Human Development Index and Gender Development Index of India

The human development index (HDI) compiled by the UNDP, is a summary measure of a countrys human development. It measures the average achievements in a country in three basic dimensions:

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a long and healthy life, as measured by life expectancy at birth; access to knowledge, as measured by the adult literacy rate and the combined gross enrolment (sic) ratio in education; and a decent standard of living, as measured by GDP per capita in purchasing power parity(PPP) US dollars.

These three dimensions are standardized to values between 0 and 1, and the simple average is taken to arrive at the overall HDI value in the range 0 to 1. Countries are then ranked on the basis of this value with a rank of 1 representing the highest HDI value. India ranks 134 among 182 countries and is classified as a medium HDI country. Between 1980 and 2007, Indias HDI increased by about 1.3% every year. Many African countries show even higher growth rates in HDI, reflecting the very low levels they were at in 1980. Most high income countries show growth rates between 0.25 to 0.5% per year over this period. The ranking clearly showed India has slipped in comparative terms in ensuring a better quality of life for its citizens as in the previous index, compiled together for 2007 and 2008, it ranked 128, while the position the year before was 126. Norway, Australia and Iceland top the HDI while Afghanistan, Sierra Leone and Niger are the bottom of the HDI.

Gender Development Index of India

In terms of the Gender Development Index, India ranks 113 out of 157 countries. Gender Development Index is calculated with the use of 3 variables

Life Expectancy Education Estimated Earned Income

Government Expenditure in Social Sector The government to improve these parameters that affect the HDI and GDI has increasingly been spending higher on social services as a proportion of total expenditure and was 22.5% for 2008. Expenditure on education and health care has also increased

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Education in India

EDUCATION IN INDIA

BEFORE 1976, education was exclusively the responsibility of states, the Central government was only concerned with certain areas like co-ordination and determination of standards in technical and higher education, etc. In 1976, through a Constitutional amendment, education became a joint responsibility. Decisions regarding the organisation and structure of education are largely the concern of the states. However, the Union government has a clear responsibility regarding the quality and character of education. In addition to policy formulation, the Ministry of Human Resource Development, Department of Education shares with the states the responsibility for educational planning. The Central Advisory Board of Education (CABE), set up during the pre-Independence period in 1935, continues to play a lead role in the evolution and monitoring of educational policies and programmes, the most notable of which are the National Policy on Education (NPE), 1986, Programme of Action (POA), 1986 and a revised NPE and POA (1992). ELEMENTARY EDUCATION

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The National Policy on Education envisages that free and compulsory education of satisfactory quality should be provided to all children up to the age of 14 years before the commencement of 21st century. The target of universalising elementary education has been divided into three broad parameters i.e. universal access, universal retention and universal achievement during the Eighth Five Year Plan. As a result of the efforts made by the Central government and INDIAN MEDIA State governments, 94 per cent of countrys rural population have primary schools within one km and 84 per cent have upper primary schools within three km. This has resulted in : (i) Enrolment of children of 6-14 years of age in primary and upper primary schools has gone up steadily since independence to 87 and 50 per cent respectively; (ii) Significant improvements have taken place in enrolment of girls and SCs/STs; and (iii) Number of primary and upper primary schools have gone up from 2.23 lakh in 1950-51 to 7.75 lakh in 1996-97. Accordingly the number of teachers in primary and upper primary schools has also gone up from 6.24 lakh to 30.84 lakh during this period. The Central and State governments have over a period of time, evolved strategies to check drop-out rates and improve levels of achievements in the schools, the key elements of which include : (i) creating parental awareness and community mobilisation; (ii) involvement of communities and PRIs (73rd and 74th Constitutional Amendments); (iii) economic incentives; (iv) improvement in the content and process of schooling (Minimum levels of Learning); (v) District Primary Education Programme initiative; and (vi) National Programme of Nutritional Support to Primary Education (Mid-day Meals Scheme). The 83rd Constitutional Amendment Bill has been introduced in the Rajya Sabha to make the right to elementary education a fundamental right and a fundamental duty. A Group of experts on educational finance set up to examine the requirement of additional resources to make education compulsory for the 6-14-year-old children has since submitted its report which is under examination. The National Elementary Education Mission has been set up. A National Committee of State Education Ministers has been set up under the Chairmanship of the Minister of Human Resource Development to develop the structure and outline of implementing Universalisation of Elementary THE INDIAN VISA SERVICE CENTRE (IVSC) I Education in a mission mode. OPERATION BLACKBOARD The Operation Blackboard Scheme launched in 1987-88, aims at providing essential facilities (two teachers and teaching learning equipment) in all primary schools in the country in a phased manner. The scheme was expanded during 1993-94 to provide third teacher to primary schools with enrolment exceeding 100 and to cover upper primary schools through provision of additional teachers and teaching learning equipments. The scheme provides 100 per cent Central assistance for teaching learning equipment and for salaries of teachers during the Plan period. Construction of school buildings is States responsibility. During the period 1987-88 to 1998-99, teaching learning equipment has been sanctioned to all targeted primary and upper primary schools numbering 5,22,902 and 1,25,241 respectively. The post of third teacher has been sanctioned for 57,037 primary schools and of additional teachers for 71,614 upper primary schools. During 1999-2000, 30,000 posts of third teacher in primary schools and 20,000 posts of additional teachers in
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upperprimary schools are proposed to be sanctioned. LOK JUMBISH An innovative project called Lok Jumbish (Peoples movement for Education for All) with assistance from Swedish International Development Authority (SIDA) has been undertaken in Rajasthan. The basic objective of the project is to achieve Education for All through peoples mobilisation and their participation. During 1997-98 the programme was in operation in 75 blocks. In all 232 clusters were selected; 5,683 villages extensively covered for environment building and community contact; 2,816 womens groups constituted; school mapping activity undertaken in 4,006 villages; 383 primary schools opened; 227 primary schools upgraded to upper primary schools and 2,326 Non-formal centres opened under the project. The Lok Jumbish project has made a positive contribution to quality improvement through the development of improved MLL based textbooks from classes I-IV, which have been mainstreamed in all government schools of Rajasthan. NATIONAL PROGRAMME OF NUTRITIONAL SUPPORT TO PRIMARY EDUCATION

