Agencies and pojects in Education

1.      SCERT (State Council of Educational Research and Training) functions as an institute at the state level by providing guidance, support and assistance to the State Education Department in its endeavor to improve the quality of elementary and secondary education and teacher education. To achieve this goal, the SCERT conducts research Studies, develops information systems, curricular policies, and instructional materials and co-ordinates in-service education for teachers at all levels. SCERT is concerned with the academic aspects of school education including formulation of curriculum, preparation of textbooks, teachers' handbooks and teacher training. It advises the Government on policy matters relating to school education. The academic activities and programmes of SCERT are carried out by the various departments / units.

2.      National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) is an autonomous organization set up in 1961 by the Government of India to assist and advise the Central and State Governments on policies and programmes for qualitative improvement in school education. Major objectives of the NCERT and its constituent units are to:

1. Undertake, aid, promote and coordinate research in areas related to school education;
2. Prepare and publish model textbooks, supplementary material, newsletters, journals and other related literature;
3. Organize pre-service and in-service training of teachers;
4. Develop and disseminate innovative educational techniques and practices;
5. Collaborate and network with state educational departments, universities, NGOs and other educational institutions;
6. Act as a clearing house for ideas and information in matters related to school education; and
7. Act as a nodal agency for achieving goals of universalisation of elementary education.

In addition to research, development, training, extension, publication and dissemination activities, the NCERT is an implementation agency for bilateral cultural exchange programmes with other countries in the field of school education The NCERT also interacts and works in collaboration with the international organizations, visiting foreign delegations and offers various training facilities to educational personnel from developing countries. The major Constituent Units of the NCERT which are located in different regions of the country are:

1. National Institute of Education (NIE), New Delhi
2. Central Institute of Educational Technology (CIET), New Delhi
3. Pandit Sunderlal Sharma Central Institute of Vocational Education (PSSCIVE), Bhopal
4. Regional Institute of Education (RIE), Ajmer
5. Regional Institute of Education (RIE), Bhopal
6. Regional Institute of Education (RIE), Bhubaneshwar
7. Regional Institute of Education (RIE), Mysore
8. North East Regional Institute of Education (NERIE), Shillong.

3.      The National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE), in its previous status since 1973, was an advisory body for the Central and State Governments on all matters pertaining to teacher education. The National Policy on Education (NPE), 1986 and the Programme of Action there under, envisaged a National Council for Teacher Education with statutory status and necessary resources as a first step for overhauling the system of teacher education. The National Council for Teacher Education as a statutory body came into existence in pursuance of the National Council for Teacher Education Act, 1993 (No. 73 of 1993) on the 17th August,1995.
The main objective of the NCTE is to achieve planned and coordinated development of the teacher education system throughout the country, the regulation and proper maintenance of Norms and Standards in the teacher education system and for matters connected therewith.

4.      UGC (University Grants Commission) was recommended in 1945 and formed in 1946 to oversee the work of the three Central Universities of Aligarh, Banaras and, Delhi. In 1947, the Committee was entrusted with the responsibility of dealing with all the then existing Universities. After independence, the University Education Commission was set up in 1948 under the Chairmanship of S. Radhakrishnan and it recommended that the UGC be reconstituted on the general model of the University Grants Commission of the United Kingdom.UGC was formally inaugurated by Abul Kalam Azad, the Minister of Education, Natural Resources and Scientific Research on 28 December 1953.However UGC was formally established in November 1956, by an Act of Parliament in 1956, as a statutory body of the Government of India. In order to ensure effective region-wise coverage throughout the country, the UGC has decentralised its operations by setting up six regional centres at Pune, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Bhopal, Guwahati and Bangalore.

The UGC has the unique distinction of being the only grant-giving agency in the country which has been vested with two responsibilities: that of providing funds and that of coordination, determination and maintenance of standards in institutions of higher education.

The UGC's mandate includes:

• Promoting and coordinating university education.
• Determining and maintaining standards of teaching, examination and research in universities.
• Framing regulations on minimum standards of education.
• Monitoring developments in the field of collegiate and university education; disbursing grants to the universities and colleges.
• Serving as a vital link between the Union and state governments and institutions of higher learning.
• Advising the Central and State governments on the measures necessary for improvement of university education.

