an essay on education - analysis of education system in india. what we need to modify?

An Essay on EducationRetooling of Education System in India

Definition:

Education is any act or experience that has formative effect on the mind, character or physical ability of an individual/recipient. In technical sense, Education is the process by which society deliberately transfers its accumulated knowledge, skills & values from one generation to another. Etymologically, the word Education is derived from Latin word “Educere”, which means “to bring out or bring forth what is within”, in other words “to bring out potential”; and Latin word “ducere”, which means “to lead”. Thus Education is about grooming up the mind, character & physical ability of an individual and instilling him/her with knowledge, skills & values to bring forth his/her potential to lead. The process of education is delivered through effective utilization of Verbal, Written & Kinaesthetic skills (now-a-days, technology is also playing an increasingly important role) of the trainer to make effective impact of the senses of the trainee, as a result of which the abilities of individual is enhanced.

Education can be acquired through Formal, Informal or Experiential method. Formal Education is one, which acquired with an accomplished trainer, who guides/leads the process of learning of the recipient. This is normally done by placing suitably organized information & evidence for the recipient, by debating & challenging any apprehensions or doubts, and through suitable demonstrations & controlled experiments. Certificates, Diploma & Degrees are conferred on the individual in the formal education system & are distinguishing feature of this system. Informal Education is acquired through contemplation, observation, curiosity & logical reasoning, experimentation, Real life experiences & Self study. Experiential education is acquired as apprenticeship in a profession or trade under a supervisor, in experience sharing sessions (formal or informal) at work place or trade/industry seminars, by going through manuals, communication & directives that are part & parcel of any work place or industry.

Education is categorized as Primary, Secondary & Tertiary Education. Primary education is the one that is given up to 10-11 years of age under the formal education. Basic Language & Mathematics skills, elementary understanding of Natural Science & an impression of consciousness about the society around the child through knowledge of Social Science is imparted to the child during the Primary Education process. A child’s logical thinking ability, communication skills, Value system, manners & curtsies, Arithmetic skills and ability to discern or critical thinking ability are sought to be nurtured as a result of the process of Primary Education.

Secondary Education process leads to further development of the subjects taught in the primary education further is imparted till 17-18 years of age. Like the Language skills are nurtured to develop more sophisticated skills in Grammar & Comprehension along with verbal & written communication skills. The Mathematics skills include not only arithmetic but geometry, trigonometry, calculus, logarithms, concepts of accounting as well as some other relatively more sophisticated concept. Science is taught to develop critical thinking ability through systematic examination of natural phenomenon along with technological advancements of the society with knowledge of structure & composition of different states of matter, botany, zoology, physics and computer science among others. Social Science education dwells in geography, political science & awareness of Law, anthropology, economics with appreciation of various religion & belief systems, cultures & social phenomenon like casteism, racism etc. including history. The idea is to instil confidence in a child through realization of his inherent abilities, equip him to nurture his abilities and aptitude further, help him understand social, cultural, regulatory, political & legal systems of the society with social skills like organizing in teams or groups, leading such groups, dexterity, sportsman/competitive spirit & discipline, hygiene and sensitivity towards & appreciation of others.

1 Written by: Amit Bhushan & Sweta NigamAmit Bhushan is a Corporate Banking professional at DelhiSweta Nigam is a Teacher of Science/Chemistry at DelhiSuggestion /Feedback are welcome at [email protected] or [email protected] Note: All views are personal.

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Tertiary education seeks to nurture & improve financial productivity of an individual. Ideally no age limit should be prescribed for such education as its demand is a by-product of self-actualization endeavour of an individual. It prepares him to recognize his/her ‘needs & wants’ and acquire skills to further his abilities & aptitude to meet those needs by negotiating his space in society. Advanced knowledge of Engineering, Medicine, Science & Technology, Social Sciences including Arts, Economics, and History etc., Language & Communications skills or specialized knowledge of any subject helps him achieve his space. Also included are Vocational skills, Craftsmanship, Entrepreneurship, skills in Accounts & Trade & commerce, Technician skills in various trades & industry and ability to render services needed by the society are all part of Tertiary Education. Knowledge & Traits that are sought to be nurtured are analytical ability, innovation & experimentation spirit, skills to research, negotiation & management skills, with ability to understand behaviour of organizations & systems in the relevant trade; various support systems, local & global regulations guiding the development of the trade/industry; knowledge of various players & competitive postures in the trade/industry; demands of the society & ethical issues associate with the trade/industry; technological developments & challenges in the industry etc. The idea of Tertiary Education is to convert a human being into a professional (ranging from skilled worker to scientist/researcher).

In summary, aim of education is to develop new frontiers of the subject or to extend the boundaries of the subject further to support human pursuits in that direction. It arms an individual to the well being of self as well as that of the society. Improvement of Financial productivity, moral, ethical & spiritual values & systems and bankable skills are some of the results of education. Apart, the rulers/governments also try to push in development of nationalistic spirit, respect for their leaders, ideals & philosophy, respect & understanding for “National History (or Nationalistic view of History)”, “Laws, Political & Governing Architecture”, “National Policies, Values and




Symbols” among other items to further “National interest or governance agenda”. Education needs to sustain the Interest of the recipient, help equip him to develop his Aptitude & Skills, give guidance about how Approach the subject & pursue Self Interest & Goals for further advancement, challenge his mental & physical faculties to further Research the subject to deduce new knowledge or understanding and bring forth creative solutions to solve needs of the society.

Meaning/Definitions of word marked in Bold:

1) Interest: Getting engaged to or with; Get excited or passionate about a person, object, or phenomenon.2) Aptitude: A natural or acquired disposition or capacity for a particular purpose; A tendency to a

particular action or effect.3) Skill: Knowledge of Principles & Techniques with sufficient ability to judge suitability of a particular

technique in a giver situation or circumstance with power to adapt.4) Approach: Ability to identify & access an opportunity; To draw or push self to a desired situation from

any given point. Approach pre-supposes knowledge & understanding of the given situation, regulatory & competitive environment, knowledge of support systems, ethical dilemmas & behaviour of various interest groups as well as prevalent incentive systems and motivation amongst various players etc.

5) Research: Systematic investigation to establish facts; A detailed study of the subject especially in order to discover new information or to reach a new understanding; Gathering & analyzing a body of information or data and extracting new meaning from it or developing a unique solution to problem or cases.

Scope:

India’s labour force has reached 425 million in 2010 and will continue to expand over the next two decades. Some projections suggest that the labour force increase will amount to 7.0-8.5 million a year. Though going by the population growth numbers of 20 years previous, we shall arrive at some 15 million new labour forces joining the labour market.

India has started to clock 8-9 % GDP growth (2004-08), however growth of employment has been only around 1-2 per cent. Many large enterprises have been shedding labour while the capacity of agriculture to absorb workers




is minimal. It is only in boom years of 2007 & 08 only, that we probably added enough jobs for all new people joining the labour market. However, much of these jobs were in unorganized sector. Then we also have around 65-85 million persons without jobs. In addition, a significant number of people are underemployed. The unemployment rates among youth are higher, reaching in certain states, as much as 35 per cent against the national average of 13 per cent. There is an urgent need to generate around 15-25 million of new jobs each year i.e. just to stop the problem from attaining crisis levels & lead to social explosion.

Thus it is important for Policy makers, to not only liberalize new business/ industry sectors, so that they start throwing up new employment opportunities, but they also need to ensure that our youths have the requisite skills to sustain themselves productively in the cut-throat business environment. Thus there is an urgent need to relook at the Education & Skills development system in India to ensure that our children receive proper Training to be able to negotiate with the demands of the changing time.

India has about 550 million people under the age of 25 years. The Gross Enrollment Ratio is 96% at the primary level; however Dropout rate is approx. 32% at Primary level while it is 63% at the Secondary level. Only 11% of the population is receives any kind of Tertiary Education (in a Government recognized institutions) compared to the world average of 23%. India spends approx. 3-4% of its GDP on Education which is a bit lower than some of the developed & developing countries where the expenditure is about 6-8%. Given the higher proportion of youths is India, the expenditure on Education & Training may be raised to a higher level; up to 8-10% so as to meet the training needs of the young population. It should also be noted that percentage of Private expenditure on Education is rising. It was about 15-25% in the decade of 70s, reached about 30-35% in the 90s & is currently almost neck-to-neck (45-50%) with the Public/Govt. expenditure. Looking at the rising trend, further rise in (disposable) income level of the population, precarious state of Public/Govt. finances and favourable disposition of the attitude of the population, it can be concluded that privately funded education can be one of the big growth area in the overall economy. The sheer numbers of people in need to improve their skills with large number of people getting added up every year, points to the potential opportunity in the sector. Development of this sector has potential to not only employ a large number of people within itself (since education is employment intensive) but it also has potential to raise productivity across almost all other sectors of the economy (though exact contribution cannot be easily measured) and improve the quality of life through improved services. Healthcare, Tourism, Financial Services, Construction & Real estate, Retail & Wholesale Trading, Agriculture & Food Supplies, Animal Husbandry, Forestry, Logistics, House Keeping & Décor, Craftsmanship etc. are among some of the industries where productivity can go up several times with availability of suitably trained manpower without drawing much from other factors of production. And off course, almost all other industries can also do with well trained or better trained manpower as well.

So far, Education sector has been a classic case of neglect. It is a sector which has been a mess due to over regulation & resultant undersupply or sub-standard supply. Though, to be fair, Education sector has also seen some innovative corporate action with reasonable success. To begin the story here, it may be pointed that the Indian state makes it incumbent upon its government to offer basic education to all its children below fourteen years of age. Responsibility of education is shared jointly between the state & central government. Lack of resources has been the explanation for the limited capacity of the government to deliver. The government created various types of institutions to deliver education & results have been a mixed bag; with some excellent institutions with world class delivery (in terms of quality of students produced) while some where student’s time and Government’s resources are squandered with impunity. There also exists a robust private sector whose presence has largely been welcomed only by the richer sections of society. The poorer classes have not been able to afford the services of these private schools/institutions and therefore scoff at the sector. The government sector suffers from the apathy, neglect, corruption & unprofessional conduct of the large government bureaucracy and is in state of morass. Government has regulations pertaining constitution of organization for education in the private sector, regarding syllabi of what should be taught, regulates infrastructure requirements, has rights to inspect teaching, advises the kind of pay to be given to teaching staff and also conducts examination of students at certain level at Secondary Education level(X & XII). It’s a classic case where an agency that fails to discharge its responsibility decides to play regulator and ensures that everyone else are




playing under the same circumstances that results in cumulative failure of all. Naturally, the private sector remains harassed with the overarching government intervention.

