National Policy on Education

Education has always been accorded an honoured place in Indian society. The great leaders of the Indian freedom movement realized the fundamental role of education and throughout the nation's struggle for independence, stressed its unique significance for national development. Gandhiji formulated the scheme of basic education, seeking to harmonise intellectual and manual work. This was a great step forward in making education directly relevant to the life of the people. Many other national leaders likewise made important contributions to national education before independence The National Policy on Education (NPE) is a policy formulated by the Government of India to promote education amongst India's people. The policy covers elementary education to colleges in both rural and urban India. The first NPE was promulgated in 1968 by the government of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, and the second by Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi in 1986. It emphasizes three aspects in relation to elementary education:

universal access and enrolment, universal retention of children up to 14 years of age, and a substantial improvement in the quality of education to enable all children to achieve Revival of Sanskrit and other classical languages for contemporary use

Since the nation's independence in 1947, the Indian government sponsored a variety of programmes to address the problems of illiteracy in both rural and urban India. The Resolution on Scientific Policy was adopted by the government of Jawaharlal Nehru, India's first Prime Minister. The Nehru government sponsored the development of high-quality scientific education institutions such as the Indian Institutes of Technology. In 1961, the Union government formed the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) as an autonomous organization that would advise both the Union and state governments on formulating and implementing education policies.

National Policy on Education- 1968

The National Policy of Education 1968 is based on the recommendations of the Commission of 1964-66.. The Commission recommended that the Government of India should issue a statement on the National Policy on Education which should provide guidance to the state Governments and the local authorities in preparing and implementing educational plans. In 1967 the Govt. of India constituted a committee of Members of parliament on Education to prepare the draft of a statement on the National Policy of Education. The Committee brought together the leading members of almost all the political parties in the country and prepared a draft which was considered by the Central Advisory Board of Education. A general consensus on the National Policy on Education emerged in the course of the Boards deliberations.

The resolutions that have been included in the National Policy of Education, 1968 can be considered as the follow up programme of the recommendations of the Kothari Education Commission.

Free and Compulsory Education

Strenuous efforts should be made for the early fulfillment of the Directive Principle under Article 45 of the constitution seeking to provide free and compulsory education for all children up to the age of 14. Suitable programmes should be developed to reduce the prevailing wastage and stagnation in schools and to ensure that every child who is enrolled in school successfully completes the prescribed course. Status, Emoluments and Education of Teachers Of all the factors which determine the quality of education and its contribution to national development, the teacher is undoubtedly the most important.

Their emoluments and other service conditions should be adequate and satisfactory having regard to their qualifications and responsibilities. The academic freedom of teachers to pursue and publish independent studies and researches and to speak and write about significant national and international issues should be protected. Teacher education, particularly in-service education, should receive due emphases. Development of languages -

Regional Languages: The energetic development of Indian languages and literature is a sine qua non for educational and cultural development. Unless this is done, the creative energies of the people will not be released, standards of education will not improve, knowledge will not spread to the people, and the gulf between the intelligentsia and the masses will remain static if not widen further. The use of regional languages should not be only at the primary and secondary stages, but urgent steps should be taken to adopt them as media of education at the university stage. Three-Language Formula : At the secondary stage, the State Governments should adopt, and vigorously implement, the three-language formula which includes the study of a modern Indian language, preferably one of the southern languages, apart from Hindi and English in the Hindi-speaking States, and of Hindi along with the regional language and English in the Non-Hindi-speaking States. Suitable courses in Hindi and/or English should also be available in universities and colleges with a view to improving the proficiency of students in these languages up to the prescribed university standards. Hindi. Every effort should be made to promote the development of Hindi. In developing Hindi as the link language, due care should be taken to ensure that it will serve, as provided for in Article 351 of the Constitution, as a medium of expression for all

the elements of the composite culture of India. The establishment, in non-Hindi States, of colleges and other institutions of higher education which use Hindi, as the medium of education should be encouraged. Sanskrit- Considering the special importance of Sanskrit to the growth and development of Indian languages and its unique contribution to the cultural unity of the country, facilities for its teaching at the school and university stages should be offered on a more liberal scale. Development of new methods of teaching the language should be encouraged, and the possibility explored of including the study of Sanskrit in those courses (such as modern Indian languages, ancient Indian history, Indology and Indian philosophy) at the first and second degree stages, where such knowledge is useful

