Title: STRATEGY AND PROPOSAL FOR ENHANCING GROSS ENROLLMENT RATIO (GER) IN DIST. BHARATPUR OF RAJASTHAN

1. Title: STRATEGY AND PROPOSAL FOR ENHANCING GROSS ENROLLMENT RATIO (GER) IN DIST. BHARATPUR OF RAJASTHAN Submitted by USHA CHANDAR Research Officer, SOJNMS, IGNOU

2. Strategy & Proposal for enhancing GER in District Bharatpur of Rajasthan Background: • Humanity entry into ‘knowledge era’, India has to gain its rightful place • National leaders have devised strategy taking into account demographics, history, global social, political & economic scenario • 550 million youth below age 25 calls for HRD strategy to reap ‘demographic dividend’

3. Strategy & Proposal for enhancing GER in District Bharatpur of Rajasthan Background: ctd… • The National Knowledge Commission (NKC) has envisioned long-term focus on speedy implementation and identified five key areas-ACCESS, CONCEPTS, CREATION, APPLICATIONS & SERVICES as mandate • Subjects like Right to Education, Libraries, National Knowledge Network, Portals, Vocational Education and Training, Higher Education, more Students in Maths and Science, Professional Education, more Quality Ph.Ds, Open and Distance Education, Open Education Resources, are covered in it also falling under IGNOU’s mandate.

4. Strategy & Proposal for enhancing GER in District Bharatpur of Rajasthan Background: ctd… • 11th Five Year Plan of National Development Council places high priority on education as a central instrument for achieving rapid & inclusive growth with specific emphasis on expansion, excellence & equity • Allocation of ~ Rs.3 trillion (a 4-fold increase over X Plan; from 7.7 to 20 % in total Plan; ~ 6% of GDP) reflects commitment of the Union Govt. • Primary focus on Education & Skills Development

5. Strategy & Proposal for enhancing GER in District Bharatpur of Rajasthan

6. Strategy & Proposal for enhancing GER in District Bharatpur of Rajasthan Bharatpur District Profile • It is considered as the Eastern Gateway to Rajasthan. • It is popular for its bird sanctuary-Keoladeo Ghana National Park – famous in Asia for rich avian variety. Annual visit of rare Siberian cranes is a great tourist attraction • Remnants of royal historic past is the marvellous Bharatpur Palace housing a rich repository of a large number of ancient exhibit dating back to early 15th century.

7. Strategy & Proposal for enhancing GER in District Bharatpur of Rajasthan Bharatpur District Profile ctd… Road Connectivity • Bharatpur is accessible by road from Agra (55 km. or 34 miles) and Jaipur ( 185 km. or 115miles). It is 1,207 km. (750  miles) from Mumbai on the broad-gauge line of the Western Railway. • All important places of Bharatpur are connected by roads. In the district, total length of roads is 1994.4 km. In the district 317 village panchayat and 911 villages are connected by roads and 60 village panchayat , 828 villages are to be connected.

8. Strategy & Proposal for enhancing GER in District Bharatpur of Rajasthan Bharatpur District Profile ctd…

9. Strategy & Proposal for enhancing GER in District Bharatpur of Rajasthan • Bharatpur District Profile ctd… Geographical Position • Bharatpur is situated  between 26° 22' to 27° 83'  North Latitude & 76° 53'   to 78° 17' East Longitude. • It is situated 100 meters above the sea  level. • It  is 184 km. away from Delhi in South-East. • The Northern Border touches dist. Gurgaon of Haryana, Eastern Border touches dist. Mathura, Southern Border touches dist. Agra of Uttar Pradesh & dist. Dholpur  of Rajasthan.   It touches dist. Dausa in south-west & dist. Alwar in the North-West. Temperature Year Maximum Minimum Average 1999 46.00 4.30 25.15