The education system in a state of moribund neglect till a few years ago, until the need for large number of trained people, by a single industry brought about a mindset change in the segment. Basically, it was India’s famed Information Technology industry which needed a vast army of trained code writers as well people who can run and work through the solutions offered by the industry. This required a large army of people which India’s state run higher education system was in no way equipped to provide. It didn’t have the resources or the willingness to invest in these resources either. It was then that some of the entrepreneurs rose up to the challenge. This led to start of “Vocational Training” institute in computers which facilitated people into jobs that they otherwise would not have been capable to deliver. The training models were not recognized by the Government (as a “Vocational Training Certification”) however, since the model was successful, it received wide spread support from the industry & students. These private institutions managed to avoid the ‘Red Tape’ of Indian bureaucracy by partnering industry & students while avoiding/ignoring Government mandated prescription for the vocational training sector. The ruling classes sensed the mood of the people and decided not to mess up with the emerging training institution till corrupt practices started gaining ground in the sector. During the middle of its Lifecycle, this model started offering more complex variety of education and also started receiving accolades from the industry for their training. As corruption & deceit started rearing their head, the government had to intervene, however not before liberalization of Higher education system via All India council of Technical Education route whereby the Private institutions certification got Government recognition & they were given a route to enter the system of Education in a regulated manner to impart Degree & Diplomas. The case/experience is shared to show the possibilities/opportunities & challenges in the Education & Training sector in India. Presently, though only open for the non-profit segment, Indian Education sector allows for non-government segment freedom to operate at all levels from Kindergarten to Schooling to Industrial training Centers, Polytechnics, Degree Colleges & Universities.

Despite phenomenal capabilities, India is seriously handicapped with a very weak and narrow Knowledge base. With 12.3% gross enrolment ratio in Tertiary Education, as compared to 21% in China, 54.6% in developed countries and the world average of 23.2%. There is need to convert the huge manpower into a potent & productive human resource by expanding opportunities for youngsters. We need to develop a massive scale in Education sector in diverse fields such as science, technology, engineering, architecture, management etc. to reap the demographic dividends. This is possible only if we seriously undertake rapid reforms in the higher and technical education sector. Given the size of the market and ability to become a Global low cost destination for education (with English as mode of Teaching); the sector offers significant opportunities to grow several times its current size in coming few years.

History

Education in Ancient India

India has a long history of organized education. The Gurukul system of education is one of the oldest on earth but before that the guru shishya system was extant, in which students were taught orally and the data would be passed from one generation to the next. Gurukuls were traditional Hindu residential schools of learning; typically the teacher's house or a monastery. The Vedas, Puranas, Ayurveda,Yoga, Kautilya's Arthasahtra are only some of the milestones that the traditional Indian knowledge system boasts of. Education under the system was free (and often limited to the higher castes), but students from well-to-do families paid Gurudakshina, a voluntary contribution after the completion of their studies. At the Gurukuls, the teacher imparted knowledge of Religion, Scriptures, Philosophy, Literature, Warfare, Statecraft, Mathematics, Medicine, Astrology and "History" ("Itihaas"). Only students belonging to Brahmin and Kshatriya communities were taught in these Gurukuls. However, the advent of Buddhism and Jainism brought fundamental changes in access to education with their




democratic character. The first millennium and the few centuries preceding it saw the flourishing of higher education at Nalanda, Takshashila University, Ujjain, & Vikramshila Universities. Art, Architecture, Painting, Logic, mathematics, Grammar, Philosophy, Astronomy, Literature, Buddhism, Hinduism, Arthashastra (Economics & Politics), Law, and Medicine were among the subjects taught and each university specialized in a particular field of study. Takshila specialized in the study of medicine, while Ujjain laid emphasis on astronomy. Nalanda, being the biggest centre, handled all branches of knowledge, and housed up to 10,000 students at its peak. British records show that education was widespread in the 18th century, with a school for every temple, mosque or village in most regions of the country. The subjects taught included Reading, Writing, Arithmetic, Theology, Law, Astronomy, Metaphysics, Ethics, Medical Science and Religion. The ancient system of learning didn’t follow any prescribed curriculum, thus allowed the students with freedom to pursue subjects of his interest & aptitude. Rigorous training under supervision of an expert Guru led to nurturing of skilled craftsman. The limitations imposed on social mobility due to rigid caste system, however draconian it may sound, but allowed for or even nurtured experimentation & research in the avocation, while at the same time helped in formulation of “approach” where the community imparted training is incentive system in the society/industry, in understanding of interest & motivation of various players, in managing overall risks. One probable outcome of the system was that the Ancient India was one of the foremost civilizations with its Craft in demand far & wide. Its Architecture, Legal, Political & Socio-cultural system was revered in other civilizations like Mesopotamia, Chinese & Egyptian Civilization.

But scholars have questioned & challenged the proponent of the above theory on following grounds. The village pathshalas were often housed in shabby dwellings and taught by ill-qualified teachers. Instruction was limited mainly to the three Rs(Rote, Religion, Rituals) and the native mahajani /zamindari accounts. Printed books were not used, and most writing was done on palm leaf, plantain leaf, or on sand. There was no fixed class routine, timetable, or school calendar. There was no annual examination, pupils being promoted whenever the guru was satisfied of the scholar's attainments. There were no desks, benches, blackboards, or fixed seating arrangements. The Ancient Education system has further been criticized as elitist system tailored to the needs of Brahmin boys who were taught to Read & Write by a Brahmin teacher. The entire social & educational system was designed to catapult Brahmins to the pinnacle of the system and ensure their dominance. Thus system was failed to deliver upon one of the main delivery requirements of Education system i.e. identifying natural aptitude of the student & honing them into marketable skills & matured intellect. An effective system should result in social mobility (since students are free to pursue their interests) which the ancient system failed to provide.

During the period of invasion, the systems were disrupted. Advent of new religions, such as Buddhism, Jainism etc. led to further alienation of the lower strata from the ancient Social & Educational system. The Brahmins lost their status & position at the pinnacle of the society as well as the incentives that accrued to them. The development of Mathematics, Science, Arthashastra, Literature etc. which were pursued by Brahmins suffered as a result and India ceded its status of the foremost nation in the comity of nations. By the time Mughals invaded & took over India, the Education system had declined fairly from its past glorious phase. Idian had no knowledge of the latest techniques in warfare like usage of Gun-Powder & usage of Guns (Topkhana). Over a long period there was no university system existing in the country or organised education system, for that matter. The University system regenerated only when the British restarted the system of Education which is prevalent today as modern Education system.

Even though India’s Ancient Education system “ Guru-Shishya Parampara” has declined but it can still be seen in action in certain sectors. It dominates segments like Spiritual Education, Yoga/Physical & Mental training & Relaxation, Traditional Song (Sangeet), Music (Instruments training) & Dance (Nritya) education, In the traditional Song, Music & Dance space, though India’s formal education sector has tried to make deep in-roads (we have University awarding degrees & even Doctorate research, however People have continued to prefer “Guru-Shishya model” where one teacher continues to work diligently over the student throughout his/her Education period & imparts him with skills, with information on how to approach the art to develop further & identify opportunities in the life. We also have the system of “Ustad” in various trades like Auto Mechanic, barber, Tailoring, Metal work etc. who recruit young pupils to train them for these ‘Life” skills. The poor in Rural as well as Urban areas prefer their children to be trained by these “Ustad” over the Formal Education system primarily because of ‘costs’ but also because they see little value in the formal system to be able to impart ‘Life’ or Earning skills. The elite in India scoff at the system as they see it as ‘Exploitation” of the child who is made to work on the




‘Shop floor’ during the process. The system though struggling with the ‘jeers’ that the Teachers and elite throw at it (inspite of the fact that formal education has no solution for the students of this segment), however ‘Ustad’ system has now also got to deal with ‘Free Mid-day Meal’ scheme of the Government of India for the Primary Education sector which is able to wean away the student due to the ‘incentive’ of Meal. However, it has survived and continues to “Skill” India with its offering (Ills of the system notwithstanding). Careful thought must go to about this segment before deciding about Reforms. We may want to develop a strategy to reform this piece of reform the informal education system to rid it of its ills, rather than reform the Education system to rid it from the “Guru-shishya or Ustad” system.

Education in British India

British records show that indigenous education was still widespread in the 18th century, with a school for every temple, mosque or village in most regions of the country. The subjects taught included Reading, Writing, Arithmetic, Theology, Law, Astronomy, Metaphysics, Ethics, Medical Science and Religion. The schools were attended by students that represented all classes of society. Pre-British educational institutions were maintained by grants of revenue-free land by the state/ruling class. The East India Company, with its policy of maximizing land revenue, stopped this and thus starved the Indian education system of its financial resources which led to further De-generation of the Ancient Education system. When Royal British Government took governance of India from East India Company, it de-recognized the old system and stopped any incentives for them or for the students who turned out through the old system. So the decline which had probably started in the mid- 1700s & continued since then brought about almost total annihilation is early 1800s. By the 1820s neither the village schools nor the tols or madrasas were the vital centres of learning. Thus Ancient Education system had failed to survive this body blow. Gandhi is said to have described the traditional educational system as a beautiful tree that was destroyed during British rule.

The newer era of higher education started with the British initiative in the 19th century. Lord Macaulay (1835) through the Macaulay minutes stressed upon the closure of institutions of oriental learning (though the British didn’t shut down Indian institutions enmasse but they did nothing to prevent them from degeneration which ultimately led to their extinction) and then a few colleges at different places were established by the British regime. In July 1854, Woods Despatch had proposed establishment of universities in India. Accordingly, Calcutta, Bombay and Madras Universities were established in the year 1857 which are felicitating their 150th year. Some of the renowned Educational institutes like St. Xavier's College, Sydenham College, Wilson College and Elphinstone College have been established by the British in India. Quite a few well meaning Indian intellectuals had supported the British Education system which the regarded as more open & allowed for social mobility. Prominent among them was Raja Rammohan Roy, who wrote to the governor-general, Lord Amherst, requesting that he not spend government funds on starting a Sanskrit College in Calcutta but rather employ "European Gentlemen of talent and education to instruct the natives of India in Mathematics, Natural Philosophy, Chemistry, Anatomy and other useful sciences.