International Languages : Special emphasis needs to be laid on the study of English and other international languages. Equalisation of Educational Opportunities

Regional imbalances in the provision of educational facilities should be corrected and good educational facilities should be provided in rural and other backward areas. To promote social cohesion and national integration in the common school system as recommended by the Education Commission should be adopted. Effort should be made to improve the standard of education in general schools. All special schools like Public schools should be required to admit students on the basis of merit and also to provide free studentships to prevent segregation of social classes. The education of girls should receive emphasis, not only on grounds of social justice but also because it accelerates social transformation. More intensive efforts are needed to develop education among the backward classes and especially among the tribal people. Educational facilities for the physically and mentally handicapped children should be expanded and attempts should be made to develop integrated programmes enabling the handicapped children to study in regular schools. Identification of Talent For the cultivation of excellence, it is necessary that talent in diverse fields should be identified at as early and is as possible, and every stimulus and opportunity given for its full development.

Work - experience and national Service The school and the community should be brought closer through suitable programmes of mutual service and support. Work experience and national service including participation in meaningful and challenging programmes of community service and national reconstruction should accordingly become an integral part of education. Science Education and Research With a view to accelerating growth of the national economy, science education and research should receive high priority. Science and mathematics should be an integral part of general education till the end of the school stage. Education for Agriculture and Industry

Special emphasis should be placed on the development of education for agriculture and industry. There should be at least one agricultural university in every state. These should be single campus Universities and they may have constituent college on different campuses. Other Universities may also be assisted to develop strong departments for the study of one or more aspects of agriculture. In technical education, practical training in industry should form an integral part of such education. Technical education and research should be related closely to industry. There should be provision for continuous cooperation between the two. Production of Books -

The quality of books should be improved by attracting the best writing talent. Immediate steps should be taken for the production of high quality text books for schools and universities. Frequent changes of textbooks should be avoided and their prices should be low enough for all to buy them. The possibility of establishing autonomous books corporations on commercial lines should be examined and efforts should be made to have a few basic text books common throughout the country. Special attention should be given to books for children and to university level books in regional languages. Examinations A major goal of examination reforms should be to improve the reliability and validity of examinations and to make evaluation a continuous process, it should aim at helping the student to improve his level of achievement rather than at certifying the quality of his performance at a given moment of time.

Secondary Education Educational opportunity at the secondary (and higher) level is a major instrument of social change and transformation. Facilities for secondary education should accordingly be extended to areas and classes which have been denied these in the past. There is need to increase facilities for technical and vocational education at this stage. Provision of facilities for secondary and vocational education should conform broadly to requirements of the developing economy and real employment opportunities. Facilities for technical and vocational education should be suitably diversified to cover a large number of fields, such as agriculture, industry, trade and commerce, medicine and public health, home management, arts and crafts, secretarial training, etc. University Education

The number of whole - time students to be admitted to a college or university department should be determined with reference to the laboratory, library and other facilities and the strength of the staff. Considerable care is needed in establishing new universities. They should be started only after an adequate provision of funds and due care should be taken to ensure proper standards. Special attention should be given to the organization of post-graduate courses and to the improvement of standards of training and research at this level. Centres of advanced study should be strengthened and a small number of Clusters of centres aiming at the highest possible standard in research and training should be established. There is need to give increased support to research in the Universities. The institutions for research should as far as possible, function within the fold of universities or in intimate association with them. Part - time Education and Correspondence Courses Part - time education and correspondence courses should be developed on a large scale at the university stage. Such facilities should also be developed for secondary school students, for teachers and for agricultural, industrial and other workers. Education through part - time and correspondence courses should be given the same status as full - time education. Such facilities will provide opportunities to the large number of people who have the desire to educate themselves.

Spread of Literacy and Adult Education The liquidation of mass illiteracy is necessary not only for promoting participation in the working of democratic institutions and for accelerating programmes of production, especially in agriculture, but for quickening the tempo of national development in general. Employees in large commercial, industrial and other concerns should be made functionally literate as early as possible. A lead in this direction should come from the industrial undertakings in the public sector. Teachers and students should be actively involved in organising literacy campaigns. Games and Sports Games and sports should be developed on a large scale with the objective of improving the physical fitness and sportsmanship of the average student as well as of those who excel in this department. Education of Minorities Every effort should be made not only to protect the rights of minorities but to promote their educational interests as suggested in the statement issued by the Conference of the Chief Ministers of states and Central Ministers held in August 1961.