10. Strategy & Proposal for enhancing GER in District Bharatpur of Rajasthan • Bharatpur District Profile ctd… Average Rainfall (in c.m.) Year Normal Rain Actual Rainfall Difference 1999 67.50 62.30 (-) 05.20 2000 67.50 38.60 (-)28.40 Dams & Rivers There are three main Seasonal Rivers in the Dist., i.e., BanGanga, Rooparel and Gambhir. Ban Ganga starts from Ramgarh Dam  of Jaipur passes from Bharatpur to meets in River Gambhir  near tehsil Bayana. Gambhir River starts from Pachana Dam of Karoli dist., passing from Bharatpur meets River Yamuna in UP. Rooparel River starts from hills of dist. Alwar enters Bharatpur from tehsil Kaman. The water of a Dam Bandh Baaretha built near vill. Baaretha on river Kakund which starts from the hills of  dist. Karoli is used for drinking and irrigation purpose in the district. The capacity of this dam is 684.00 million cusses (29 Gaze).

11. Strategy & Proposal for enhancing GER in District Bharatpur of Rajasthan • Bharatpur District Profile ctd…  Population Number of women per thousand men is                          857 Approximate Increase in population in the decade (1991-2001) is      27.05%

12. Strategy & Proposal for enhancing GER in District Bharatpur of Rajasthan • Bharatpur District Profile ctd… Panchayat Samitiwise Population of District Bharatpur

13. Strategy & Proposal for enhancing GER in District Bharatpur of Rajasthan • Bharatpur District Profile ctd… Economy Industries Bharatpur has been divided into five industrial areas 1. Old Industrial Area Bharatpur 2. Brij Industrial Area Bharatpur 3. Industrial Area Bayana 4. Industrial Area Deeg 5. Industrial Area Jurhera Oil Industries Bharatpur district is known for agriculture production and oil industries. Mustard seeds and other agriculture products come to the market through mandies established by Krishi Upaj Mandi Samiti located at Bharatpur, Nadbai, Weir, Deeg, Kaman, Bayana, Roopwas and Bhusawar. In year 1999-2000 four new oil industrial units were set up with a total investment  of Rs.570.84 lakhs and 83 persons got the employment. One unit was set up at Bayana with a investment Rs. 46.32 lakhs and 11 person got the job. In terms of major oil industrial units Bharatpur has 50 units, Nadbai has 7, Deeg 2, Kumher, Jurhera and Bayana has one each. Rs. 1233.92 lakhs were invested in all these units. The total manpower of these units are 1600.

14. Strategy & Proposal for enhancing GER in District Bharatpur of Rajasthan • Bharatpur District Profile ctd… Registered Industries (Year 2000) • In Bharatpur district 126 factories were registered under factory act.

15. Strategy & Proposal for enhancing GER in District Bharatpur of Rajasthan • Bharatpur District Profile ctd…

16. Strategy & Proposal for enhancing GER in District Bharatpur of Rajasthan • Bharatpur District Profile ctd… Minerals • Main minerals of the district are Silica Sand, Sand , Stone etc.

17. Strategy & Proposal for enhancing GER in District Bharatpur of Rajasthan • Bharatpur District Profile ctd… Education Educational Institutes in Rajasthan are divided into five parts- Primary ( upto V std ), Upper Primary   (upto VIII std ), Secondary (upto X std.), Sr. Secondary (upto XII std.) & College Education ( > XII std). Professional & Special Education also exists. Number of Education Institutes in Bharatpur are:

18. Strategy & Proposal for enhancing GER in District Bharatpur of Rajasthan • Bharatpur District Profile ctd… Literacy Ratio

19. Strategy & Proposal for enhancing GER in District Bharatpur of Rajasthan Objectives: • The overall broad objective of the IGNOU Task Force is to devise macro strategies and action plans in order to significantly enhance the scope for enrollment into the system (upto 5% of the national wide GER) into the tertiary education sector which is aimed at 15% by 2015. • The immediate specific objective of the Proposer is to devise micro strategies and action plans in order to significantly improve the enrollment of students in the relevant age cohort of 17-24 in the District Bharatpur of Rajasthan in a time bound manner.

