATOLE

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3451 TO BE ANSWERED ON 21.12.2015

## Education Policy

## †3451.  SHRI NANA PATOLE:

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

(a)  whether  the  Government  has  noticed  the  demonstrations  under  Bahujan  Jagriti  Abhiyan against the declining standard, privatisation and dual policy of education;

(b) if so, the details thereof; and

(c)  the  steps  taken  by  the  Government  to  nationalise,  make  education  compulsory  and  to increase the importance of education among students?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT

## (SMT. SMRITI ZUBIN IRANI)

(a)  to  (c):  The  Government  of  India  has  undertaken  a  three-pronged  consultation  process  of online,  grassroots  and  national  level  thematic  deliberations  on  33  identified  themes  for formulating the New Education Policy (NEP). The Govt. of India has constituted a Committee for Evolution of the New Education Policy and the suggestions received have been forwarded to the Committee. The Committee will examine the outcome documents, recommendations and suggestions received and formulate a Draft National Education Policy as well as a Framework for Action (FFA). Suggestions of the Bahujan Jagriti Abhiyan have also been forwarded to the Committee for Evolution of the New Education Policy.

The stated  policy  is  that  education  is  a  'not-for-profit'  activity. Presently  private  sector participation  exists  in  the  funding  and  management  of  educational  institutions  as  long  as surplus  earned  is  reasonable  and  the  same  is  ploughed  back  for  development  of  institution. Section 13 of the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act, 2009 clearly prohibits the collection of any capitation fee. Similar steps have been taken in higher education. UGC  has  issued  several  regulations,  such  as,  UGC  Establishment  and  Maintenance  of Standards in Private Universities, 2003; UGC  (Institutions Deemed-to-be  Universities) Regulations, 2010 and UGC Institutions Deemed-to-be Universities (Amendment) Regulations, 2014.

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.  It  includes  a  common educational  structure,  a  national  curriculum  framework  and  minimum  levels  of  learning  for each stage of education. It envisages, inter alia, a National System of Education to bring about uniformity  in  education,  making  adult  education  programmes  a  mass  movement, providing universal  access,  ensuring  retention  and  improving  quality  in elementary  education,  special emphasis on education of girls, establishment of pace-setting schools, like  Navodaya Vidyalayas in each district, vocationalisation of secondary education, synthesis of knowledge and inter-disciplinary  research  in  higher  education,  starting  more  Open Universities  in  the States,  strengthening  of  the  All  India  Council for Technical Education,  encouraging  sports, physical education, Yoga and adoption of an effective evaluation method. The existing policy clearly implies that there is no dual education system in the country.

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