EDUCATION FUNDS FOR MUSLIM DOMINATED AREAS

New Delhi, 29 August 2006

NEW DELHI, August 30 (INFA): As many as 99 districts with more than 20 per cent Muslim population, based on 1981 census data, have been identified under the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, as minority concentration districts.  Twenty of these are in Uttar Pradesh, 15 in Bihar, 11 in West Bengal, 7 in Kerala, 6 each in Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka, 5 each in Rajasthan and Gujarat, 4 each in Assam and Maharashtra, 3 each in Madhya Pradesh and Jharkhand, 2 in Tamil Nadu and 1 each in Andaman & Nicobar Icelands, Delhi, Lakshadweep, Pondicherry, Uttaranchal and Haryana.

About 25 per cent of the total outlay under the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan for the year 2006-07, has been provided for these minority-concentration districts.

The Centrally-sponsored Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) envisages funding pattern between Central and State Governments/Union Territories. It was 85:15 during the Ninth Plan period, 75:25 during the Tenth Plan and 50:50 thereafter with a view to commit the states/UTs towards universalisation of elementary education.

Meanwhile, the Central Advisory Board of Education (CABE) Committee on Girls Education and the Common School System has made several recommendations for girls education.  They include: All schools should have female teachers and female attendants and child care centres; greater effort in gender sensitization especially among boys and male teachers should be made; targets should not be spelt only in terms of enrolment and retention but also in terms of relative achievement and performance; courses of study for girls must be same as for boys at all levels; and part time schooling for girls should be replaced by 50 per cent reservation for girls at the entry points of regular schools.

Implementation of the recommendations is an on-going process.  Since school education is primarily within the purview of the State Governments, the report of the CABE Committee on Girls Education and the Common School System has been sent to the State Governments for necessary action. ---INFA

NATIONAL MISSION ON BIO-FUEL

NEW DELHI, August 30 (INFA): The Union Government has accepted the recommendation of an expert committee on “Development of Bio-fuel” for the setting up of National Mission for the purpose.  The Committee was set up by the Planning Commission.

The proposed National Mission is to be implemented in two phases i.e. Phase I as Demonstration Project and Phase II as a self-sustaining expansion of Bio-diesel Programme. For launching of the Demonstration Project of the National Mission on Bio-diesel, the Ministry of Rural Development has been identified as the Nodal Ministry.

Under the demonstration phase, promotion of Jatropha curcas cultivation in forest and non-forest areas (2.00 lakh ha non-forest lands and 2.00 lakh ha forest land), especially in wastelands is proposed to be carried out over a period of five years.

The Planning Commission has accorded in principle approval for the Demonstration phase. Planning Commission has also approved the utilization of Rs.50 crore available in the budget of 2005-06.

The Departmental Expenditure Finance Committee (EFC) has approved for utilization of Rs.40 crore for jatropha Nursery Programme. Accordingly, Rs.49.00 crore has been released to nine States, namely Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu and Rajasthan for raising jatropha seedlings in the Nurseries.---INFA