20. Strategy & Proposal for enhancing GER in District Bharatpur of Rajasthan Proposed Methodology & Approach: • Based on experience in Communication Research Development Communication and Rural Development, I propose to adopt a Communication based ‘Action Research’ model for the proposed targeted community intervention project. • Participatory exercise conducted in consultation with various categories of stakeholders ranging from prospective students (from local high/ higher secondary schools), peer groups (existing IGNOU students in the area), local educational and training institutions (high/ higher secondary schools, ITI/ Polytechnic institutes, conventional colleges (Govt., Private, aided, etc.), teachers at these institutions, officials of the Education Dept. including the District Education Officer (DEO)/ Block Education Officers (BEOs), District (DC)/ Block Administration (BDOs), etc. Panchayati Raj Institution (PRI) functionaries, elected representatives at village/ block/ district/ state levels, opinion leaders, village/ community elders, religious/ spiritual leaders, parents, local NGOs, etc.

21. Strategy & Proposal for enhancing GER in District Bharatpur of Rajasthan Rationale/ Limitations: • Related to implementation, we find that there is already a great deal of enthusiasm and emphasis on education as a means of achieving personal growth and development. • The growing aspirations of children and parents across the cross-section of society are reflected in an increasing demand for education, which has far exceeded the supply. • There is still resistance at various levels in the government to new ideas, experimentation, process reengineering, external interventions, transparency and accountability, due to rigid organizational structures with territorial mindsets. • Hence, real challenge lies in organizational innovation with new regulatory frameworks, new delivery systems and new processes. In their absence, increasing resources could well result in more of the same things being replicated. • Our country is too large, too complex and too diverse for ‘one size fits all’ solutions. Decentralization and community participation at the local level would be the key to devising effective programs for implementation.

22. Strategy & Proposal for enhancing GER in District Bharatpur of Rajasthan Rationale/ Limitations: ctd. Enhancement of GER through greater enrollment in IGNOU Programmes, in my opinion, will involve the following steps: • Sensitizing and orienting the District Administration and ‘Key’ stakeholder categories and taking them into confidence on the proposed intervention. • Mobilizing the youth under the age group of 17-24 in the chosen communities. • Creating awareness about IGNOU Programmes that are relevant to the target audience. • Motivating them to join IGNOU or any other university in programmes that will not only improve their knowledge and skills but also enable them to find employment opportunities and livelihood options • Facilitating the Student Registration process.

23. Strategy & Proposal for enhancing GER in District Bharatpur of Rajasthan Rationale/ Limitations: ctd. • Dist. Bharatpur is a educationally backward, remote and rural, so there is a need to leverage appropriate Information Communication Technologies [ICT] at various levels in order to achieve the desired objectives in the shortest possible time frame. • There are many proven communication techniques, ‘tools’, and methods for effective mass communication which would be tested, refined and used by the Proposer. • Yet, it is also very critical that once the awareness has been spread and expectations among the target youth population raised, the next step of enrollment in a suitable study programme and actual delivery of the same to the level of student satisfaction be carried out. For this, the communication strategy to be adopted will vary. It should be Inter-personal and to be handled by experienced Academic Counsellors (from RSD) / Student Registration staff (SRED). • For this component of the Intervention, the Proposer will be totally dependent on the support from the TASK FORCE. Enhancement of GER through greater enrollment in IGNOU

24. Strategy & Proposal for enhancing GER in District Bharatpur of Rajasthan Activity / Work Plan: ctd. The following activities are proposed to be undertaken: 1) Drafting the detailed Proposal based on available secondary data (on line and offline) in consultation with the TASK FORCE and seeking necessary approvals. 2) Resource Mapping (Identification of existing/available resources, infrastructure, human, etc. both IGNOU and non IGNOU) through field visit ‘ recce’ , meeting with District Administration and representatives of various stakeholders, gathering primary/ secondary data, 3) Baseline Survey – gathering data at the starting point of the intervention 4) Chalking out and implementing the first phase (short –term strategy based) of a time-bound Field Action Plan. 5) Interim Report 1 submission.