5.       National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) is an organization that assesses and accredits institutions of higher education in India. It is an autonomous body funded by University Grants Commission of Government of India headquartered in Bangalore. Accreditation from NAAC is a three part process consisting of the preparation and submission of a self-study report by the unit of assessment. Once completed and published an on-site visit of the peer team for validation of the self-study report is done with recommendations of the assessment. Lastly, the final decision is made by the Executive Committee of the NAAC

6.      National University of Educational Planning and Administration (NUEPA), established by the Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India, is a premier organization dealing with capacity building and research in planning and management of education not only in India but also in South Asia. In recognition of the pioneering work done by the organization in the field of educational planning and administration, the Government of India have empowered it to award its own degrees by way of conferring it the status of Deemed to be University in August, 2006. Like any Central University, NUEPA is fully maintained by the Government of India. The National University has its origin dating back to 1962 when the UNESCO established the Asian Regional Centre for Educational Planners and Administrators which later became the Asian Institute of Educational Planning and Administration in 1965. After 4 years of its existence, it was taken over by the Government of India and renamed as the National Staff College for Educational Planners and Administrators. Subsequently, with the increased roles and functions of the National Staff College, particularly in capacity building, research and professional support services to governments, it was again renamed as the National Institute of Educational Planning and Administration (NIEPA) in 1979.

7.      In 1986, Govt. of India established DIETs (District Institute of Education and Training) in selected districts all over India as a part of National Education Policy 1986. The ultimate aim of this centrally sponsored scheme is to ensure the quality in primary education.

Objectives

To provide academic and resource support at the grass roots level for the success of the various strategies and programmes being undertaken in the areas of elementary and adult education, with special reference to the following objectives.

• To give support to schools and teachers for improving the quality of primary education.

• To provide enough extension services to social welfare department, SSA and local self government and ensure convergence among these departments.

• To provide support and training to literacy mission which extends primary and secondary education facilities to neo literates.

8.      Right To Education (RTE) Act, 2009

Right of children to Free and Compulsory Education Act Provides for free and compulsory education to all children of the age of six to fourteen years The Right of children to Free and Compulsory Education Act came into force from April 1, 2010. This was a historic day for the people of India as from this day the right to education will be accorded the same legal status as the right to life as provided by Article 21A of the Indian Constitution. Every child in the age group of 6-14 years will be provided 8 years of elementary education in an age appropriate classroom in the vicinity of his/her neighbourhood.

RTE has been a part of the directive principles of the State Policy under Article 45 of the Constitution, which is part of Chapter 4 of the Constitution. And rights in Chapter 4 are not enforceable. For the first time in the history of India we have made this right enforceable by putting it in Chapter 3 of the Constitution as Article 21. This entitles children to have the right to education enforced as a fundamental right.
Any cost that prevents a child from accessing school will be borne by the State which shall have the responsibility of enrolling the child as well as ensuring attendance and completion of 8 years of schooling. No child shall be denied admission for want of documents; no child shall be turned away if the admission cycle in the school is over and no child shall be asked to take an admission test. Children with disabilities will also be educated in the mainstream schools. All private schools shall be required to enroll children from weaker sections and disadvantaged communities in their incoming class to the extent of 25% of their enrolment, by simple random selection. No seats in this quota can be left vacant. These children will be treated on par with all the other children in the school and subsidized by the State at the rate of average per learner costs in the government schools (unless the per learner costs in the private school are lower).

9. THE RIGHT TO INFORMATION ACT, 2005

An Act to provide for setting out the practical regime of right to information for citizens to secure access to information under the control of public authorities, in order to promote transparency and accountability in the working of every public authority, the constitution of a Central Information Commission and State Information Commissions and for matters connected therewith or incidental there to.

The right to information is implicitly guaranteed by the Constitution. However, with a view to set out a practical regime for securing information, the Indian Parliament enacted the Right to Information Act, 2005 and thus gave a powerful tool to the citizens to get information from the Government as a matter of right. This law is very comprehensive and covers almost all matters of governance and has the widest possible reach, being applicable to Government at all levels- Union, State and. Local as well as recipients of government grants.

9.      District Primary Education Programme

• Scheme of District primary Education Programme (DPEP) was launched in 1994 as a major initiative to revitalize the primary education system and to achieve the objective of universalization of primary education.

• DPEP adopts a holistic approach to reduce disparities among social groups and an ‘area- specific approach’ with district as the unit of planning.

• The programme components include construction of classrooms and infrastructure, opening of Non- formal/ Alternative Schooling Centers, strengthening of State Councils of Education Research and Training (SCERTs)/ District Institute of Educational Training (DIETs), teacher training, special interventions for promoting education of disadvantages groups, girls, SC/ ST etc.

