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LATEST NEWS UPDATES | RTE, higher education big challenges for new govt -Akshaya Mukul

RTE, higher education big challenges for new govt -Akshaya Mukul

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published Published on May 21, 2014   modified Modified on May 21, 2014
-The Times of India
 

NEW DELHI: When a new HRD minister takes over next week, he will be virtually presiding over a mess left behind by the previous government. In the first few weeks as the debris is cleared, the new minister will discover the two contrasting worlds of school and higher education.

Despite the problems and handicap the Right to Education faces, the last five years have seen the historic legislation being implemented on the ground with more and more vigour. If anything, BJP that began the process of RTE legislation in 2002 by amending the Constitution should strengthen it further with more funds and special attention to underperforming states like Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal. Quality of teachers is the biggest stumbling block in the way of a successful RTE. The system of ad-hoc teachers instead of full-time teachers has hampered its implementation.

However, the Mid-Day Meal scheme that complements RTE in many ways needs to be revamped without falling prey to the advances of the packaged food lobby. UPA-I could thwart the move by the private lobby but a section within the government was always in favour. MDM needs proper kitchen, cleanliness, better remuneration to cook-cum-helpers and transparency in the acquisition of food grain and cooking material. Continuous and Comprehensive Evaluation and making class X examination optional is still beset with problems but analysis of results over the last four years shows that in long term it has been beneficial. "It should be allowed to function for a few more years. We think it has gained ground," said a senior ministry official.

Unlike the previous NDA government, the new dispensation, some feel, needs to avoid getting into changing NCERT textbooks even if demanded by RSS-led saffron outfits. Many state governments, including a few run by BJP, have already adopted the NCERT textbooks by making small changes. During the NDA regime, many positive works by former HRD minister Murli Manohar Joshi got lost in the textbooks controversy.

It is the state of higher and technical education that needs immediate attention of the new government. Except for the Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan that promises to improve the health of state universities, higher education institutions have fallen prey to ad-hocism and favouritism of the worst kind. Selection of vice-chancellors of 12 central universities undertaken during the poll process should be junked immediately and in general the process of appointment should be more transparent and decision left to academics.

The BJP manifesto has promised a revamp of regulator UGC. UPA-II wanted to change the face of higher education through a slew of legislations but all fell through in Parliament. With its absolute majority, BJP-led government should be able to implement them. Many of these legislations are not bad in principle and with some tweaking can change the face of higher education. The new government will also face demands from certain sections to do away with Delhi University's four-year undergraduate programme that proved to be disastrous in the first year.


The Times of India, 21 May, 2014, http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Home/Education/News/RTE-higher-education-big-challenges-for-new-govt/articleshow/35406619.cms


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