25. Strategy & Proposal for enhancing GER in District Bharatpur of Rajasthan Activity / Work Plan: ctd. 6) Review based on response, observation and feedback 7) Chalking out and implementing the second phase (medium –term strategy based) of a time-bound Field Action Plan. 8) Interim Report 2 submission. 9) Sharing experiences with others and learning from other District experiences 10) Chalking out and implementing the third phase (long –term strategy based) of a time-bound Field Action Plan. 11) Transfer of responsibilities to locally identified and trained personnel/ volunteers, gradual withdrawal, and hand holding to the extent needed and possible. 12) Summative Evaluation and Final Report submission.

26. Strategy & Proposal for enhancing GER in District Bharatpur of Rajasthan Role that ICTs can play: From my experience, I am of the opinion that the following ICT shall be effective at various levels to create the right environment for the intervention: • Print-based brochures/ fliers/ postersetc. in Hindi/ English in bulk quantity on select IGNOU Programmes appropriate for local youth in the relevant age cohort ( for mass distribution & pasting on local Notice Boards at various popular venues) • Print based Programme Guides in Hindi/ English in limited quantity on select IGNOU Programmes appropriate for local youth in the relevant age cohort ( for students registering in them) • Audio CDS/Cassettes with motivational / promotional ‘jingles’, brief details of Schools and IGNOU Programmes on offer which can be relevant locally (for narrowcast) • Video CDS/Cassettes with motivational /promotional films, promos/ ‘fillers’ containing brief details of various IGNOU Schools and Programmes on offer which can be relevant locally (for narrowcast through local cable TV network)

27. Strategy & Proposal for enhancing GER in District Bharatpur of Rajasthan Role that ICTs can play:ctd. • SMS message alerts on the awareness campaign etc. through mobile phone service providers • Incorporating folk media, street theatre ‘nukkad natak’, puppetry etc. involving popular local/regional artists, NGOs, youth cubs, mahila mandals, etc. for community mobilization. • Computer and Internet based support will be needed for the Facilitators (IGNOU and non IGNOU) to reach out admission forms, programme guides, details and data sharing of multiple kinds. • Information Kiosks to provide information orally, answer queries and gather feedback

28. Strategy & Proposal for enhancing GER in District Bharatpur of Rajasthan Potential for Enrollment: • In the District Bharatpur*, out of the total 6435 Higher Secondary Teachers listed were as follows: 1094 females & 5341 males. • Enrollment in 2008-09 in Classes 11& 12 were as follows: 25333 boys, 10227 girls (total 35554) • Enrollment in 2008-09 in Classes 9 & 10 were as follows: 45956 boys, 22743 girls (total 68699) • Enrollment in 2008-09 in Classes 6 -8 were as follows: 36518 boys, 23259 girls (total 59777) * As per State Report dt. 30.09.2008.

29. Strategy & Proposal for enhancing GER in District Bharatpur of Rajasthan Proposed Outcomes: • short term goal • At least 5-10% of the Teacher population will be targeted to elicit support. • At least 20% of the Student population (under 2.) will be targeted for direct enrollment in IGNOU; others motivated to join other institutions. • At least 10% of the Student population (under 3.& 4.) will be targeted for motivation to enrollment in IGNOU in future.

30. Strategy & Proposal for enhancing GER in District Bharatpur of Rajasthan Proposed Outcomes: ctd. • medium term goal • At least 20% of the Teacher population will be targeted to elicit support. • At least 30% of the Student population (under 2.) will be targeted for direct enrollment in IGNOU • At least 25% of the Student population (under 3.& 4.) will be targeted for motivation to enrollment in IGNOU in future.

31. Strategy & Proposal for enhancing GER in District Bharatpur of Rajasthan Proposed Outcomes: ctd. • long term goal • At least 30% of the Teacher population will be targeted to elicit support. • At least 50% of the Student population (under 2.) will be targeted for direct enrollment in IGNOU • At least 50% of the Student population (under 3.& 4.) will be targeted for motivation to enrollment in IGNOU in future. Besides, there shall be many intangible outcomes in the form of social and community goodwill created which will yield long term dividend to the communities. The Researcher and her team will learn a lot from this grass-root level experience.

32. Thank You