Detractors of British Education system argue that it was "To consolidate their hold on India, the British set upon establishing an intermediary race of Indians, whom they could entrust with their work at the middle level echelons and who could one day be convenient instruments to rule by proxy, or semi-proxy. They see British Education as tool to shape these British clones. They demonize Macaulay as someone who had very little regard for Hindu culture and education: Mr. Macaulay is portrayed in poor light quoting epithets such as “Hindus have a literature of small intrinsic value, hardly reconcilable with morality and full of monstrous superstitions." credited to him.

Some reforms & development efforts were also witnessed in the Education sector in British India. In 1882 the first Indian Education Commission under the Chairmanship of W W Hunter was established. The report dealt with indigenous education, primary education, secondary education and university education. In 1913 the Education Policy was developed by the then British Government, which proposed establishment of new universities within each province. Accordingly, the Central Hindu College was converted to Banaras Hindu University in 1916 and Mohammedan Anglo Oriental College into Aligarh Muslim University in 1920. Universities were also stared at Mysore, Hyderabad and Patna. India’s first Medical College came up in Calicut in 1942-43. This was in response to shortage of Doctors during the second World War for the British Soldiers. The Sergent Report of 1944 was an




effort to develop a national system of education in India, which suggested formation of University Grants Commission.

Although in theory, British Education system was liberal, allowed for equal opportunities to everyone armed with a Degree & skills in English language. However, in practice the way the applied the policy, the elitist tendencies were reinforced. Firstly, the Education system or Higher Education required a stay in Hostels as prominent colleges were available in few cities. Besides, there were a host of other expenses like Tutorials, Books etc. which the poor couldn’t afford. The British were also keen to preserve the position of the privileged to enlist their support for the British rule and thus did little to upset them. The elite then helped British fasten their grip on India.

Also, the system relied on imported books, text & tutors. These had no relevance to local situations in India and failed to provide any ready reference point to the students except in some fields like some topics of the Natural sciences, Mathematics etc. Secondly, the system put special emphasis of examination (especially written examination) as a tool to judge merit of the student. Third, the system offered little choice to students in terms of selection subjects of their aptitude. Lastly, the Score in the examination was almost the sole criterion for selection of a candidate for job (along with knowledge of English). Thus, it started the great Indian race to cram subjects to score well during examination. The interest & aptitude of the students stifled in the system. Also, the British Administrative system was still developing during that period. So little information was available to teachers to impart knowledge & share information about the opportunity structure or merits or demerits of the Policy & procedures. Thus students generally lacked information on how to approach the subject to pursue their goals or to enhance their skills further. There is little evidence of indigenous research facilities as British were keen to push their industrial wares in India & thus were more interested to stifle Indian innovation rather than promoting it. Even with all its several flaws of the Education System prevalent today in India is that, it is an extension of the Old British Raj Education system with very little reform ushered into the same. Post Independence, we started taking decisions locally. However, our Administrators as well as most Strategic observers had little faith on our culturally diverse society to be able to stick together. So, they kept the decision making process mostly under wraps away from public gaze. Thus Education system could not benefit from observation of the decision making & its implementation process. Neither was debate on Governance, policy & procedures brought forth in public domain. While relatively more promotion was given to promote India’s indigenous Values system & highlight its Rich history & common heritage, little information was provided on how it interacts with global schemes of things, how policies and procedures are being evolved & discuss suitability of those decisions for our toiling masses. Students who pass out have little idea over the direction that they should adopt to reach their Goals, the behaviour, tendencies, requirements of organizations in their field of avocation; the policies & regulatory structures as well as global & competitive structures shaping the industry; challenges, incentives & motivation of various players in the industry etc. From the British period, students went abroad (generally to UK, which was the centre of the World, then) to acquire (higher) Education since that provided them with greater sense of liberation by helping them to see ready reference points & policy making in action. The glimpses of this Education bias can be seen in India’s Freedom struggle itself where those educated in Britain dominated the scene & commanded India post liberation, while those who educated in India are just small blips in the History of our Freedom struggle. The bias in favour of foreign education continues till date even as “Young India” cries for Sweeping reforms to overhaul of the Education system.

However, to be fair to British Education system, it did help inculcate the sense of Rule of Law, Equality before Law, Freedom of Speech, Freedom to pursue one’s religion & Belief system etc. among Indians. Engineers trained by the system helped build several Bridges, Dams, Roads, Railways & Maritime transportation. It helped create a single administrative unit for the whole of India, which constituted of several Princely states, and our ‘Babus’, which are product of the same Education system are still able to hold the country together in more or less the same way, British handed it over to them. The thriving Electoral Democracy, Free Press, Independent Judiciary, a Professional Army among several institutions acclaimed for their excellence are all managed by products of the same Education System. Guess, it shall be wiser to instead dwell of the future course for Education System in India; to focus on strategies to groom intellect for the future rather than debate the past.




Education in Modern India

Education in Independent India

During the post independence period, the First Education Commission was constituted in 1948 on university education. The Commission was chaired by Dr S Radhakrishnan and also known as the Radhakrishnan Commission. This Commission stressed on autonomous status of universities. The Commission pointed out ‘democracy depends for its very life on high standard of general, vocational and professional education’. The dissemination of learning, incessant search for new knowledge, unceasing effort to plumb the meaning of life provision for professional education to satisfy occupational needs of our society are the vital tasks of higher education”.

As an outcome of these recommendations, the University Grants Commission was established in 1956 (Recommendation for setting UGC was received in 1942 as well). In July 1964 Second Education Commission known as the Kothari Commission was appointed to establish well designed, balanced, integrated and adequate system of national education capable of making the powerful contribution to national life. The Commission emphasized on expansion of higher education, enhancing quality of higher education and research; and use of dynamic techniques for management and organization. In 1968, the National Policy on Education was adopted based on the recommendations of the Kothari Commission, which led to the considerable expansion of education facilities all over the country. In rural habitations, schooling facilities were recommended to be developed within a radius of one kilometre but these did not get translated into detailed structure of implementation.

Allocation of responsibility for various subjects to different tier of government is ultimately laid down in the Constitution. From 1950, when the Constitution came into force, till 1976, Education was essentially a State subject, with role of Central Government being limited to

Running Central Universities , Central institutions of training and research, and institutions of national importance, and

Coordination and determination of standards in institutions for higher, scientific and technical education and research.




The Constitution (42nd Amendment) Act, 1976, shifted Education, in general, from the “State List” to the “Concurrent List”, thus giving both Central and State Governments jurisdiction over it, concurrently. The concept of concurrency was fleshed out in para 3.13 (“A Meaningful Partnership”) of the National Policy on Education, 1986, which reads as follows:-

3.13 The Constitutional Amendment of 1976, which includes Education in the Concurrent List, was a far-reaching step whose implications--substantive, financial and administrative--require a new sharing of responsibility between the Union Government and the States in respect of this vital area of national life. While the role and responsibility of the States in regard to education will remain essentially unchanged, the Union Government would accept a larger responsibility to reinforce the national and integrative character of education, to maintain quality and standards (including those of the teaching profession at all levels), to study and monitor the educational requirements of the country as a whole in regard to manpower for development, to cater to the needs of research and advanced study, to look after the international aspects of education, culture and Human Resource Development and, in general, to promote excellence at all levels of the educational pyramid throughout the country. Concurrency signifies a partnership, which is at once meaningful and challenging; the National Policy will be oriented towards giving effect to it in letter and spirit.

By the 72nd and 73rd Amendments to the Constitution, bodies of local self-government – Panchayati Raj bodies for rural and Municipal bodies for urban areas, respectively – were accorded Constitutional status, in 1993. Assignment of functions to these bodies is to be determined by laws enacted by individual State legislatures. However, the Eleventh and Twelfth Schedules of the Constitution provide illustrative lists of items which may, by law, be devolved on these local bodies. The Eleventh Schedule lists Education up to the Secondary level, Vocational Education, and Adult and Non-Formal Education, among others, for devolution to Panchayati Raj bodies. Let’s discuss governing system for Education in India.

The Constitution The Constitution of India is the ultimate document which guides State policy in all sectors, including

Education. Details of provisions contained in the Constitution, which have a bearing on Education, have been listed

on this website under the caption “Constitutional Provisions”. Their more important features are:

Provision of free and compulsory education to all children upto the age of fourteen years

Education, in general, is the concurrent responsibility of the Union and the States.

However, (a) coordination and determination of standards in higher and technical education, and (b) institutions

declared by Parliament by law to be institutions of national importance, are the responsibility of the Union .

Local authorities (Panchayats and Municipalities) are to be assigned a suitable role in education (especially

School, Adult and Non-Formal Education) through individual State legislations.

State Governments and Local Authorities are expected to provide facilities for instruction in the mother

tongue at the primary stage of education

Important Legislations Next to the Constitution, State Policy is articulated through legislations. Some of the important

Central legislations having a bearing on the subjects allotted to the Department of Higher Education are:

The University Grants Commission Act, 1956

The All India Council for Technical Education Act, 1987

The National Council for Minority Educational Institutions Act, 2004




The Copyright Act, 1957

The Apprentices Act, 1961

National Policies on Education There have so far been mainly two comprehensive statements of the National Policy on Education, viz. those of 1968 and 1986. The former contained decisions of the Central Government on the recommendations of the National Commission on Education, 1964-66. The latter was a result of the renewed priority assigned to Education by the government of the Late Shri Rajiv Gandhi, who was Prime Minister during 1984-89. The 1986 policy was reviewed by a Committee constituted in 1990 under the chairmanship of Acharya Ramamurti. On the basis of the recommendations of this Committee, certain provisions of the 1986 policy were modified in 1992. Thus, in all, the following three comprehensive national policy statements exist on Education:

National Policy on Education, 1968 National Policy on Education, 1986 National Policy on Education, 1986, as modified in 1992

In keeping with its billion-plus population and high proportion of the young, India has a large formal Education System. Its target group (children and young persons in the 6-24 years age group) numbered around 410 million in 2005, or about 38% of the country's population. With this background of different Commissions and National Policies, it would be worth glancing through post independence progress in expansion of education and its quality in the country. Also it would be worth identifying the gaps so that remedies could be worked out for further improvement

Following are some indicators of the size of India's Education System (figures pertain to 2005-06, unless otherwise stated):

Target Population(6-24 years age group)(Estimate for 2005)

410 million

Total Enrolmentsin all Educational Institutions (School to University)

237 million

Number of Educational Institutions

Schools 1.29 million

Colleges (2005-06) 20,769 Universities

(as on 31.03.07)350(236 Universities + 101 Deemed Universities +13 Institutions of National Importance)

Number of Teachers 6.5 million

(The above figures of enrolment, etc. do not include the non-formal system which aims to educate adult illiterates,

above the age of 15 years.)




