This Review is on the Department of Education of the Ministry of Human Resource Development, previously known as the Ministry of Education, Government of India. The Ministry of Human Resource Development has a Department of Elementary Education and Literacy, Department of Secondary and Higher Education and Department of Women’s Education and Child Development. The National Literacy Mission, headed by a Director General, functions under the Department of Elementary Education and Literacy. The Directorate of Adult Education functions under this Department. The Institutes of Peoples Education or Jan Sikshan Sansthans, report to the Directorate of Adult Education. The Jan Sikshan Sansthans deal with Vocational Education in the Urban Areas. In their previous incarnation, they were known as Shramik Vidyapeeths.
I have been connected with Adult Education and Literacy since the Community Projects days of 1955, when I was the Chief Social Education Organiser of a Community Project in Orissa. I was also a District Social Education Organiser in the Orissa Educational Service. I was the founder-Director of the State Resource Centre for Adult Education, at Angul, Orissa. Besides my UNESCO Mission in Indonesia, where I was the Expert in Community Development (Literacy and Communication), I am involved in the NGO Sector for promotion of Adult Education. The NGO is the Indian Adult Education Association, New Delhi.
The Minister of the HRD Ministry is Dr. Murli Manohar Joshi, former Professor of Physics of Allahabad University. The first Education Minister in independent India was Moulana Abul Kalam Azad, a great scholar. We had also Dr. Zakir Hussain, as the Education Minister, who pushed through Mahatma Gandhi’s Nai Talim or Basic Education. The Zamia Milia Islamia, now a Central University in Delhi, was established by him.
India’s Policy on Education has been influenced by the development of Education in the world. India’s membership in UNESCO stands her in good stead. The Kothari Commission Report titled ’Education and National Development’ is a comprehensive treatise, and the subsequent reports of the Committees say the same thing in a different language to satisfy the political masters.The Radhakrishnan Committee Report on Secondary Education is another document which every educationist should go through. UNESCO’s Report titled ’Learning to be - the state of education today and tomorrow’ is a must for every serious student of education.
The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) at New Delhi is the think tank of the Ministry in matters relating to Secondary Education. The National Institute of Educational Planning and Administration (NIEPA) is engaged in research and documentation. The State Departments of Education look to to the Centre for advice and guidance, but their political bosses have their own way of doing things partly driven by senses of arrogance and ignorance.
But what are the ground realities? Professor Humayun Kabir, at one time a Minister of Education had said that if a boy is educated, an individual only is educated, but if a girl is educated, a family is educated. How true ! So, Women’s Education is our first priority. Adult Education and Literacy are high priority areas. Science Education and Science Popularisation are a must for a country like India where even educated people entertain superstitious beliefs. The Kerala Sastra Sahitya Parishat should be our role model in this field. And finally, it is the parents like you and I , no matter where we are, who need education, preferably through the distance education mode. I will close by quoting Swami Vivekananda, who had said ’’ Education is the manifestation of perfection already in man, and Religion is the manifestation of divinity already in man.’’