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A National Programme of Nutritional Support to Primary Education commonly called the Midday Meals Scheme launched on 15 August 1995 is aimed at improving enrolment, attendance and retention while simultaneously impacting on the nutrition status of students in primary classes. The programme envisages provision of cooked meals/processed food for children studying in classes I-V in all government, local body and government aided primary schools. During 1998-99, 9.75 crore children studying in 6.88 lakh schools were covered. A sum of Rs 1,031 crore has been allocated during 1999-2000. Central assistance under the programme is available for the reimbursement of cost of foodgrains and Embassy Monthly Newsletter for transportation charges for movement of foodgrains from FCI godowns to schools/villages. Salaries of cooks, helpers, etc., as well as expenditure on construction of kitchen sheds needed under the programme are eligible for coverage under the poverty alleviation schemes. Other costs of conversion of foodgrains into cooked meal/processed food are to be met by implementing agencies/states. Foodgrains (wheat/rice) at three kg per child per month, are being distributed where arrangements for provision of hot cooked meal/processed food have not yet been made.
CURRENT ISSUE ARCHIVES

EDUCATION FOR WOMENS EQUALITY The effort has been made by the Government of India to reduce gender disparities in education through various programmes and schemes since independence, specially since the adoption of National Policy on Education (NPE), 1996 modified in 1992. The NPE is committed to a well conceived edge in favour of women. It recognises that the education of women is possibly the most crucial condition for the participation of girls and women in the developmental process. The major schemes/programmes for improvement of women are as under: (i) Mahila Samakhya, one of the most successful efforts to link womens empowerment with education, which has been extended to 46 districts; (ii) The Total Literacy Campaign which is successful in raising the demand for education, especially among women. In most of the 450 districts, women make up 60 per cent of adult enrolled in the programme; (iii) Under the Scheme of Operation Blackboard, of the 1.47 lakh teachers appointed, 47 per cent are women; (iv) Non-formal Education centres run exclusively for girls get 90 per cent assistance from the Central government. The share of such centres has been increased from 25 per cent to 40 per cent; (v) District Primary Education Programme is under implementation in 163 low female literacy districts; (vi) Vocational Education and Training - Vocational Education +2 Stage, Community Polytechnic, Shramik Vidyapiths etc; (vii) At the other end of the spectrum are the Navodaya Vidyalayas, centres for excellence, where at least one-third of the students are to be girls. In both, Navodaya Vidyalayas and Kendriya Vidyalayas, education for girls is free up to Class XII; (viii) In many states, free education for girls is already part of the effort to improve participation rates; (ix) The University Grants Commission (UGC) has been encouraging institutions to take up research projects in the area of womens studies by providing the necessary funds. UGC has also assisted 22 universities and 11 colleges to set up womens studies centres. This is in addition to the 40 positions of part-time research associateships for women; and (x) National strategy for ensuring greater participation of women in educational fields (under finalisation). After independence, the literacy rate of females has significantly increased. In 1951, the female literacy was only 7.3 per cent. It had increased to 39.29 per cent in 1991 and according to the 53rd round of National Sample Survey Organisation (NSSO), the literacy rate of female now stands at 50 per cent as compared to 73 per cent in male literacy at the end of December 1997. TEACHER EDUCATION As envisaged in National Policy on Education (NPE) and Programme of Action (POA)-1986, the Centrally-sponsored scheme of Restructuring and Reorganisation of Teacher Education was taken up in 1987-88 to create a viable institutional infrastructure, academic and technical resource base for orientation, training and continuous upgradation of knowledge, competence and pedagogical skills of school teachers, Adult and Non-formal functionaries and teacher educators in the country. The Scheme envisaged setting up of District Institutes of Education and Training (DIETs) in