Education in Post-Independence India: Some Milestones

1947 India achieves Independence

1948-49 University Education Commission constituted; gives Report

1950 India becomes a Republic. Free and compulsory education enshrined as one of the Directive

Principles of State Policy in the new Constitution

1951 Decennial Census yields a Literacy Rate (5+) of 18.3% (overall), 8.9% (female)

First Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) established at Kharagpur

1952-53 Secondary Education Commission constituted; gives Report

1956 University Grants Commission (UGC) established by Act of Parliament

Indian Institute of Technology (Kharagpur) Act passed by Parliament

Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru delivers the first convocation address at the first IIT (Kharagpur)

1958 Second IIT established at Mumbai

1959 Third and Fourth IITs established at Kanpur and Chennai, respectively

1961 NCERT established

Institutes of Technology Act passed by Parliament to provide a common legal

framework for all IITs

First two Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) set up at Ahmedabad and Kolkata

1963 Fifth IIT established at Delhi

1964-66 Education Commission constituted; gives Report

1968 First National Policy on Education (NPE) adopted, in the light of the recommendations of the

Education Commission

1963 Third IIM established at Banglore

1975 Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) Scheme launched to provide for holistic

development of children up to the age of six years

1976 Constitution amended to change “Education” from being a “State” subject to a “Concurrent”

one

1984 Fourth IIM established at Lucknow

1985 Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) established by an Act of Parliament




1986 New National Policy on Education (NPE) adopted

1987-88 Many large centrally-assisted schemes like “Operation Blackboard”, “Educational

Technology”, “Vocationalisation of Secondary Education”, etc., launched in

pursuance of NPE, 1986

All India Council of Technical Education (AICTE) vested with statutory status by an Act

of Parliament

National Literacy Mission launched

1992 NPE, 1986, revised, based on a review by the Acharya Ramamurti Committee

1993 National Council of Teacher Education (NCTE) vested with statutory status by an Act of

Parliament

1994 District Primary Education Programme (DPEP) launched to universalize primary

education in selected districts

National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) established by UGC

(with headquarters at Bangalore ) to assess and accredit institutions of higher education

National Board of Accreditation (NAB) established by AICTE to periodically

evaluate technical institutions and programmes

Sixth IIT established at Guwahati

1995 Centrally-assisted Mid-Day Meal scheme launched in government and semi-government primary

schools all over the country, with central assistance by way of free foodgrains

1996 Fifth IIM established at Kozhikode1998 Sixth IIM established at Indore2001 Decennial Census yields Literacy rate (7+) of 65.4% (overall), 53.7% (female)

Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) launched to universalize elementary education of

good quality all over the country

University of Roorkee converted into (the seventh) IIT

2002 Constitution amended to make Free and Compulsory Education, a Fundamental Right (yet to be

brought into force)

2003 17 Regional Colleges of Engineering converted into National Institutes of Technology, fully

funded by the Central Government

2004 Education Cess levied for raising additional finance needed to fulfill Government’s

commitment to universalize quality basic education

Mid-Day Meal scheme revised to provide central assistance to meet cooking cost as

well




EDUSAT, a satellite dedicated to education, launched

2005 National Commission for Minority Educational Institutions established by Act of Parliament

2006 Two Indian Institutes of Science Education & Research (IISERs) established at Kolkata and

Pune, respectively

2007 Seventh Indian Institute of Management established at Shillong

One Indian Institute of Science Education & Research (IISER) established at Mohali

The National Institutes of Technology (NITs) brought under a common statutory

framework by establishing NIT Act.

Rashtriya Sanskrit Parishad Constituted

The Central Educational Institutions (Reservation in Admission) Ac Notified.

Important AchievementsQuantitative Expansion

The following comparative figures show the remarkable growth of Indian Education since India became a republic in

1950:

S. No Item Figure in 1950-51

Figure in 2005-06 (Unless otherwise

stated)1 Literacy Rate 18.3% 64.8% (2001)2 Female Literacy Rate 8.9% 53.7%3 Schools 0.23 million 1.28 million4 General Colleges 370 116985 Professional Colleges 208 77976 Universities 27 3507 Gross Enrolment Ratio in Elementary Education 32.1% 94.85%8 Gender Parity Index at Elementary level 0.38 0.929 Public Expenditure on Education as % of GDP 1.5% 3.46%

* Source of above information: nicnet.

Structure of Education System in India




Structure of Formal Education System in India on its surface is almost congruent to Education system in most other developed & developing countries in the World. A simplistic diagram of the model is shared below.

The vision of any educational system is to make youth self reliant, self-confident to achieve the goals. Modern education in India is often criticized for being based on rote learning (The same being extension of the system as nurtured by the British) & thus fails to meet this goal. Emphasis is laid on passing examinations with high percentage. Very few institutes give importance to nurturing interests & help in identifying aptitude of the students. The ability to develop those aptitudes to bankable & marketable skills is rudimentary, at best. Failure to focus on Personality development and creativity & research aptitude among students is appalling. Negligible guidance & counselling is provided to help student walk through the maze of education & training institute to reach his/her destination of opportunity or fixing a stable approach in profession.

The measurements of success of education system are:

1. Students who pass out have advanced skills (which are marketable & bankable) and have the spirit to innovate to solve requirements of the society.

2. They have courage for Research, Enterprise, Organisation ability, Competitive/Sportsman like aptitude, Character and Leadership.

3. They posses Intellectual curiosity & analytical skills to observe natural, social, cultural phenomenon to deduce new & relevant information to meet/solve industry requirements.

4. They have superior understanding of Local (Municipal & state regulations), National and International regulations & standards that govern their trade/industry with understanding of how different players interact & negotiate.

5. Ability to decipher behaviour traits incentive & motivation of various players & how change in the system impacts various players.

6. Physical & Mental fitness, superior communications & negotiation skills & other requisite soft skills.7. Overall ability of the student to make a positive impact to the society or the people around him/her.


Elementary

Secondary

Senior Secondary

University Graduate

Masters Program

Doctoral Program

Workers with-out any specific skills

Vocational Secondary

Polytechnic 3 Yr. Diploma

Engg./Med. Prof. Course Graduate

ITI 1-2 Yr. Craftsmen DGET Certificate

Apprenticeship 2-4 Yr. Certificate

Skilled Craftsmen

Technician

Engineers/Technologist/Professionals

Specialists

Scientists /Research Scholars



The present system is not yet fully catering to the needs of the youth due to various inherent & historical problems, political and financial constraints. In the context of globalization, educational system should make suitable changes which will enable the students to find/create their own place in future. The system is much centralized, so that the creativity of young minds is stifled. The problems in the Education system are basically the same that afflicts any other Department of Government of India. A chunk of people with vested interest, political consideration, self aggrandizement and corruption manage to push themselves into occupying important Administrative positions. This is routine because present Political masters, just like British, want to run their own agenda and therefore need support from condescending “Babus”. The “Babus” have little interest in progressing Education but in conniving with Political Masters to forward their own Political & personal goals. To make the matter worse, several racketeers & people with enlightened Self interest, join in to profit from the manipulated system. Scope for reforms is curtailed by creating a large dependency on the system, by issuing binding and long term commitments & avoidance of public debates on issues by keeping whole affair secretive. A large army of Rent seekers (de-motivated work force) then gathers around, which in order to protect their turf/jobs habitually argue against any reforms, leading to further aggravation of problems for the public. Further problems arise as silos/independent bodies are created which start to Lord over specialised fields & navigate themselves as independent ships aloof from any developments in the surroundings/governing ministry. New government or ministers, in their endeavour for reforms end up creating new silos due to lack of intellectual merit, political & personal interests, lack of will to reforms which may involve high decibel debates with political ramifications and/or corruption (benefits that accrue from existing system).

A Brief but non-exhaustive list of various organizations/silos that are core part of our Education system are discussed below for benefit of the readers to help gaze the complexity of the education system through which a child must negotiate in order to successfully qualify to enter the opportunities provided by the economy. The purpose is also to make the reader aware of the vast system so that one is able to negotiate with & through this was system in a more informative manner.

