The National Network of Education (NNE) has compiled a list of initiatives taken by the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) during the year 2008. The following are the steps taken by the HRD Ministry to revolutionize the educational scenario of the country:

The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Bill, 2008:

'The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Bill, 2008' was introduced in the Rajya Sabha on December 15, 2008. According to the Bill, the State Governments will provide free and compulsory education to all children of the age group of six to fourteen years. It would lead to significant reform in the Elementary Education System and would ensure universalization of elementary education of satisfactory and equitable quality.

The Bill provides for:

(i) The right of children to free and compulsory education till completion of elementary education. It clarifies that 'compulsory education' means obligation of the Government to provide free elementary education and ensure compulsory admission, attendance and completion of elementary education to every child in the six to fourteen age groups. It makes provisions for a non-admitted child to be admitted to an age appropriate class.

(ii) The Bill specifies the duties and responsibilities of Governments, local authority and parents in providing free and compulsory education. It directs to share financial and other responsibilities between the Central and State Governments.

(iii) The Bill puts importance on the norms and standards of Pupil Teacher Ratios (PTRs), buildings and infrastructure, school working days, teacher working hours.

(iv) The Bill ensures that thee is no urban-rural imbalance in teacher postings. It aims to provide a specified pupil teacher ratio, maintained for each school, rather than just as an average for the State or District or Block. It also provides for prohibition of deployment of teachers for non-educational work, other than decennial census, elections to local authority, state legislatures and parliament, and disaster relief.

(v) The Bill provides for appointment of trained teachers; teachers with the requisite entry and academic qualifications.

(vi) It prohibits physical punishment and mental harassment, screening procedures for admission of children, capitation fees, private tuition by teachers and running of schools without recognition.

(vii) It provides for development of curriculum in consonance with the values enshrined in the Constitution, and which would ensure the all-round development of the child, building on the child's knowledge, potentiality and talent and making the child free of fear, trauma and anxiety through a system of child friendly and child centred learning.

(viii) The Bill provides for protection and monitoring of the child's right to free and compulsory education and redresses of grievances by the National and State Commissions for Protection of Child Rights, which shall have the powers of a civil court.

Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA)

Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) programme was started in 2001-02 to universalize elementary education in the country. The programme seeks to provide access, equity, retention and quality in the area of elementary education.

Area Intensive & Madrassa Modernization Programme (AIMMP):

The Area Intensive & Madrassa Modernization Programme (AIMMP) has been revised as a distinct scheme by the MHRD.

(i) The component of Madrassa Modernization has been revised in November, 2008 as "The Scheme for Providing Quality Education in Madrassas (SPQEM)". This initiative has been taken by the MHRD to bring about qualitative improvement in madrassas and enable children to attain standards of the national education system in formal education subjects.

About 6000 madrassass, 1800 mdrassa Teachers and 7 lakh children are expected to be covered under the scheme. During the current financial year, 2008-2009, Rs.2700.02 lakh have been released for 4597 Madrassas in the states of Chattisgarh, Maharashtra, UP and Madhya Pradesh under Madrassa Modernization component.

(ii) The component of Area Intensive has been revised as 'The Scheme for Infrastructure Development in Minority Institutions (IDMI)' and has been operationalised in December, 2008 to provide augmented infrastructure in private aided/unaided minority schools/ institutions in order to enhance quality of education to minority children.

The scheme is expected to assist about 400 minority schools/institutions.

Rs.25.00 lakh has been released to UP state under Area Intensive component of AIMMP during the current financial year 2008-09, which is 49.55% against the outlay of Rs.55.00 crore of the scheme.

MDM scheme:

'The National Programme of Nutritional Support to Primary Education (NP-NSPE)' was launched as a Centrally Sponsored Scheme on 15th August 1995, initially in 2408 blocks in the country. The scheme has been launched with a view to encouraging enrolment, retention and attendance in elementary schools and simultaneously improving nutritional levels among children.

The Scheme has been gradually strengthened and broadened its coverage and now is available to all children of classes I to VIII attending government and government aided schools and AIE/EGS centres. The Scheme covers 11.97 crore children attending claeess in 12.79 lakh schools across the country.