each district to provide academic and resource support to elementary education teachers and Non-Formal Education (NFE)/Adult Education (AE) instructors. It also envisaged upgradation of selected Secondary Teacher Education Institutions (STEIs) into Colleges of Teacher Education (CTEs) and Institutes of Advanced Studies in Education (IASEs) to organise pre-service and in-service training for secondary teachers and to provide extension and resource support services to secondary schools. IASEs were expected to conduct programmes for preparation of elementary teacher educators; to conduct in-service training for elementary and secondary teacher educators and principals of secondary schools; to engage in advanced level fundamental and applied research especially of inter-disciplinary nature, and to provide academic guidelines to DIETs and support services to CTEs. 451 DIETs, 76 CTEs and 34 IASEs have been sanctioned in various States/UTs up to 31 March 1999. Financial assistance has also been extended for strengthening of 20 State Councils of Educational Research and Training (SCERTs). Ten lakh teachers have been given orientation training under Special Orientation Programme for School Teachers (SOPT) in the use of Operation Blackboard (OB) material and implementation of Minimum Levels of Learning (MLL) strategy with focus on teaching of language, mathematics and environmental studies. NATIONAL COUNCIL FOR TEACHER EDUCATION National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE) has been established as a national level statutory body by the Government of India in 1995 with the objectives of achieving planned and co-ordinated development of teacher education system, regulation and proper maintenance of norms and standards of teacher education and for matters connected therewith. Some of the major functions of the Council are laying down of norms for various teacher education courses, recognition of teacher education institutions, laying down of guidelines in respect of minimum qualification for appointment of teachers, surveys and studies, research and innovations, prevention of commercialisation of teacher education, etc. As per the provisions of the Act, four Regional Committees for the northern, southern, eastern and western regions have been set up at Jaipur, Bangalore, Bhubaneswar and Bhopal respectively. These Regional Committees consider the applications of institutions of teacher education for recognition/ permission in accordance with the provision of the Act. The Council has laid down norms and standards for preprimary, elementary and secondary teacher education institutions and for B.Ed. correspondence and distance education mode. The NCTE has taken up a number of projects for the development of teacher education in the country. SECONDARY EDUCATION Progress of secondary education from 1950-51 to 1998-99 has been as under: (i) Primary Education Institutions increased from 2.09 lakh to 6.88 lakh; (ii) Secondary Level Institutions increased from 7,416 to 1.10 lakh; (iii) Percentage of girls at secondary level increased from 13.3 per cent to 37.1 per cent; (iv) Girls enrolment increased from two lakh to 101 lakh; (v) Drop-out rate at primary level slipped down from 65 per cent in 1960-61 to 39 per cent in 1997-98 and at middle level, it reduced from 78 per cent to 54 per cent. At secondary level the rate of drop-out was 69 per cent in 1997- 98; (vi) Enrolment increased from 15 lakh to 272 lakh; (vii) The number of teachers increased from 12.7 lakh to 154.2 lakh; (viii) The teacher-pupil ratio increased from 1:21 to 1:32; (ix) Till the year 1996-97, 697 teacher training colleges were opened with enrolment of 1.16 lakh trainees; (x) As on December 1998, 857 Kendriya Vidyalayas and 400 Navodaya Vidyalayas have been set up in the country; and (xi) Provision of Rs 759.18 lakh has been made for the Ninth Plan period and of Rs 122.18 crore for the current financial year. PROMOTION OF CULTURE AND VALUES IN EDUCATION Education about Indias common cultural heritage has been identified in National Policy on Education as one of the core areas under the national system of education. A Centrally- sponsored scheme of Assistance for strengthening Culture and Values in Education is being implemented for providing assistance to Government agencies, educational institutions, Panchayat Raj institutions, registered societies, public trusts and non-profit making companies. The scheme has two broad components: (i) strengthening cultural and value education inputs in the school and non-formal education system; and (ii) the in- service training of art, craft, music and dance teachers. A total grant of Rs 54 lakh was approved for sanction to 25 organisations during 1998-99. The budget provision for the current year is kept at Rs 295 lakh. COMPUTER LITERACY AND STUDIES IN SCHOOLS A pilot project on Computer Literacy and Studies in Schools (CLASS) was initiated in 1984- 85 in collaboration with Department of Electronics. The broad objectives of the pilot project included demystification of computer and to provide hands-on experience. The project has been continued up to 1992-93 on ad hoc basis and funds to the tune of Rs 4 to 5 crore were provided on year to year basis. 2,598 schools were covered up to 1992-93. The scheme has been modified and is being implemented as a Centrally-sponsored scheme from 1993- 94. To be eligible for assistance under the modified scheme, the following conditions are to be satisfied by the State/UTs : (a) The coverage of the scheme for