School Education System The Indian education system is based upon 12 years of schooling (10+2), which includes primary and secondary education. Secondary Schools are affiliated with Central or states boards for conduct of examination. All the Indian universities and other institutions of higher education recognize the various 10+2 qualifications from different states as well as all India Boards like the CBSE. A list of prominent Boards of Education is given below:

STATE BOARDSAndhra Pradesh Andhra Pradesh Board of Secondary Education,

Hyderabad-500 001Phone: 0842-237343

Andhra Pradesh Board of Intermediate Education

Vidya Bhawan, Nampally, Hyderabad-500 001Phone: 0842-551563

Assam Assam Board of Secondary EducationGuwahati - 781 031Phone: 0361-23884

Assam Higher Secondary Education CouncilBamunimaidan, Guwahati - 781 021

Phone: 0361-27277Bihar Bihar School Examination Board

Sinha Library Road, Patna 800 017




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STATE BOARDSPhone: 0612-226916

Bihar Intermediate Education CouncilReshmi Complex, Kidwai Pura

Patna 800 001Phone: 0612-232432

Goa Goa Board of Secondary & Higher Secondary EducationM-20, Nehru Nagar, A-210, Betim Cross

Alto Betim, Goa- 403 521Phone: 0832-217584

Gujarat Gujarat Secondary Education BoardSector 10-B, Gandhi Nagar - 382 043

Phone: 02712-20538Haryana Haryana Board of Education

Hansi Road, Bhiwani - 125021Phone: 01644-43525, Fax: 01644-41611

Himanchal Pradesh

Himachal Pradesh Board of School EductionGayana Lok Parisar, Civil Lines, Dharamsala-176216. Distt. Kangra

Phone: 01892-22773Jammu & Kashmir J&K State Board of School Education

Rehari Colony, Jammu- 180 005Lalmandi, Srinagar 190 005

Phone: 0191-546604(Jammu), 0194-32378(Srinagar)Karnataka Karnataka Secondary Education Examination Board

6th Cross, Malleswaram, Bangalore 560 003Phone: 080 – 3343391

Karnataka Board of the Pre-University EducationTechnical Education Building, Palace Road, Bangalore-560 001

Phone: # 91-80 2265141Kerala Kerala Board of Public Examinations

Pareeksha Bhawan, PoojappuraThiruvannanthapuram-695 012

Phone: 0471-341171Maharashtra Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary

EducationShivajinagar, Pune 411 010

Phone: 0212 326285, Fax: 0212 326466Madhya Pradesh Madhya Pradesh Board of Secondary Education

Bhopal 462 011Phone: 0755 551166, Fax: 0755 551499

Manipur Manipur Board of Secondary EducationImphal - 795 001

Phone: 03852-220943




STATE BOARDSManipur Council of Higher Secondary Education

D.M. College Campus, Imphal - 795 001Phone: 03852-224617

Meghalaya Meghalaya Board of School EducationWest Garo Hills Tura, Meghalaya-794 101

Phone: 03651-474Mizoram Mizoram Board of School Education

Chaltlang, Post Box 7, Aizawl-796 012Phone: 03832 2704

Nagaland Nagaland Board of School EducationPost Box, 98, Kohima 767 001

Phone: 03866-22520, Fax: 03866-22975Orissa Orissa Board of Secondary Education

Bajrakabati Road, Cuttack 753 001Phone: 0671-6163302

Orissa Council of Higher Secondary EducationKadargouri Road, Bhubaneshwar - 751 002

Phone: 0674-51112Punjab Punjab School Education Board

SAS Nagar (Ropar), Mohali 160 055Phone: 0172-570524

Rajasthan Rajasthan Board of Secondary EducationAjmer 305 001

Phone: 0145 422497, Fax: 0145 52394Tamil Nadu Tamil Nadu Board of Secondary Education

Department of Govt. ExaminationsCollege Road, Madras 600 006

Phone: 044 8272088, Fax: 044 8278286Tamil Nadu Board of Higher Secondary Education

DPI Compound, College RoadMadras-600 006

Phone: 044 8278796Tripura Tripura Board of Secondary Education

Jawaharlal Nehru Complex(Gurkha Basti (P.O) Kunjaban, Agartala, Tripura West 799 006

Phone: 0381-224818Uttar Pradesh UP Board of High School & Intermediate Education

Allahabad - 211 001Phone: 0532 602367 (Allahabad), 0532 226136 (Lucknow)

West Bengal West Bengal Board of Secondary Education77/2, Park Street, Calcutta 700 016

Phone: 033-298594West Bengal Board of Higher Secondary Education

Bikash Bhawan, North & East Block(2nd Floor) Salt Lake, Calcutta 700 091




STATE BOARDSPhone: 033-379661

All-India Boards Central Board of Secondary Education2, Community Centre, Shiksha Kendra

Preet Vihar, Delhi- 110 092Phone: 011-2215827, Fax: 011-2215826

Council for Indian School Certificate ExaminationsPragati House, 47/48, Nehru Place

New Delhi - 110 019Phone: 011-6413820, Fax: 011-621205

National Open SchoolB-13B, Kailash Colony, New Delhi-110 048Phone: 011-6481455, Fax: 011-6211452

Though Class XIIth is the entry-level qualification for pursuing higher education in any field, passing it in itself does not guarantee admission to a particular course. Like for example, some courses specify pre-requisite subjects that the student must have at the qualifying exam (class XIIth); for professional courses other than the pre-requisite subjects a student may also have to sit for an entrance test e.g. IIT-JEE, CPMT etc. Well known colleges specify cut-off marks (i.e. marks or grade obtained in a particular subject or subjects(s) in class XIIth) for admission in various courses, which may be as high as 85-90% for admission in say B.Sc Hons. (Physics). The cut-off marks or overall entry score can vary between courses in the same university/college, between similar courses in different universities/ colleges and from year to year in the same course. Some courses and some Universities/ institutions/colleges are in greater demand than others and therefore gaining entry into them is correspondingly tougher.

National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT): In the area of school education the Government of India has set up an apex resource organization ‘The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT)’ which assists and advises the Central and State Governments on academic matters related to school education. The NCERT provides academic and technical support for improvement of school education through its various constituents like the National Institute of Education (NIE), Central Institute of Educational Technology (CIET) and a number of Regional Institutes of Education (RIE) located at different cities. College/Graduate Education System

The higher education system is principally divided into three levels namely:Undergraduate or Bachelor’s Level (e.g. B.Sc., B.A., B.E., M.B.B.S., L.L.B., etc.)

Postgraduate or Master’s Level (e.g. M.Sc., M.A., M.Tech., M.S., LL.M., etc.)

Doctoral (Ph.D.)

Bachelor’s degrees in science, arts and commerce take three years of study but in vocational subjects like pharmacy, dentistry, architecture, medicine and technology the duration may vary between four to five and a half years. Many universities and colleges offer `honors’ courses at graduation level, which may not be longer in




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duration but indicate greater depth in study. Diploma courses are also available at the undergraduate level and the duration of their study may vary from 1 to 3 years.

Master’s degree is normally of two-year duration. It could either be course or research based. Admission to post graduate programs in engineering and technology is done on the basis of GATE.

Those interested in pursuing further studies may either directly register themselves for PhD or do a pre-doctoral program –Master of Philosophy (M.Phil) which is either completely research based or may also include some course work. It takes lesser time to complete PhD for those doing it after M.Phil. Postgraduate level diploma courses are also available which are generally of one-year duration.

The higher education system, comprising of various universities, colleges, professional institutes etc caters to around 7 million students. Though State Governments are responsible for establishment of State Universities and running them, Government of India is primarily responsible for framing major policies relating to higher education in the country.

University Grants Commission (UGC): It is Government of India entity is responsible for coordination, determination and maintenance of standards, and release of central grants to the universities. Apart from this, Government of India has also established sixteen central universities in the country, which are totally funded by the UGC.

Taking advantage of the great demand for higher education especially for professional courses, many dubious institutes have also come up. Even otherwise, sometimes the syllabus of a particular course offered by an institute may be outdated and not up to the mark. The government on its part has created various statutory bodies to ensure that the education organizations that operate within their framework provide qualifications, which are quality assured and formally recognized by institutions, employers and government authorities. These statutory bodies are also responsible for providing grants and various awards. There are 12 such bodies dealing with higher education in various fields:

The All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE): It was established by an Act of Parliament to develop, promote and co-ordinate technical education in the country. Technical Education broadly covers the field of engineering & technology, architecture & town planning, management, pharmacy and applied arts & crafts. The council grants approval for starting new technical institutions and introduction of new programs in consultation with the agencies concerned.

Recently it has also created a separate body-National Body of Accreditation (NBA) that gives accreditation to institutions and grades the courses offered by them.

Distance Education Council (DEC): It is the apex body responsible for promotion and maintenance of standards of open and distance education in India. There are ten open universities in India at present and Indira Gandhi National University (IGNOU) is the only National Open University, the remaining nine are a State Open Universities (SOUs). However there are 62 university level traditional institutions, which also impart education through correspondence/distance mode.

Indian Council for Agriculture Research (ICAR): It keeps the information and provides consultancy on agriculture, horticulture, resource management, animal sciences, agricultural engineering, fisheries, agricultural extension, agricultural education, home science and agricultural communication. It has the mandates to co-ordinate agricultural research and development programmes.




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Bar Council of India (BCI):

It is formed under Advocates Act, 1961. It promotes legal education and lay down the standards of professional education and ethics for advocates.

The National Council For Teacher Education (NCTE): It was established by an Act of Parliament and is responsible for planned and coordinated development for teacher education system throughout the country. The Council regulates and maintains norms and standards in teacher education system and gives recognition to institutions offering courses or training in teacher education.

Rehabilitation Council Of India (RCI):

Regulates the training policies and programmes in the field of rehabilitation and standardizes training courses for paramedics engaged in rehabilitation of people with disabilities Like MCI it also establishes reciprocity with foreign universities/institutes in the matter of mutual recognition of qualifications awarded in the field of rehabilitation. It also maintains Central Rehabilitation Register of persons possessing the recognized rehabilitation qualification.

Medical Council of India (MCI): was established as a statutory body with the aim of maintaining uniform standards of medical education in the country at undergraduate and post-graduate levels. It is mandatory for a doctor to register himself with the Council after gathering necessary medical qualifications. Another important function of the Council is to establish reciprocity with foreign countries in the matter of mutual recognition of medical qualifications. The Council also maintains Indian Medical Register containing information about all medical practitioners in the county.

Pharmacy Council of India (PCI): It prescribes, regulates and maintains minimum educational standards for the training of pharmacists. It prescribes the syllabus, norms, etc., for the institutions and regulations for diploma course in pharmacy. It registers Pharmacists.

Indian Nursing Council (INC): It is responsible for regulation and maintenance of a uniform standard of training for Nurses, Midwives, Auxilliary Nurse-Midwives and Health Visitors. It prescribes the syllabus and regulations for various nursing courses. It inspects Nursing Schools and Examination Centres to maintain uniformity and the requisite standard of Nursing Education.

Dental Council of India (DCI): Its main objective is to regulate Dental Education, Dental Profession and Dental ethics in the country. It recommends to the Government of India to accord permission to start a Dental College, start higher course and increase of seats.

Central Council of Homoeopathy (CCH): is a statutory body responsible for laying down the minimum standards of education in Homoeopathy and recognizing or derecognizing medical qualification. It advises Central Government in matters of connected with the study and practice of Homeopathy. The Council also maintains a Central Register of Homoeopathy containing details of Homoeopath practitioners.

