People's Democracy

   Educational Scenario Of India And The

Role Of Union Government

Kanti Biswas

EDUCATIONAL history of ancient India is glorified by the existence of Taxila, Vikramshila and Nalanda Universities when there was no university in any country of Europe. Contribution of Vaskaracharyya, and Arya Bhatta to the store of scientific knowledge of the world has also been appreciated by whole world. But after 56 years of independence, the scenario of Indian education is extremely pitiable. Independent India has set up a unique example by setting up of over 70 education commission or committees but the situation remains extremely grim.

EDUCATIONAL BACKWARDNESS

Youth (15-24 years of age) literacy rate in the middle-income countries is 87.8 per cent whereas in India it is 73.3 per cent (Human Development Report-2003). Out of 94 developing countries, the position of India is 76th so far as educational development index is concerned. Percentage of students enrolled in Class-1 and reached to Class-Vth standard is 77 in the developing countries but in India it is only 60. (The State of World Children-2004).

Percentage of students reading in primary and secondary stage of education in fully non-government private educational institution is shown in Table 1: -

Table 1

Source: Education for All Report – 2003-04

How far the union government is responsible for this educational backwardness of the country can be estimated from the under mentioned data: -

Percentage of total allocation to education in First Five Year Plan: 7.2 per cent

Percentage of total allocation to education in Tenth Five-Year Plan: 2.9 per cent 

(Lowest allocation for education in all the five year plans)                     

Percentage of total provision for education in the union budget for the year 2003-2004 is only 2.2 per cent whereas it is 6 per cent on average in the world and 11 per cent in developing countries.

For achieving the target of universalisation of elementary education, Rs 1951 crore were earmarked in the last year's budget, but the provision for Operation Black Board amounting to Rs 58 crore and the provision for North Eastern Area of Rs 215 crore allocated in previous years budgets has been withdrawn and more curiously only 23 per cent of union government contribution to Sarva Siksha Abhiyan has been placed with the States till March 31, last.

Government of India has made 86th Amendment of the Constitution. Before this amendment, there was provision for universal education of the children up to 14 years of age but by the amendment in the Constitution, education for children in the age group 6-14 has been incorporated and for children of pre-6 years has been assigned to the States or local bodies. Government of India set up a committee under Chairmanship of Tapas Majumdar, for achieving the target of universalisation of elementary education. The Committee submitted its report in 1999 and recommended for allocation of additional fund of Rs 1,36,822 crore for 10 years to achieve the target by 2007. The government of India without providing money for the purpose has drafted Free and Compulsory Education Bill, 2004. In this bill, entire financial burden has been placed upon the state governments or Local Bodies. However, it has been stated in the bill that the union government may extend financial and other assistance to the states for the purpose.

Presently 22 per cent of relevant age group for tertiary level of education are enrolled in the world but the ratio in India is only 10 per cent. Indian girls in tertiary level of education are only 5 per cent to that of the world.

In this background, education minister of the union government declared in the World Higher Education Conference held in Paris in 1998 that his government wanted to encourage private initiative in higher education.

OBSCURANTISM & COMMUNALISATION

Government of India at the same time has been trying to communalise the whole gamut of education. It has already introduced Astrology, Vedic Mathematics, Karma Kanda, and Purohita Vidya, in curriculum. Further, in order to communalise, history, historical facts have been distorted. Central Advisory Board of Education (CABE), which had been functioning since 1935, was dissolved in 1998. National Curriculum Framework for school has been introduced by the NCERT without consulting any state government though education is the subject of concurrent list of the Constitution.

With the objective of introducing ideology of the RSS in all the National Scientific, Cultural and Research Institutions, RSS ideologues have been appointed as the head of these institutions. The most notable among these institutions are Indian Council of Historical Research, Indian Council for Philosophical Research, Indian Council of Social Science & Research, Indian Institute of Advanced Studies, Archeological Survey of India, Indira Gandhi National Institute of Culture, University Grants Commission, NCERT, and NIEPA etc.

Government of India has published a draft of Model University Act in which the authority of the state governments has been curtailed; and autonomy of the universities has been proposed to be seriously undermined. This act also aims at abolishing student’s representation in the governance of the university and reducing the role of the teachers in the administration of universities.

Only 41 countries along with India have signed GATS, by which, education has been commodified and corporatised and the doors of India have been made open to provide scope for foreign countries, universities and corporations to organise education in this country in their own interest and in the process both Indian culture and interest of the people of this country will suffer.

 Now the fourteenth Lok Sabha elections are being held. At this juncture the government of India is under an obligation to explain all its questionable policy decisions in the field of education.