new schools will be restricted to senior secondary schools; (b) In selected schools, instructions in Computer Literacy will be compulsory for all students of classes XI and XII. These instructions will be part of the school time-table with the evaluation in the subject taking place with/without formal examination and; (c) infrastructure such as a pukka room with electricity and other fittings will have to be made in the school to be covered under the project by the concerned State government, before taking up the project. The Planning Commission has identified CLASS project as one of the schemes to be weeded out in the Ninth Plan. Accordingly the Ministry of Finance has not approved the proposal to release funds during 1998-99 to the State/UT governments. The Department of Expenditure has, however, suggested that the scheme could be revamped by bringing a revised scheme before Expenditure Finance Committee for approval. UNIVERSITY AND HIGHER EDUCATION Higher Education is imparted through 221 universities in the country. Of these, there are 16 Central universities and the remaining are functioning under the State Acts. Total number of colleges in the country is 10,555. There are 40 institutions declared Deemed-to-be Universities under the University Grants Commission Act, 1956. The enrolment of students is 70.78 lakh while the number of teachers is 3.31 lakh. UNIVERSITY GRANTS COMMISSION Coordination and determination of standards in higher education is a subject of the Union List and hence a special responsibility of the Central government. This responsibility is discharged mainly through University Grants Commission (UGC) which was established in 1956 under an Act of Parliament to take measures for promotion and coordination of university education and determination and maintenance of standards in teaching, examination and research in universities. To fulfil its objectives, the Commission can enquire, among other things, into financial needs of the universities; allocate and disburse grants to them; establish and maintain common services and facilities; recommend measures for improvement of university education and give advice on allocation of grants and establishment of new universities. AUTONOMOUS RESEARCH ORGANISATIONS Indian Council of Historical Research (ICHR), New Delhi, set up in 1972 enunciates and implements a national policy on historical research and encourages scientific writing of history. It operates research projects, finances research projects by individual scholars, awards fellowships and undertakes publication and translation work. Indian Council of Philosophical Research (ICPR), which started functioning from 1981 with offices in New Delhi and Lucknow, reviews the progress, sponsors or assists projects and programmes of research in philosophy, gives financial assistance to institutions and individuals to conduct research in philosophy and allied disciplines. Indian Institute of Advanced Study (IIAS), Shimla set up in 1965 is a residential centre for advanced research on humanities, social sciences and natural sciences. It is a community of scholars engaged in exploring new frontiers of knowledge aimed at conceptual development and offering inter-disciplinary perspectives on questions of contemporary relevance. Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR), New Delhi, is an autonomous body for promoting and coordinating social science research. Its main functions are to review the progress of social science research, give advice on research activities in government or outside, sponsor research programmes and give grants to institutions and individuals for research in social sciences. TECHNICAL EDUCATION Technical education is a crucial component of human resource development with great potential for adding value to products and services and contributing to the national economy. Five Year Plans have laid great emphasis on the development of technical education. During the past five decades, there has been a phenomenal expansion of technical education sector in the country. Apart from the Government Sector, private and voluntary organisations were involved in setting up of Technical and Management Institutes in the expansion of the system. From 43 Diploma level Polytechnics with an intake of 3,400 students at the time of independence, the number has grown to 1,128 Polytechnics with the intake of 1.90 lakh students in 1997. Similarly, the number of Degree level institutions and the corresponding intake figure rose from 38 and 2,940 in 1947 to 552 and 1.36 lakh in 1997. Today, 185 institutions conduct Post Graduate courses in Engineering and Technology with an annual intake capacity of 16,800. Facilities for doctoral studies in Engineering, Technology and Applied Sciences have also been created in a number of technical institutions. Apart from the technical institutions set up by the Central and State governments, there are Centre-State joint venture institutions as well as State-aided and private institutions. All such institutions are recognised by the statutory regulatory authority, All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) set up by the Central government through an Act of Parliament. A number of premier institutes are training persons in different disciplines of Technology and Management. These include six Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) located at Mumbai, Delhi, Kanpur, Kharagpur, Chennai and Guwahati; six Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) at Ahmadabad, Calcutta, Bangalore, Lucknow,