Central Council Of Indian Medicine (CCIM): It is responsible for laying down and maintaining uniform standards of education in the fields of Ayurveda, Siddha and Unani and regulating practice in these systems. The Council prescribes the curriculum and syllabus




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for under-graduate & post-graduate education in these systems and amends them from time to time as per requirements. It also advises the Central Government in matters relating to recognition of medical qualifications of Indian Medicine. The Council also maintains a Central Register of Indian Medicine containing details of practitioners of these systems.

Besides, the above, Technical & Vocational programs are offered by several ministries through a number of Public & Private organizations affiliated with them. A non-exhaustive list for the same is also shared.

Sl.No.

Ministry/ Department

Schemes/ Programmes/Institutions having provision for VocationalEducation and Training programme

Target Group

1 M/o Agriculture(i) Department ofAgricultureResearch &Education(ii) Department ofAnimalHusbandry,Dairying &Fisheries

Training in Agricultural Extension , Training in use of Agricultural Implements and machinery, Soil ConservationTraining Centre, LFQC&TI,NPPTI, Cooperative Education& Training.Under the University stream,various under-graduate, postgraduate and Ph.D. courses areoffered (DARE)

Person engaged inAgricultural institutionsand support services,member of cooperativesand Farmers.Students withQualifications as usualunder University streamof education

2 M/o Food ProcessingIndustries

Grants are provided to NGOsfor setting up of FoodProcessing & Training Centres(FPTCs)Institutions like Central FoodTechnology Research Institute,Paddy Processing ResearchCentre, PHTC, Council ofEntrepreneurial DevelopmentProgramme (EDP) are alsorunning training courses.

Persons living in ruralareas with preferencebeing given to women,SC, ST and other weakersections of societyMainly persons in FoodProcessing Industry

3 M/o Health & FamilyWelfare

Basic Training of multipurposehealth worker (Female & Male)• ANM/MPW(F) TrainingCentres• HFWTC & BasicMPWA(M) Schools• Promotional training ofFemale Health Assistantin 42 training centres.Training is alsoprovided by SafdarjungHospital, St. JohnAmbulance. NTCP,NPCB, NMHP, NACP,INC, CBHI, CLTRI,PWTRC, ECH etc.

Educated youth withminimum 10th passPersons working inHealth & Family WelfareProgramme




4 M/o Heavy Industries &Public Enterprises

Vocationalization of SecondaryEducationPolytechnics + Institutions fordiploma in pharmacy, hotelmanagement, architectureCommunity Polytechnic

Student having passed10th class10th passPoorer section of societyin both rural and urban areas

5 M/o HRD Jan Shikshan Sansthan(Vocational Training Centresrun by NGOs)

Disadvantaged groups ofadults. Priority to adultneo-literates/ semiliterates, SC and ST,women/girls, oppressed,migrants, slum/pavement dwellers andworking children

6 M/o HRD Support for Distance Education& Web Based Learning (NPTEL)NIOS – Distance VocationalEducatin Programmes(Practical Training throughAccredited VocationalInstitutes (AVIs)

Enginnering and physicalsciences under-graduate/post-graduate, allteachers/ faculties inScience and Engineeringfield5th, 7th and 8th and 10thpass.

7 M/o HRD Apprenticeship Training forstudents of +2 VocationalstreamNational Programme onEarthquake Engineering

Students passing out of+2 Vocational StreamRecognized engineeringcolleges/ polytechnicsand schools ofarchitecture havingrelated academic degreeof diploma programme

8 D/o InformationTechnology

DOEACC – ‘O’ levelCEDTI

Students or working persons with 10+2 pass It conducts courses inthe filed of Electronics,Telecommunications, IT,Process Control & Instrumentation

9 M/o Labour (DGET) Craftsmen Training Scheme(CTS)Apprenticeship TrainingScheme (ATS)Craft Instructor TrainingScheme (CITS)Advanced VocationalTraining Scheme and Hi-techTraining Schemes

8th, 10th and 12th pass8th, 10th and 12th pass orNational Trade Certificate(from NCVT) HolderInstructors of ITIsIndustrial Workers/Technicians

10 M/o Labour (DGET) Supervisory TrainingWomen Training InstitutesCentral Staff Trailing andResearch InstituteModel Training Institutes and

Supervisors fromIndustryWomen (School leavers,Instructors and others)Training Executives and




Model Industrial TrainingInstitutes

PrincipalsSchool leavers with 8th,10th and 12th pass.

11 M/o Rural Development

National Institute of RuralDevelopment (NIRD)Swarnjayanti Gram SwarozgarYojana (SGSY)

Practicing Manager inrural developmentFocus is on thevulnerable groupsamong the rural poor.SC/STs should accountfor a minimum of 50%,women for 20% anddisabled for 3% of thetotal swarozgaris duringa year.

12 M/o MSME(Small IndustriesDevelopmentOrganization (SIDO)

Entrepreneurship DevelopmentProgramme.Skill Development Programme(SDP).Management DevelopmentProgramme.

WorkersEducation,unemployed youth,Entrepreneurs

13 Ministry of Social Justice& Empowerment

National Institute of MentallyHandicapped. NationalInstitute for the OrthopedicallyHandicapped. Institute forPhysically Handicapped.National Institute for theHearing Handicapped, NationalHandicapped Finance andDevelopment Corporation,National Scheme of Liberationand Rehabilitation ofScavengers and theirDependents. NationalScheduled Castes andScheduled tribes Finance andDevelopment Corporation.Rehabilitation Council of India.Apparel Export PromotionCouncil (AEPC)

Disadvantaged andmarginalizedsections of thesociety viz., SC,Minorities, B.C..Persons withdisabilities. AgedPersons. Streetchildren and victimsof Drug Abuse etc.Workers in GarmentIndustry

14 M/o Textiles Decentralized TrainingProgramme. Weavers’ ServicesCentres, Cooperative Training.Power loom Centres. IndianJute Industries ResearchAssociation, Central WoolDevelopment Board, CentralSilk Board. Training Centresfor Handicrafts. North-easternHandicrafts and HandloomsDevelopment Corporation.

Skill upgradation ofWorkers in textileIndustry.

15 D/o Tourism Food Craft Institutes underState Governments.

10th Pass

16 M/o Tribal Affairs Vocational training Centres(VTC) in Tribal Areas.(100%central assistance is given toState/UT/NGOs )

Unemployed Tribal Youth(Each person is giventraining in two trades)

17 M/o Urban Urban Self Employment Urban Unemployed or




Development& Poverty Alleviation

Programme under SwarnaJayanti Shahari Rozgar Yojana

underemployed poorbelow poverty line

18 HUDCO & others inConstruction sector

Building Centres (HUDCO)Company run schools (NBCC,HCC, L&T, ECC etc.) &association etc.Construction IndustryDevelopment Council (CIDC) &Others

Persons engaged inConstruction IndustryWorker & Supervisorhaving qualifications ofVth to XIIth Standard.

19 D/o Women & ChildDevelopment

Support to Training andEmployment Programme forWomen (STEP)Swalamban (previouslyNORAD)

To provide updated skillsand new knowledge topoor and assetlesswomen traditionalsectorsTo train poor womenmostly in non-traditionaltrades.


Training in Home scalepreservation of fruits andvegetables (by CommunityFood and Nutrition ExtensionUnits (CFNEUs)

Housewives andAdolescent girls with aview to promotepreservation andconsumption of fruitsand vegetables whichprovide much neededmicronutrients, as wellas to provided necessaryskills which could beuseful for incomegeneration purposes.


Central Social Welfare Board(programmes are organized byvoluntary organizations)Women EmpowermentProgramme in collaborationwith IGNOU (Trainingprogramme on “Empoweringwomen through SHG”)

To train women inmarketable trades andalso to upgrade theirskills for gettingremunerativeemploymentopportunities.To organize women intoeffective Self HelpGroups.


Kishori Shakit YojanaOther programmes likeUDISHA, Training of AnganwadiWorkers, NIPCCB, RashtriyaMahila Kosh etc.

To train and equipadolescent girls toimprove home based andvocational skills

The above list seems humungous, but as has been pointed out repeatedly, is not exhaustive. There are several important Government departments, Industry Association, Regulatory Institution that run important centre of Education not covered yet. Mention can be made for Department of Atomic Energy which runs several courses, Department of Statistics which runs Indian Statistical Institute, Department of Commerce which runs The Indian Institute of Foreign Trade; Among Industry Association Banking & insurance industry run National Institute of Bank Management, Institute of Development Banking & Research, Institute of Actuaries; Regulatory Institutions like Deptt. Of Civil Aviation that run courses for Pilots & Aeronautical Engineers, Railways & Shipping Deptts. which run several courses for Logistics Management, Rail Engineering & Marine Technologists etc. The list of courses can expand further “Research” is done. One of the problems in our Education system is how to mate the “Skill Development courses” with pupils who have the ‘Right aptitude” for them. The students while selecting course, must make informed choices. For which they should understand the system, have information of these




opportunity & make decisions as per their aptitude. However, in practice, neither student his parent or teachers are in position to have an exhaustive list of choice of courses, have fleeting idea about the curriculum of the courses, little information of the bankability of the quality of educational institute and almost no idea about the opportunity structure that might be present after completion of the course.

To add further to the confusion, there are institutes offering “Foreign Education”, Testing & Certification programs. These institutes are licensed training partners of popular Foreign Institutes & Industrial Training who offer coaching at their ‘Centres’ while Test is via Online Test or sometimes at a Location within India and frequently tests are required to be taken abroad. Just quite frequently, the programs are also distance learning program of those institutes. Frequently, a wanna be student is lost about the intellectual merit as well as utility of passing the program as proper counseling is not available. The students get absorbed into taking the course basis advertisement by the ‘centre’ and word of mouth campaign that is initiated by the institute.

The present “Education system’ often criticized as “Examination system”, is not a true test of child’s capacity. Creativity and independent thinking is not encouraged. The system lacks “capacity” to reach all and suffers from a vast deficit in terms of “quality” of its output. Traditionally, Indian elite have harboured “Bramhanical” mindset with disdain for physical work and marked preference for “Brain/Mind” work. Such preference is also noted while selecting jobs where premium is given to “Desk work” over working on “Shop floor”. This has led to a bias for attainment of “Professional” status and thus a preference for Graduate studies irrespective of “Quality of output”, Low bankability of institutions, Lack of potential & intellectual merit of the student and almost no benefit in terms of attaining marketable skills.