National Policy on Education- 1986

The National Policy of Education of 1986 is the result of the reviews which was discussed and adopted during the budget session of1985 when Rajiv Gandhi was the prime minister of India. Again, a committee was set up under the chairmanship of Acharaya Rammurti in May 1990 to review National Policy of Education (NPE) and to make recommendations for its modifications. The Central Advisory Board of Education, a committee set up in July 1991 under the chairmanship of Shri N. Janadhana Reddy, Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh; considered some modifications in NPE taking into considerations the report of the Rammurti Committee and other relevant development having a bearing on the policy. This Committee submitted its report in January 1992, which is known as National Programme of Action of 1992. This policy aimed to promote national progress, a sense of common citizenship and culture, and to strengthen national integration. It laid stress on the need for a radical reconstruction of the education system, to improve its quality at all stages, and therefore gave much greater attention to science and technology, the cultivation of moral values and a closer relation between education and the life of the people.

The main objective of the National Policy of Education of 1986 and Programme of

Action, 1992 was to establish a national system of education implies that all students irrespective of caste; creed, sex, and religion have access to education of a comparable quality. Actually, the objectives of this policy had been divided into the several aspects. In relation to Elementary Education, followings are the major objectives of National Policy of Education 1986 are mainly:

Universal access and enrolment Universal retention of children up to 14 years of age and A sustainable improvement in the quality education to enable all children to achieve essential levels of learning. Regarding Secondary Education, National Policy of Education stressed on the improvement of the quality of secondary education. Effort to be made to provide computer literacy in as many secondary level institutions to make the students equipped with necessary computer skills. Regarding higher education, National Policy of Education and Programme of Action of 1986 and 1992 emphasized that higher education should provide to the people with an opportunity to reflect on the critical social, economic, cultural, moral and spiritual issues. Thus, the basic objectives of the National Policy of Education of 1986 and Programme of Action of 1992 emphasized that education must play a positive and interventionist role in correcting social and regional imbalance, empowering women, and in securing rightful place for the disadvantaged and the minorities. Government should take a strong determination and commitment to provide education for all, the priority areas being free and compulsory education, covering children with special needs, eradication of illiteracy, education for womens equality and special focus on the education of S.C. s (Scheduled caste) and S.T. s(Scheduled tribes) and Minorities. The educational policy as highlighted in the N.P.E. also emphasized on enhancing and promoting the vocationalisation of education, adult education, education for the mentally and physically challenged persons, non-formal education, open universities and distance learning, rural university, early childhood care and education. Delinking degrees from job was also one of the basic objectives of National Policy of Education of 1986.

Review committees
The implementation of the National policy on education 1986 was evaluated by two committees, namely the Ramamurti committee (1990) and the Janardhana Reddy committee (1992) . As a result of the recommendations of these two committees, slight modifications were made in the NPE in 1992. 1. Ramamurti Review Committee (1990) Acharya Ramamurti was the chairman of the committee. The committee

was appointed on May 7,1990 and the report was tabled on January 9,1991.The following are the major recommendations: 1. Development of a common school system 2. Removing disparities in education 3. Promotion of women education 4. Value education 5. Early childhood care and education (ECCE) 6. Right to education 7. Operation blackboard 8. Navodaya vidyalayas 9. Work experience/SUPW 10. Resources for education 2.Janardhana Reddy Committee (1992) This committee was appointed under the chairmanship of Sri. Janardhana Reddy on 31st July 1991 to review the implementation of the various parameters of NPE taking into consideration the report of the Ramamurti Review committee. The following are the major recommendations of the committee: 1. Common school system 2. Navodaya vidyalayas 3. ECCE 4. Universalisation of elementary education 5. Adult and continuing education 6. Secondary education 7. Vocationalisation of education 8. Management of education 9. Resources for education Considering the reports of the two Review committees,NPE,1986 was revised in 1992 with an addition of two paras and modification of 31 paras.