Indore and Calicut; Indian Institute of Science(IISc), Bangalore; Specialised Higher Technical Institutes like School of Planning and Architecture (SPA), New Delhi; Indian School of Mines (ISM), National Institute for Training in Industrial Engineering (NITIE), Mumbai; National Institute for Foundry and Forge Technology (NIFFT), Ranchi and Indian Institute of Information Technology and Management (IIITM), Gwalior. In addition, 17 Regional Engineering Colleges (RECs), set up as Centre-State joint sector initiative alongwith a number of Engineering/Technological faculties of Central/State Universities and State, State-aided and Private Engineering/Technical Institutes also contribute in this regard. North-Eastern Regional Institute of Science and Technology (NERIST), Itanagar; and Sant Longowal Institute of Engineering and Technology (SLIET), Sangrur (Punjab), with their flexible academic designs and non-conventional modular courses at Certificate,Diploma and Degree levels in Engineering/Technology/ Applied Sciences cater to the technical person-power needs in an integrated manner. A vast network of Diploma level Polytechnics throughout the country contribute to the production of appropriate technical person-power as technicians in different disciplines and emerging areas of technology. There are about 1,300 diploma level polytechnics in India offering three years Diploma Courses, after 10+ or 10+2, in a large number of conventional disciplines in Engineering/Technology/Pharmacy/Architecture as well as in areas of emerging and sunrise technology. The Polytechnics are basically state-level institutions and about 50 per cent of them are set up through Private initiatives. A number of Polytechnics conduct Post-Diploma courses and Advanced Diploma courses for continuing education and career upgradation of technicians. These efforts are supplemented by a number of recognised Professional Engineering Societies like: (i) the Institution of Engineers (India); (ii) the Institution of Chemical Engineering (India); (iii) the Institution of Electronics and Tele-Communication Engineers (India); (iv) the Indian Institute of Metals; (v) the Institution of Industrial Engineers (India); (vi) the Institute of Town Planners (India); (vii) the Indian Institute of Architects, etc., who conduct Engineering/Technical Examinations at different levels for working professionals desirous of improving their technical qualifications. All such professional examinations are recognised by the Central government as equivalent to appropriate academic qualifications for appropriate levels. The Board of Assessment for educational qualifications, set up by the Government of India for the recognition of academic and professional qualifications (except those concerning Health and Medical Science), assesses and accords recognition to all such qualifications for employment purposes under the Central government. CHRONOLOGICAL HIGHLIGHTS 1953 University Grants Commission constituted. 28.9.1953 Report of the Secondary Education Commission published. 5.9.1955 An All-India Council for Secondary Education set up by the Government of India. 3.3.1958 The first report of the University Grants Commission presented to Lok Sabha. 25.7.1958 The Indian Institute of Technology inaugurated in Mumbai 31.7.1959 The Indian Institute of Technology inaugurated at Madras (Chennai). 12.1.1961 The All India Council for Secondary Education inaugurated in New Delhi. 1.9.1961 National Institute of Education set up to conduct education, research and train educational personnel. 22.4.1969 Jawaharlal Nehru University comes into effect. 1964 Education Commission appointed under the Chairmanship of Dr D.R. Kothari (October). 1.8.1975 Satellite Instructional Television Experiment inaugurated. 2.10.1979 National Adult Education Programme launched. 1985 Indira Gandhi National Open University established (September). 1986 National Policy on Education accepted by the Parliament.

For further information please visit: 1. Education Policy - http://www.education.nic.in/htmlweb/natpol.htm#1 2. Education Services - http://www.education.nic.in/htmlweb/services.htm 3. India as Education Destination http://www.educationindia4u.com 4. Single Window Services to Foreign and Non Resident Indians seeking Admission in India Through Education India Portal - http://www.educationindia4u.com

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