Almost 60-65% of the students that walk through normal K-12 (Kindergarten to 12 standard) followed by Graduation with very small number opting for vocational skills & other tertiary options. In more advanced countries like the United States, more people opt for Vocational skills imparting “Associate Degrees & diploma” than intellectually challenging “Graduate” course. In India, partly due to attitude, partly lack of information and lastly because of poor course planning & level of skill development in vocational courses, students & their parents have not shown much interest. Industry on its part has been hiring graduates (who otherwise have little marketable skills, especially those which have passed from not so reputed colleges) in the hidden mis-belief that it helps in underlining their “Professionally Managed” status and then spending a part of its fortune in training them for output. Why even the industry has been passive to Vocational courses raises a big question mark on the ability of Vocational Training system in India.




Development in Education Sector, 2008 onwards

Coordinated Action on skill development as proposed by Planning Commission was approved by the Cabinet on 15th May, 2008. The Coordinated Action is the major initiative for achieving 11th Plan objective of inclusive growth and development through coordination and harmonization of skill development initiatives of different players. The action aims at creation of a pool of skilled manpower in numbers with adequate skills that meets the employment requirement across various sectors of the national economy. The approved Coordinated Action on Skill Development envisages setting up of institutional structure involving PM’s Council on Skill Development for policy direction to be supported by National Skill Development Coordination Board (NSDCB) chaired by Deputy Chairman, Planning Commission and National Skill Development Corporation under Ministry of Finance. The institutional structure has been put in place. PM’s Council on National Skill Development has Union Ministersof key Ministries of Finance, HRD, MSME, Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises, Rural Development, Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation, Labour, Deputy Chairman, Planning Commission, Chairperson, National Manufacturing Competitiveness Council, Chairperson of National Skill Development Corporation and six expertsin the area of skill development. The main functions of the Council are:-

(i) To lay down overall broad Policy objectives, financing and governance models and strategies relating to skillDevelopment.(ii) To review the progress of schemes, and guide on midcourse corrections, additions and closure of parts or whole of any particular programme / scheme,(iii) Coordinate Public Sector/Private Sector Initiatives in a framework of a collaborative action.

The Council has set a target of creating 500 million skilled people by 2022 with emphasis on inclusivity so as to deal with divides of gender, rural / urban, organized / unorganized, employment and traditional / contemporary work place. It has laid down the core governing principles and operating strategies for skill development. Some of the key governance principles for skill development strategy include designing of programmes under which the learner can pay the skill provider directly, skills are fungible and bankable, and individuals are enabled to convert their knowledge and skills through adequate testing and certification into higher diplomas and degrees. The emphasis is on promoting multiple models of delivery that can respond to differing situations in various States and to utilize existing available infrastructure of educational institutions for skill development after school hours without affecting formal education. The State Governments are encouraged to set up the State-level coordinationbody for skill development.

National Skill Development Coordination BoardThe NSDCB is entrusted with the coordination and harmonization of the Governments’ initiatives for skill development spread across the seventeen Central Ministries and State Governments with the initiatives of the National Skill Development Corporation. It has twelve members which includes Secretaries of Central Ministries




of Labour & Employment, Rural Development, Finance, Higher Education; Chief Secretaries of Four States by rotation, for a period of two years; three Distinguished Academicians / Subject Area Specialists; and Chairperson / Chief Executive Officer of the National Skill Development Corporation besides Deputy Chairman, Planning Commission as Chairman and Secretary, Planning Commission as the Member Secretary of the Board. The main functions of the Board include:(i) Enumerating strategies to implement the decisions of the Prime Minister’s National Council on Skill Development(ii) To develop suitable operational guidelines and instructions to achieve the objectives of skill development requirement of the economy.(iii) Initiating solutions and strategies to address the problems of regional imbalance in skill development infrastructure; socio-economic, rural-urban and gender divide; quality teachers; ensuring effective utilization of investment in terms of money and infrastructure; integrating varying existing regulatory institutions; involving private sector to develop skills for wage/self employment and Promoting apprenticeship / on-the-job training for creation of skilled personnel to address both unemployability and unemployment problems.(iii) Encouraging the State governments to put in place similar institutional structures.(iv) Establishment of National Skill Inventory and National Database for Skill Deficiency Mapping on National Web Portal to facilitate exchange of information between prospective employers and job seekers .(v) Coordinating and facilitating the repositioning of Employment Exchanges as Outreach points for storing andproviding information on employment and skill development(vi) Coordinate the establishment of a “Credible accreditation system” and a “guidance framework” for all accrediting agencies of different Ministries and Private Players(vii) Monitoring, evaluating and analyzing the outcomes of the various schemes and programmes and apprising the Apex Council.

The Board has constituted five Sub-Committees to look into various aspects of the skill development viz. Curriculum revision; Remodeling Apprenticeship Training; Evolving Vision on the Status of Vocational Education and Training in Educational System; Institutional Mechanism for Skill Mapping and Skill Inventory on Real Time Basis and Improvement in Accreditation and Certification System.

The National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC), a non-profit Company under Section 25 of the Companies Act, has been set up under the Ministry of Finance. It has a equity base of Rs 10 crore of which 49% is contributed by the Govt and 51 % by the private sector. The Corporation has two tier structure viz a 15 Member Board and a National Skill Development Fund (NSDF) as a 100% government owned Trust to facilitate its mandate of coordinating and stimulating private sector initiative in the area of skill development with enhancedflexibility and effectiveness. The 15 members of the Board include six government nominees, one of whom is the Chairman (a private person) of the Corporation and 9 are private members including Chief Executive Officer. The NSDF, operating arm of the NSDC, is created with corpus with Rs. 995.10 crore as Government owned Trust toreceive financial contributions from donors, private entities, government (both Central and State), statutory bodies, financial institutions etc. The NSDC and NSDF would enter into an Investment Management Agreement whereby NSDF would provide funds to NSDC for furtherance of the objective of skill development in accordance with the approved work and financial plan. The NSDC would charge a management fee from NSDF for managing its resources. The beneficiaries of the Trust are the youth of India which require skill development and vocational training. Its main functions are as follows:

(i) It will make periodic as well as an annual report of its plans and activities and put them in the public domain.(ii) Establishing a Trainee Placement and Tracking System for effective evaluation and future policy planning.(iii) Establish credible independent Certification systems for both V.E. and V.T. with the scope for permitting vertical and horizontal mobility within and between V.E. and V.T..NATIONAL SKILL COUNCIL: VISION, STRATEGY AND COREPRINCIPLES1. VISION(a) Massive Ambition: Our aspirations must exceed our current resources. Our vision should create 500 million skilled people by 2022.(b) High Inclusivity : We must design the skill system for inclusivity and to deal with the divides of gender, rural /




urban, organized / unorganized employment, and traditional /contemporary work place.(c) Dynamic and Self-healing : The system must be designed so that supply (trained candidates) adjusts dynamically to changes in demand.2. STRATEGY(a) Folding the future in: If we start from our current position, we are likely to extrapolate. Folding the future in allows us to innovate.(b) Skills must be made Fungible : The rigid boundaries between categories of Education e.g. diplomas and degrees has created a structure of rigid “caste systems” within education. This must be transformed into a more open / flexible system that permits competent individuals to accumulate their knowledge and skills, and convert them through Testing and Certification into higher diplomas and degrees.(c) Skills must be made Bankable : We must make the process of skill acquisition bankable, especially for the poor. This will force a demand driven approach.(d) Co-created Solutions : The States and Districts within States are in various stages of development. We have to accept a very asymmetric India as a starting point. We have to work with States, civil society and community leaders. Public-private partnerships are only one part of the broader concept of co-creation.(e) Game-changing Delivery / Innovation : To give an example, the Planning Commission proposal conceives setting up 50,000 Skill Development Centers over the plan period. If we need to game change delivery, an alternative model could be to make available very public institution above the high school level, numbering over two lakhs in the country, after class hours for skill development by the Private Sector. Necessary regulations could be brought in by the local management authority of the particular educational institution. It would immediately make available the stock of public investment to combine with private sector capacity thereby helping the private sector to generate skills at lower costs, as it will not have to invest in buildings for skilltraining.(f) Multi-lingual Instruction; English as a Vocational Skill : English is a vocational skill. It substantially improves labour mobility and improves employment outcomes since English is now like Windows, an operating system for business. Accelerated English learning classes must be included in Vocational training curriculums and attempts must be made to incentivize English instruction.3. CORE OPERATING PRINCIPLES(a) Government Money must target Market failure; No need to crowd out or complete with private financing : Private resources are becoming available in specific industries and functions. The 19 Central Ministries and their budgets must target the massive market failure in vocational training for labour market outsiders (less skilled, less educated, people from small towns, women, women coming back from a childbreak, etc) mostly via funding innovations.(b) Decentralize; Encourage and Incentivize States to form Skill Missions : Most Delivery systems (ITIs, Employment Exchanges, Employment Officers, etc) are controlled by States. States must be incentivized to set up missions that do not undertake delivery but as an aggregator and aligner of skill efforts. Activities for the mission include funding public and private delivery, underwriting apprenticeships, introducing performance management systems for skill delivery, revamping Employment Exchanges, Creating an Asset Bank, Activating SCVTs, etc.(c) Do not use money for Building or Hard Assets : Very little of the massive increase in funds for skill development in the 11th Plan should be used for building or hard asset creation. The system today does not have a hardware problem but a software problem. Additionally there are many government buildings (both centre and state) that could be put into an asset bank (with no transfer of title or ownership) and used for private and public delivery.(d) Focus on Modularity, Open architecture and Short Term Courses; do not reimburse for courses more than six months : Vocational training cannot replace what should have been taught in schools. The current phase of reform (next five years) should focus on short, relevant and effective courses that get candidates into the workplace. The Ministry of Labour has evolved a framework called the Modular Employability Scheme (MES) that is more nimble and must replace all traditional NCVT curriculums. Requiring longer courses to emerge by welding together modules keeps the system dynamic and open to feedback. But the repair pipeline will run dry if the prepare pipeline is not fixed and skill efforts must be accompanied by a huge dose of education reform.(e) Separate financing from delivery; Make public money available for private and public delivery : Todaygovernment money is only available for government delivery. This lack of choice and competition (between delivery models and methods) blunts incentives to make the system effective, scalable and self-healing (real time




