News Spotlight

New Delhi, 17 May 2017

No More Easy Going For Students

New Delhi, 16 April (INFA): Students better be prepared as the no-detention policy in schools will soon be done away with. However, those in the fifth and eight classes may get one more opportunity to clear their exams. The decision is soon to be taken by the Cabinet, following which the Right to Education (RTE) amendment bill will be brought in the next session of Parliament.

This change in the RTE Act, which has been in the offing, was spelt out by Union HRD Minister Prakash Javedkar today while enumerating the strides his Ministry had taken these past three years to achieve its mission of “Sabki Shiksha, Achi Siksha” (Education for all, Good education). Apparently, barring four States, including Telangana and Tamil Nadu, the rest were in favour of doing away with the no-detention policy, wherein since 2010 students were promoted till the eighth class notwithstanding whether they had passed their examination.  Javedkar noted that the Ministry had taken into consideration the negative impact it was having on the kids’ education. At the same time, States would have the discretion to hold re-examination for the two classes for the failed students.

Further, Javedkar said that the Ministry has held discussions with CBSE and all State Boards and asked them to curtail ‘mark inflation’ i.e. students passing with 90 per cent and above marks, as seen the past few years. The proposal has found favour and the results should now be more realistic. The Minister also stated that everyone is on board that Class X Board exams will be held again and thus are now to be made mandatory.

Javedkar went in to great details of how the education system was panned out in the country with Kendriya Vidyalas, Navodaya Vidyalayas, State government run schools, setting up higher education institutes et al. Of importance was the aim to create 20 World Class Universities—10 each in private and public sector. The guidelines for these were being finalised and the period in hand to achieve the goal was a decade. Javedkar, however, was firm that world class status would not be in-house or patting one’s own back. The Universities would compete with the rest of the world with the selection process to be made in ‘challenge mode.’

Other than students, the HRD Ministry is concentrating on the calibre of the teachers too. “We don’t want a situation that students in class 8 are even unable to clear say a maths test of class three,” which obviously was a reflection on the standard of teaching. Worse, there were many ‘fly by night’ institutions and the Ministry6 has decided that no new B.Ed college would be opened in 2018. Javedkar said that the ones existing will have to give affidavits about their colleges. Those who fail to do so will be given show-cause notices. At the same time, practical sessions will be conducted in Government schools.

The Ministry is paying special attention for girls’ education in the backdrop of the ‘Beti bachao, Beti padhao’ abhiyan and will have more Kasturba Gandhi balika Vidyalayas – upper primary residential schools. These would cater to SC, ST, OBC and other minority disadvantaged sections of society. It proposes to add 94 such new vidyalayas to the 3703 already existing.

Javedkar was particularly happy about the Ministry having embarked on a unique initiative to fund research projects in 10 domains with most social relevance, under IMPRINT (Impact Research Innovation & Technology). 258 projects have been sanctioned at a cost of Rs 595 crores and this is expected to boost research in the country.

Besides, the Ministry has embarked on GIAN (Global Initiativer of Academic Networks), wherein in a first, Javedkar said a new initiative has been to invite foreign faculty for courses in India. He claimed that 640 courses were conducted by renowned professors from 58 countries in 2016-17. It is expected that next year should see 800 faculty members visiting the country. For existing universities,  students should be happy with the news that 38 Central universities will by this July be Wi-fi enabled, but for a price and not free. 

Given financial crunch of universities, the Ministry proposes to raise Rs 20,000 crore through market leveraging budgetary support of Rs 1000 crore through HEFA (Higher Education Financing Agency). The scheme is in place and its success would be gauged soon. Another initiative which has Javedkar’s special attention is the Government providing interest subsidy on educational loans of EWS students, whose parental income is less than Rs 4 lakhs.

Indeed, the Ministry has embarked on new plans and projects, but the real test would be whether it meets its target of ‘good education for all’---INFA

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