NATIONAL CONFERENCE ON REVISIT INDIAN EDUCATION VISION-2020 Sushma Berlia President, EPSI

1. NATIONAL CONFERENCE ON REVISIT INDIAN EDUCATION VISION-2020 Sushma Berlia President, EPSI

2. Excellence in Education • Education signifies life-making, man-making and character- building assimilation of ideas (Vivekananda) • Education, which fosters capabilities such as spirit of enquiry, creativity, entrepreneurial and moral leadership central to nation-building in a democracy(Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam) • Education to provide the skills for learning to know, learning to live together, learning to do and learning to be(UNESCO)

3. For a Knowledge Based Society Education, is perceived to aspire to the following parameters. • Quantity: Education for the masses • Quality: To meet the aspirations & perceptions in terms of content, delivery, outcome and relevance • Flexibility: To meet the challenges of obsolescence and change

4. Issues • Access & Equity No Talented and deserving person be denied access to Education. An elaborate and well designed support scheme for the needy to make education accessible to all would go a long way in meeting • The principal of equity • In providing skilled manpower needs of our country in an optimum manner • Which would give thrust towards the socio-economic development of our country in the shortest possible frame

5. Quality Assurance • For Quality assurance creation of multiple Independent Accreditation Agencies • Autonomy with self – regulation is important for quality assurance Relevance • The type of education imparted should make the student employable • Flexibility in programmes & courses • Multiple entry and exit system, provision for lateral entry • Industry participation in disigning of curriculum, teaching-learning process and research & development

6. Education in India Indian education system largest in Common wealth countries and 2nd largest in the world next to USA. • Tremendous Growth since Independence • But still • The gross enrolment ratio • Classes (I-V) (6-11 years) 98.31 % • Classes (VI-VIII) (11-14 years) 62.49 % • Classes (I-VIII) (6-14 years) 84.91 % • Classes (IX-XII) (14-18 years) 38.88 % • The drop out rate • Classes (I-V) (6-11 years) 31.36 % • Classes (I-VIII) (1-14 years) 52.22 % • Classes (I-X) (1-16 years) 62.68 % • These high drop out rates from both primary and secondary school, combined with low enrolment rates at the higher levels deprive tens of millions of children of their full rights as citizens. Source: Abstract of Selected Educational statistics 2003-04, MHRD, Govt. of India

7. Out of approximately 211 million children in the age group 6-14 years on nearly 84.91 % are enrolled in schools. • Net primary school enrolment/attendance only 77% (UNICEF-India-Statistics (2004) • Less than 7 per cent of the children ever pass the 10th standard public examination. (Report of the Committee on India Vision 2020, Planning Commission, 2002) • Only 53 per cent of all habitations have a primary school • On an average, an upper primary school is 3 km away in 22 percent of habitations • More than 50 percent of the girls in the country do not enroll in schools Contd….

8. When working outside the family, children put in an average of 21 hours of labour per week, at the cost of education • 60 million children are thought to be child labourers • More than 35 million children in the 6-14 age group are out of school • Only 45.8 percent girls complete education in rural areas as compared to 66.3 percent boys. In urban areas, 66.3 percent girls complete education as opposed to 80.3 percent boys • Of the seven lakh rural schools, only one in six have toilets • 35% of our population are still illiterate (The statistical data has been compiled from figures provided by CRY, NGO Global March Against Child Labour, and UNICEF)

9. Access to Higher Education • Only 6-7% of eligible population aged 18-23 years enters the higher education stream in India, whereas in • USA : 89 % • Australia: 80 % • France: 50 % • UK: 43 % • China : 10.5% • Hong Kong: 18 % • Singapore: 21 % In developing countries like • Indonasia: 11% • Thiland: 19% • Brazil : 12% Very large number of our youth in the relevant age group do not have let alone access to quality higher education. Contd…

10. Educated Unemployed • Unemployed in Rural Areas: 57% • Unemployed in Urban Areas: 65% • Source: ( Employment & Unemployment situatin in India, Jan-June 2004, NSS, Govt. of India, 2005) • - 300 millions unemployed of the total employable age • - Only 45 millions have actually registered with employment exchange • - Of all new employment generated • Govt. – 1% • Orgnised Sector – 2% • Unorganised Sector – 97% • Source:www.wakeupcall.org (i Watch) • - The unemployment rate of India's graduates are still 17.2% than the overall unemployment rate of 10.1%. (2.5 million graduate every year) (Times of India, 22nd June 2005)

11. UNDP Indicators for Development A survey of about 200 countries (UNDP) in 2005 showed that development of any country depends : • 20 percent on its Natural resources, • 16 percent on its Infrastructure, and • 64 percent on its human resources and social factors

12. Social development of any country presupposes that education should provide trained, qualified manpower in all the sector. • Education thus is the basic ingredient for having healthy and skilled manpower for industrial development • Hence our vision of India-2020 has to be on the belief that human resources are the most important determinant of overall development. • Are we equipped for meeting these requirements and challenges?

13. Availability of Resources • The State Government has already been spending 20-30 percent of its revenue budget on education. • Central government will have to assist the state government in achieving the goal of Primary and Secondary education. • Current spending on education in India is even less then 4 % of GDP. Even with 6% of spending which the Centre concedes there will not be a modest improvement in the status of Higher Education • Further such resources would be largely used for ensuring equity i.e. - Its priority in elementary and secondary education, and - For providing Access and Equity to poorer section of the society Therefore there is a need to evolve policy through which Private/non- governmental resources is mobilized. Hence Encourage Private Participation in all sectors of education especially Higher & Technical education.

