New Delhi: The Government is committed to improve the quality of education and it is a continuous ongoing process. The vision of the Ministry is to realize India’s human resource potential to its fullest in the education sector with equity and inclusion. The Government is committed to provide equitable access to quality education to all sections of the society. Ministry of Human Resource Development took a leap forward in transforming education sector with the motto of “Sabko Shiksha, Achchi Shiksha” (Quality education to all). ‘Education For All & Quality Education’ guided policy actions and decisions enabling transformation have emphasized upon making education Available, Accessible, Affordable and Accountable.
‘Education for All’ has driven the expansion in education with new institutes of School (KVS, NVS), initiatives such as Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act, 2009, Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) programme which aim for improvement in school infrastructure and in teaching and learning, Swachh Vidyalaya and e-governance initiatives like ShaGun Portal, e-Pathshala, Shaala Siddhi, Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA), ICT in Schools, Centrally Sponsored Scheme on Teacher Education (CSSTE), Rashtriya Avishkar Abhiyan in secondary education and in Higher Education, new institutions like IITs, IIMs, IIITs, IISER etc. have been set up and Institutional capacity building initiatives like, SWAYAM PRABHA – DTH channels on 24X7 basis for educational programmes, restructuring of IIT fees to make more inclusive, Amendments in UGC Act to make more gender sensitive, SWAYAM – MOOCs etc. have been undertaken. On the other hand ‘Quality Education’ has been emphasized with the thrust on promoting research & innovation, and initiatives like Impacting Research Innovation and Technology (IMPRINT), Global Initiative of Academic Network (GIAN), National Digital Library, National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF), Higher Educational Financing Agency (HEFA), Digital ISBN, National Academic Depository (NAD), Seema Darshan, Kala Utsav, Prashikshak Portal etc.
Further, the Government is in the process of formulating a New Education Policy for which wide ranging consultations were undertaken at multiple levels of online, expert/thematic and grassroots from village to State, Zonal levels as well as at the National level. Initially, a Committee for Evolution of the New Education Policy was constituted which submitted its report in May, 2016 and thereafter, the Ministry prepared ‘Some Inputs for the Draft National Education Policy, 2016’. Both these documents are treated as inputs for policy formulation. Suggestions and inputs have been received from various stakeholders such as, individuals, organisations, autonomous bodies, Hon’ble MPs, GoI Ministries and State Governments on various aspects of education. The exercise of preparing a New Education Policy is still ongoing as a Committee for Draft National Education Policy under the Chairmanship of Dr. K. Kasturirangan has been constituted which will consider and examine all inputs and suggestions and is expected to submit its report by 31.03.2018.
This information was given by the Minister of State (HRD), Dr. Satya Pal Singh today in a written reply to a Lok Sabha question.
