Opinion - Editorials

The new thrust on education

The full Planning Commission meeting last Thursday focussing on education, and the decision of the Union Cabinet to step up Central funding for the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) augur well for progress in this critical sphere. After the drive for universalising primary education and the thrust on SSA, the Government of India and the Planning Commission have been looking closely at higher education. Instead of ad hoc responses to the expanding needs of the sector, it is good that the Planning Commission has put together a comprehensive plan for not just spreading the net but also upgrading the quality of education. The fourfold increase in government funding on education in the Eleventh Plan, compared to the Tenth Plan, is no doubt a tangible recognition of the importance of the task. Between the Centre and the States, the objective is to raise public spending on education to 6 per cent of the GDP. But, at this juncture, the focus must be not only on raising spending levels, but also on improving the quality parameters. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh struck the right note when he called for better Centre-State cooperation and harnessing private sector resources for higher education.

Dr. Singh referred to two significant schemes that are ready for launch — one for the universalisation of access for secondary education (SUCCESS), and the other for the promotion of higher education on a large scale through the establishment of 30 Central Universities, eight Indian Institutes of Technology, and five Indian Institutes of Science. The Prime Minister indicated the setting up of an inter-ministerial group and a panel of experts to decide, within the next two months, on their location and intake. The government’s objective is to make even higher education accessible to the rural youth and affordable for the poor. Which is why he advocates a gradually rising fee-structure, alongside a comprehensive scholarship scheme. In recent years, the shortcomings of the apex bodies in education such as the University Grants Commission, and the All India Councils for Technical Education and Medical Education, have come to the fore. The Centre and the States need to put in place an effective regulatory framework to ensure the maintenance of highest standards. Equally urgent is the task of attracting better talent to the teaching profession. Faculty development plans need to get an equal priority with the strengthening of the physical infrastructure if the new thrust on education is to have a long-term impact.

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