14. Rural Integration through Education • Effective utilization of technology in education • Issues of educational quality, equity, and access among small, rural schools and communities in achieving the strategic goals of • improving learner outcomes and improving the education profession, • Involving of local teachers, • improving the adequacy and continuity of public resources, • mobilizing community support for children and schools, and • emphasizing the transition from school to livelihood, i.e. Vocational education and training

15. Society-Industry-Academia Relationship: Creating Future Human Capital • Need for higher level of involvement of the industry since ( formulation of relevance and employable curricula) • Industry Associations to encourage and promote industry to mark their projects, after testing quality aspects, to the academia which can deliver quality at low cost. • Develop a data-base of facilities available in the university/ Institutions of higher learning, industry and R&D institutions. • Involvement of industry in the curriculum development and also implementation of the curriculum. • Faculty exchange and participation in industry and vice-versa in university and specialised institutions.

16. Participation of executives who have Ph.D., involve them in research and development both in industry as well as universities. • The industry should utilize the human resource and infrastructure available in the universities for problem solving, testing, certification etc. • Conducting advanced programmes in technical, management and other need-based areas, tackling contemporary issues of mutually beneficial nature. • Setting up a business development cell on partnership. • Promote entrepreneurship in education system.

17. Establishment of Autonomous Educational Hubs (Center of Excellence) in Various States • Domestic and Foreign universities/institutions to set up its own educational setup, both independently and /or in collaboration • With due care to their respective academic strengths, all State universities and other autonomous professional institutions shall take the lead in setting up their campuses • Competitive environment and overall improvement to take place in the quality of Higher Education • An innovative step without any fund from Govt. hence left to the Pvt. Sector to ensure that no possible resource gaps hinders its future growth

18. A suitable institutional set-up that offers checks and allows guided institutional extensions and growth□ Total Operational, Academic and Financial Autonomy Common students support service, will reduce investment of individual institution in creating extra infrastructure (i.e common Hostel, playground, central Library, Computer lab, common facilities)Institutions not bound by condition of getting affiliated to a state univ. (not bound by territorial jurisdiction norm, free to seek affiliation anywhere in the country)

19. Suggestions and Recommendations • Review of National Education Policy, 1986 which is not in tune and has diluted relevance in conjunction with the current economic and knowledge development scenario in the country also in perspective of global developments such as WTO agreement • Review of Role and responsibilities of statutory agencies and their inability to establish relevance with the industry and to address the quality issues pertaining to higher education • Need for higher level of two way communication between the academia and the government in investing in holistic development of relevant Education • Creation of a conducive and favourable climate/environment, which facilitates and encourages private investment and speedy establishment of Institutions and programmes

20. By establishing private universities, the state will be in a position to provide good quality education with least or no financial assistance from the government • In the government funded universities, the state can promote more self financed courses, and encourage industry-based consultancy and research so that the government funded universities become self sufficient over a period of time • Integration of Higher Education Institutions, by integrating institutions imparting different discipline i.e Technical, Medical, Arts, Humanities etc into one rather than separately • Student Welfare - Establish Education Development Bank to give soft loans instead of charging low fee from universities and institutions on pre-defined criteria such as, on an understanding that once the students start paying Income Tax or they leave the country, these loans will become payable

21. Admission and Reservation • Uniformity in overall reservation policy implementation across states within the overall percentage decided, the categories and the percentage within may be decided by the states • The institute should have the right to directly admit the students in the general category as well as separately in the reserved category. • The criteria of admission should be fully transparent and strictly based on merit. (some degree of merit within the reserved category also) • (10% leverage in the merit for the reserved category). There merit may be 10% low then the lowest merit of the student admitted from the general category. But it should be mandatory for those students to qualify the minimum passing marks.

22. The policy of reservation should be one time and no further reservation to that category any more • Allow institutions to increase the intake to accommodate more disadvantaged students and also to fill vacant seats in the reservation category • If sufficient students are not available in the reserved category within the cut off date for admission , the institution should be allowed to fill those seats from other category based on merit and accordingly intimate the concerned authority/regulatory body.

23. Foreign Participation • A clear policy frame work for the foreign universities coming to India for investment to open campus, for offering degree or diploma programme, for establishing of fee for the programme etc • The programmes offered in India should be accredited in their parent country • Uniform guidelines for domestic and foreign educational institutions

24. Promotion of Socially Relevant Education Programme • Vocational streams have to be developed and expanded to equip larger numbers of high school students with occupation-related knowledge and skills • The private sector, which promoted the rapid proliferation of computer training institutes throughout the country, should be encouraged to recognise the commercial potential of vocational training in many other fields • Programme to introduce a career & market oriented skill enhancing add-on courses that have utility for job, self- employment and empowerment of the students • Corporate sector adoption/participate in ITI’s

25. Developing the “India Education Report” as policy recommendation towards a long overdue integrated policy Restructuring Regulatory Acts to adopt roles of a facilitator in the domestic and global context Independent Accreditation Agency with the support of the Business Chambers to facilitate Quality enhancement of educational programmes besides alignment with sectoral requirements. Vocational Knowledge Centre to facilitate employment oriented educational programmes. Education Development Bank of India to Co-ordinated financial support to economically backward sections. Financial loans to Education Providers for Infrastructure Development. Establishing Incubators with Industry support and involvement for Research and Development for futuristic products. Regulating financial support to NGOs with accountability. EPSI’s Initiative

26. “Active and transparent involvement and representation of all stake-holders nationwide, and integrated on a global basis” “ If your intensity of desire is combined with the intensity of dedication, the desired goal will itself search you out ” Thank you.