feedback to curriculum based on demand). The principle of “let a thousand flowers bloom” in the context of business models, pedagogies, delivery technologies and methodologies must be encouraged.(f) Link financing to outcomes; overwhelming metric should be jobs : Today public and private training isfinanced largely on input metrics No. of courses, no. Of students, faculty etc. Unlike education, outcomes invocational training are easy to measure binary; it either leads to a job or not. We need to move all government financing linked to placement ratios and outcomes. Subsidiary metrics could be drop out ratios and entry / exit gate assessment distance.(g) Use Candidates as financing vehicles rather than institutions; Create choice and competition : The bulk of the financing must be made available directly to candidates rather than to training institutions. This could be structured as a scholarship, skill voucher, outcome based reimbursement, etc but candidate choice is crucial to creating competition and making the system self-healing, effective and scalable.(h) Create infrastructure for on-the-job-training; Encourage Apprenticeships : Formal training is powerfulbut formal apprenticeships are a powerful vehicle for skill development because of “learning while earning” and“learning by doing”. The enabling infrastructure for large numbers of formal apprentices needs to be built that includes modifications to the Apprenticeship Act, Integrating the MES scheme of DGET, equipping Employment Exchanges to offer matching etc.(i) Create Infrastructure for Information Asymmetry; Publicize Rating and Outcome Information for Training Institutions : Most candidates today are making training choices without any information around outcome metrics (largely jobs). We need to create a framework and infrastructure for information dissemination around key metrics for public and private training institutions. The framework would include a voluntary rating and participatory ranking system that would be different from current accreditation framework.(j) Infrastructure for Effective Entry / Exit gate; Effective Assessment and Credible Certification : Today both entry and exit gates for vocational training are wide open. But assessment is more important than training and an entry gate must be effective at “binning” candidates into various pools. The exit gate must serve as credible certification that would allow employers to use it as a proxy to fast track job applicants. Credible certification greatly reduces friction because of the “signaling value”.(k) Restructure Employment Exchanges to Career Centers : Employment Exchanges need to be restructured as aggregators who will channelize candidates into jobs, apprenticeships and training. They will need to be equipped with capabilities for assessment, career counseling, training registration, electronic registration, call and email handling etc.(l) Expand Formal Employment : Formal employment is not only fiscally attractive but more amenable to financing innovations, has more effective matching and a higher “corridor” effect from improved employability. This will require a review of existing state and central legislation that encourages or amplifies informal or unorganized employment.4. APPROACH TO METRICS(a) Diversity of Skills (Number of Skills) : There is a need to identify, catalog and project the range and depth of skills e.g. Traditional, Industrial-era and Post-Industrial era skills to understand and present the vast array of skills that individuals can choose from.(b) Talent Pool (Number of Skilled): The ultimate measure is the “500 Million” we are envisioning. The idea is to track the population of, skilled, not to go down the path of estimating needs etc.(c) Employment Outcomes (No. of Jobs) : Vocational education must ensure a job for those that seek it. Theconversion rate must be an anchor metrics for all spending and institutions.

NATIONAL POLICY ON SKILL DEVELOPMENTA National Policy on Skill Development has been formulated by the Ministry of Labour & Employment and which has been approved by the Cabinet in its meeting held on 23rd February, 2009. The objective is to create a workforce empowered with improved skills, knowledge and internationally recognized qualifications to gain access to decent employment and ensure India’s competitiveness in the dynamic Global Labour market. It aims at increase in productivity of workforce both in the organized and the unorganized sectors, seeking increased participation of youth, women, disabled and other disadvantaged sections and to synergize efforts of various sectors and reform the present system. The salient features of the Policy are :

(a) Demand driven system guided by labour market signals thereby reducing skills mismatch.(b) Expansion of outreach using established as well as innovative approaches.




(c) National Vocational Qualifications Framework which will interalia include opportunities for horizontal and vertical mobility between general and technical education, recognition and certification of competencies irrespective of mode of learning.(d) System to deliver ‘competencies’ in line with nationally and internationally recognized standards.(e) Focus on new emerging occupations.(f) Focus on pre-employment training and Life long learning(g) Equity consideration – adequate participation of women, disabled persons and disadvantaged groups including economically backward & minorities – enhancing their access to training; improving employability and increasing employment opportunities.(h) Stress on research, planning and monitoring(i) Involvement of social partners – responsibility for management and financing of the system would be shared with all stakeholders and provide greater space for Public Private Partnership.(j) Promoting excellence.(k) Use of modern training technologies including distance learning, e-learning, web based learning, etc.(l) Skill upgradation of trainers, their quality assurance, and improvement of status.

While the agenda of the present dispensation seems pretty elaborate, much would depend upon implementation. If previous experience is any guide, most Government programs end up creating new silos, which create further dissonance in the system as various bodies vie for “Greater control of Resources” & maximize their own power. Frequently such power acquisition is about controlling a key decision, which means one more ‘nod’ to be sought by hapless public or entrepreneur in order to see fructification of his/her project. Such structures benefit key players, generally “Political supporter” of the government to launch their projects with support from the system while managing a “say” in the system so as to avoid adverse policies or Government action in future. It ends up creating bureaucratic hurdle than evangelizing or alleviating social ills. Also, at the ground level in the education system are three key players; 1) Teacher 2) Child 3) Parent. All of the three key players have all but very limited idea about the grand structure & design of the system. It is yet to been seen that how the system touches these three players and motivates & incentivize them to work forward to participate in creation & maintenance of the new structure. The level of empowerment & support systems to the three key players are yet to be decided & rolled out by the new policy/system while their specific roles & responsibilities are yet to be assessed. The changes in to behaviour of the regulating bodies like the board, University, Accreditation agencies are also to be envisaged to carry out the overhaul of the system. Also awaited is the scope on which the system would apply i.e .the Government bodies or silos that shall be shaken up & transformed at Central, state & Municipal levels (with Univ., Boards, Educational institutes & schools under them) and exactly how they shall be impacted. Influence & participation of the Private “Not-for-Profit” & ‘For Profit” segment is also to be visualized. We need to ensure that whatever structure emerges, the Teacher, Child & Parent must feel liberated i.e. have proper understanding of the processes, systems and possibilities; of behaviours, tendency and Delivery expectation from making a choice; and also have freedom to make their own informed decisions to be able to ‘Ride’ or benefit from the sector.




Role of Emerging Private Sector

A failed public education system, high socio-aspirational value attached to education and increasing affordability have all converged to drive demand for quality education (synonymous with private institutes). While private players have been active in the informal education space (Tutorials, Entrance Coaching, Vocational Training etc.) for a few decades, the ‘not-for-profit’ mandate has kept profit-driven corporates away from the $40bn opportunity. In the $10bn non-formal space, scalability remains an issue in most pockets. Inability to transform the businesses into a ‘process-driven’ model from ‘people-driven’, as also lumpy nature of revenues, has materially curtailed scalability in the highly fragmented and largely regional markets. While scale is attainable in a few pockets, it has been difficult for the business to scale – our stand is vindicated by the dearth of scaled-up players in the space.

While India has been proactive on liberalization, Education has remained largely untouched by the reforms process so far. A ‘priority sector’ status does ensure fund flow to an extent, but the government’s agenda of ‘social inclusion’ has trapped Education Sector in a regulatory maze. Archaic rules mandate all formal educational institutes in India to be run as ‘not-for-profit’ centers under a society (registration under the Societies Registration Act 1860) or a public trust (Registration Act 1908). Any surplus funds generated in the process of running formal schools/ Higher Education Institutes have to be ploughed back into the same school/ Higher Education Institute and no dividends can be distributed.

Private sector has taken initiative to ‘manage’ regulatory environment. There model is based on ‘extracting’ profits through sale of services from trusts (schools and Educational Institutes) in the form of lease rentals and management fee, while some players have taken the age-old informal structure to the next level. The nascent corporate activity in the formal education space is using a two-level structure to circumvent the ‘not-for-profit’ diktat. While multi-layered regulations have meant that 80% of the opportunity (formal education) remains elusive to commercial activity, ‘innovative’ players like Prominent among them are NIIT, Educomp, Aptech Arena etc. are successfully using these structures to scale up.

Quite a few venture capitalists & Angel investors have also joined in the private efforts, though in what appears to be an uncertain regulatory environment. Just to name a few:

WestBridge Capital PartnersSequoia Capital Lightspeed Venture Partners IDFC Private Equity Manipal Education & MedicalGroup (HSBC PE Asia)Helix Investments Gaja Capital Helion VenturesSAIF Partners Manipal Education Group Aditya Birla Group KPCB, Sherpalo Ventures & InfoedgeCapital18, the venture capital arm of media group Network18 Solutions Pvt. LtdLightspeed Venture Partners Matrix PartenrsSource: Websites

While entry of private players is welcome since it spurs innovation in the segment and creates fresh incentive systems for improving productivity, leads to creation of Capacity and resulting competition helps in improvement of Quality along with decline in costs. It needs to be seen if the Private players are interested in the Full Scope offered by the sector or just have special focus i.e. Focus on marketing a new Trendier method of education usually delivered through usage of Audio-Visual media. While full sector is likely to grow to an USD 80 billion market, the ‘Trendy” segment may be just about 5-10% of this market. Since the Not-for-Profit mandate keeps away 80% of this scope away from the Private sector, private segment shall be left to cater to just about USD 1.6




billion market Of the market nearly 60-70% is likely in the Tertiary segment since the sector is already dominated by the ‘Private Not-for-Profit” sector, the rest is likely to be from Primary, Secondary & vocational sectors.

If the Private sector wants to be able to address the Full Scope of the market, they shall have to eventually partner with a host of Government Agencies as well as not-for-profit organizations to develop ‘Real solutions” that help to empower the three key players viz. The Child, Parent and the Teacher. They shall need to bring around Curriculum supplements along with innovative teaching delivery mechanism so that a Child’s interest & curiosity are nourished, help in planning & conduct of specific activities that help a child participate in the learning process & identify his natural aptitudes. The sector should also empower Teachers/School Administration to be able to deliver proper “Guidance & Counselling” to the child/Parent so that the can together develop an “approach” to further the child’s talent & skill development efforts. Above all, the trio should be empowered to “research” its way out of their problems as well as to contribute positively to the society.




an essay on education - analysis of education system in india. what we need to modify?

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