MHRD has laid special emphasis on effective monitoring of the Scheme; improve the infrastructure for preparation of mid-day meal in schools. MHRD is also in the process of developing a Monitoring Institutions Schemes (MIS) for strengthening the monitoring mechanism.

Secondary Education:

The Ministry of Human Resource Development has allotted Rs.53550 crore to the Secondary Education in the 11th Plan as against the allocation of Rs.4,325 crore during the 10th plan. In 2008, a National Merit-cum-Means Scholarships Scheme has been launched to award 11 lakh scholarships to students upto class IX per year.

A new centrally sponsored scheme to establish one high quality model school in each block of the country to serve as schools of excellence has been launched from 2008.

A "National Scheme of Incentive to Girls for Secondary Education", to provide a one time incentive mainly for SC & ST girls has been launched in 2008.

A new centrally sponsored scheme to set up girls' hostels in about 3,500 educationally backward blocks has been launched in 2008-09. Under this scheme priority will be given to girls belonging to SC/ST/OBC/ Minority communities.

Setting up of 20 Navodaya Vidyalayas in districts having a large concentration of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes has been sanctioned.

10 Schools will be set up in districts having a large concentration of Scheduled Castes and the remaining 10 in districts having large concentration of Scheduled Tribes.

The scheme of Integrated Education for Disabled Children has been restructured to focus on children with disability at secondary stage.

Nine new Kendriya Vidyalayas have been opened in 2008-09.

One new Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya has been sanctioned, and 6 new Vidyalayas made functional in 2008-09.

Adult Education:

Various steps have been taken by the MHRD to view Adult Education as a continuation from basic literacy to continuing education. A series of consultations and review meetings have been held over the course of the last year in order to redesign the strategy of the National Literacy Mission for basic literacy and continuing education.

Higher Education:

The Higher Education Sector has faced rapid growth during the XI Plan
Following is the major developments:

Six new Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), one each in Bihar, Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan, Orissa, Gujarat and Punjab have been set up during XI Plan. Classes have been started from the academic session 2008-09.

One new Indian Institute of Management (IIM), namely Rajiv Gandhi Indian Institute of Management (RGIIM) has been set up at Shillong in Meghalaya. Classes have been started from the current academic session 2008-09.

Five new Indian Institutes of Science Education & Research (IISERs) have been set up at Kolkata, Pune, Mohali, Bhopal and Thiruvananthapuram during XI Plan.

Two new Schools of Planning & Architecture (SPAs) have been set up at Bhopal in Madhya Pradesh and Vijayawada in Andhra Pradesh. Classes have started from the academic session 2008-09 through temporary premises.

One new Central University, namely Indira Gandhi National Tribal University has been established at Amarkantak in Madhya Pradesh under an Act of Parliament.

From 2008 onwards, 100% seats of the National Institutes of Technology (NITs) are to be filled up on All India merit basis. It is a major policy shift as earlier admission in NITs is based on AIEEE conducted by CBSE by allocating 50% of the seats to the States where the NITs are located and the remaining 50% used to be earmarked for other States / UTs till 2007.

The Pay Review Committee constituted for teachers in higher education submitted its report which was referred to an Empowered Committee constituted on 10th October, 2008. The Central Government has accepted the recommendations of the Empowered Committee. Consequently, pay and service conditions in Colleges and Universities have been substantially improved in order to attract and retain talented persons in the teaching career.

Assistance for the establishment of 374 colleges in districts having gross enrolment ratio in higher education lower than the national average.

A new Scheme has been started to cover top 2% of the student population of class XII (equally divided between boys and girls on the basis of class XII results) by providing them with scholarship of Rs.1000/- per month for 10 months in a year for under-graduate level studies and Rs.2000/- per month for 10 months in a year for post-graduate level studies.

Central Educational Institutions' fund, offered by the Central Government increased by 54% so that there is no reduction in the availability of the general category seats due to the implementation of 27% OBC reservations.

AICTE has permitted evening shifts in the engineering colleges and polytechnics.

The celebration of the first 'National Education Day' was inaugurated by the President on 11 November, 2008 at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi, in memory of the great freedom fighter, visionary and the first Education Minister of Independent India, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad.