PIB report: “Unspent amount in Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan

Following is from http://pib.nic.in/release/release.asp?relid=33297.

State-wise details of  Central funds released during the years 2004-05, 2005-06, 2006-07 & 2007-08 under Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan(SSA) and unspent balance available with State/UTs as on 31.03.2007 is given at Annexure. Unspent balances remaining out of SSA grants at the end of a financial year are adjusted in grants payable in next financial year.

            ANNEXURE

State-wise Central funds released during the years 2004-05, 2005-06, 2006-07 and 2007-08 upto November 2007 alongwith unspent balances brought forward as on 31.03.2007

(Rupees in lakh)

This information was given by Shri M.M.A Fatmi, Minister of Human Resources Development in the Lok Sabha today in a written reply to a question by Shri Raghuveer Singh Koshal.

November 27th, 2007

PIB report on promotion of education for girls

Following is from http://pib.nic.in/release/release.asp?relid=33296.

A statement showing enrolment of Boys and Girls during 2004-05 at Primary, Upper Primary and Secondary Schools level as per Selected Educational Statistics 2004-05 is given in Annexure-I.

The Government of India has launched two focused interventions – National Programme for Education of Girls at Elementary Education (NPEGEL) to reach out to never enrolled/dropout girls, working girls, older girls who have not completed elementary education and Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya (KGBV) for girls from marginalized social groups.

Under the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, free textbooks are provided to all girls and SC & ST children. In addition, depending on local requirements, State Governments have innovation funds under the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan and the National Programme for Education of Girls at Elementary Level (NPEGEL) for providing uniforms to girls where necessary. Details of assistance provided to States during each of the last three years under NPEGEL and KGBV are given at Annexure-II.

Annexure-I

Annexure-I referred in reply to part (a) of Lok Sabha Unstarred Qeustion No.1559 to be answered on 27.11.2007 asked by Shri Ravi Prakash Verma. regarding Promotion for Education for Girls.

See http://pib.nic.in/release/release.asp?relid=33296.

Annexure-II referred in reply to part(c) of Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No.1559 to be answered on 27.11.2007 asked by Shri Ravi Prakash Verma regarding Promotion of Education for Girls

No. of KGBVs sanctioned and funds released by Government of India under Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya scheme

See http://pib.nic.in/release/release.asp?relid=33296.

1 comment November 27th, 2007

PIB report on Kasturaba Gandhi Balika Vidayalayas

The following is from http://pib.nic.in/release/release.asp?relid=33292.

The Government of India has sanctioned 2180 Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalayas  in the country till March, 2007. A list of the KGBVs sanctioned, operational and girls enrolled in them is annexed.

            A National Evaluation of the KGBV scheme was conducted through independent experts on girls education in February, 2007 covering 12 States who have found the overall working of the scheme satisfactory. The Report of the National Evaluation is available on website www.ssa.nic.in .

1.

Annexure

Statement showing the number of KGBVs sanctioned, operational and girls enrolled in them State and Union Territory wise as on 31^st October, 2007

This information was given by Shri M.M.A Fatmi, Minister of Human Resources Development in the Lok Sabha today in a written reply to a question by Shri Tukaram Ganpatrao Renge Patil and Shri Suravaram Sudhakar Reddy.

November 27th, 2007

Lots of unfilled positions in Orissa colleges: Samaja

November 27th, 2007

More tidbits on Education and HRD in the 11th plan

Following is an excerpt from a report in Times of India.

The 11th five year Plan document proposes an almost 10-fold increase in outlay for higher and technical education. The planners have set ambitious targets — to attract 15% students passing out of class XII (from the current 10%) into higher education by 2012 and 22% by 2017. The way to do this, they say, is to expand and upgrade on an unprecedented scale.

In the new Plan, there’s more of everything — 30 new central universities are to be set up, seven IITs and IIMs, 10 National Institute of Technology, five research institutes to be called Indian Institute of Science, Education and Research, 20 IIITs, two schools of architecture and 330 colleges in educationally backward districts. All this is in line with the PM’s announcement in his August 15 speech this year.

Infrastructure in existing universities and institutions is also in for major upgradation. Among the big beneficiaries of these special grants will be 17 yet-to-identified central universities which will get Rs 3,298 crore. Besides, 39 engineering institutes will receive a whopping Rs 6,749 crore, again for ramping up infrastructure. A good dose of funds has also been set aside for upgrading agriculture, management and medical institutions.

But this money comes with a plan. …

For instance, the document seeks to raise fees for higher education to up to 20% of operational costs, which is 5% at present. “Higher education is highly subsidized. The document seeks to reduce this subsidy to improve quality of education,” said Bhalchandra Mungekar, member Planning Commission.

Another proposal is to break up large affiliating varsities like Mumbai, Bangalore and Pune into more manageable units. The document says large universities are unsustainable. Osmania University has more than 900 affiliated colleges while Mumbai, Pune and Bangalore varsities have around 500. Some of these institutions conduct over 1,000 examinations annually. “These universities have ceased to be centres of higher education. They are becoming agencies for conducting examinations,” said Mungekar.

Not all experts share this view. Deepak Pental, V-C of Delhi University (which has 83 affiliated colleges), said, “I am not convinced that smaller universities are better managed. Most of the varsities in the country are smaller than DU, are they better managed? Yes, we definitely won’t like to have any more colleges, but proper way of reforms would be to invest in the existing universities and upgrade their infrastructure.”

V N R Pillai, V-C of IGNOU, central open university, endorses this view. “A sizeable amount of new allocations should be earmarked for improving existing facilities of 18,000 colleges and 400 universities. This should be the first priority of reforms,” he said.

Another target of reforms is the examination system. … The paper says annual examinations have become irrelevant for testing knowledge. It suggests replacing this with continuous assessment and evaluation. The document calls for implementing the semester system and continuous evaluation in all central universities from the coming academic year (2008). It also suggests introducing a credit system where students will also be allowed to appear for papers in other streams. UGC chairman, Sukhadeo Thorat said, UGC has set up a committee to devise an action plan for exam reform within one month.

The paper also expands on the growing trend of private universities coming up in the country. It says the government isn’t in a position to ensure growth levels of 15-20% in higher education. Private investment will therefore be encouraged through tax breaks and other incentives. It has also sought private participation in providing services in existing institutions.

November 27th, 2007