• DPEP is an externally aided project 85 per cent of the project cost is met by the Central Govt. and the remaining 15 per cent is shared by the concerned State Govt. The Central Govt. share is resourced through external assistance as grant from EC/ DFIP/ UNICEF/ Netherlands has been tied- up for DPEP.

10.   Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) is Government of India's flagship programme for achievement of Universalization of Elementary Education (UEE) in a time bound manner, as mandated by 86th amendment to the Constitution of India making free and compulsory Education to the Children of 6-14 years age group, a Fundamental Right.SSA is being implemented in partnership with State Governments to cover the entire country and address the needs of 192 million children in 1.1 million habitations. The programme seeks to open new schools in those habitations which do not have schooling facilities and strengthen existing school infrastructure through provision of additional class rooms, toilets, drinking water, maintenance grant and school improvement grants. Existing schools with inadequate teacher strength are provided with additional teachers, while the capacity of existing teachers is being strengthened by extensive training, grants for developing teaching-learning materials and strengthening of the academic support structure at a cluster, block and district level. SSA seeks to provide quality elementary education including life skills. SSA has a special focus on girl's education and children with special needs. SSA also seeks to provide computer education to bridge the digital divide.

11.RMSA(Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan)

This scheme was launched in March, 2009 with the objective to enhance access to secondary education and to improve its quality. The implementation of the scheme started from 2009-10. It is envisaged to achieve an enrolment rate of 75% from 52.26% in 2005-06 at secondary stage within 5 years of implementation of the scheme by providing a secondary school within a reasonable distance of any habitation. The other objectives include improving quality of education imparted at secondary level through making all secondary schools conform to prescribed norms, removing gender, socio-economic and disability barriers, providing universal access to secondary level education by 2017, i.e., by the end of 12th Five Year Plan and achieving universal retention by 2020.

Important physical facilities provided under the scheme are:

(i) Additional class rooms, (ii) Laboratories, (iii) Libraries, (iv) Art and crafts room, (v) Toilet blocks, (vi) Drinking water provisions and (vii) Residential Hostels for Teachers in remote areas.

Important quality interventions provided under the scheme are:

(i) appointment of additional teachers to reduce PTR to 30:1, (ii) focus on Science, Math and English education, (iii) In-service training of teachers, (iv) science laboratories, (v) ICT enabled education, (vi) curriculum reforms; and (vii) teaching learning reforms.

Important equity interventions provided in the scheme are:

(i) special focus in micro planning (ii) preference to Ashram schools for upgradation (iii) preference to areas with concentration of SC/ST/Minority for opening of schools (iv) special enrolment drive for the weaker section (v) more female teachers in schools; and (vi) separate toilet blocks for girls.

12.  RUSA (Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan) National Higher Education Mission (2013)

The key objectives of RUSA are to improve access, equity and quality in higher education  through planned development of higher education at the state level. Such planning will create  by creating new academic institutions, and expand the existing institutions, that are self-reliant  in terms of quality education, professionally managed, and characterized by greater inclination  towards research and provide students with education that is relevant to them as well the  nation as a whole.

Role of Education in Social Change

                                                                             The role of education as an agent or instrument of social change and social development is widely recognized today. Social change may take place – when humans need change. Social change takes place as a response to many types of changes that take place in the social and nonsocial environment. Education can initiate social changes by bringing about a change in outlook and attitude of man. It can bring about a change in the pattern of social relationships and thereby it may cause social changes. Introduction Education can be used as a tool to empower the individual. Through child centered learning, students are able to see their own role in transformation.

Education, Social Change and Modernisation:-

Education has been accepted as one major agency of socialization, and teachers and educational institutions as socializing agents. In describing education as an instrument of social change, three things are important: the agents of change, the content of change, and the social background of those who are sought to be changed, i.e. students. Educational institutions under the control of different cultural groups reflect the values of those groups which support and control education. In this situation, teachers impart specific values, aspirations and to the children. Social reformers, who were educated values like removal of caste restrictions, equality of women, doing away with social evils, social customs and practices, voice in the governance of the country, establishing democratic institutions and so on. They, thus, wanted to teach liberal philosophy through education for changing society. In other words they regarded education as a flame or light of knowledge which dispelled the darkness of ignorance.

                                              The relationship between educational system and society is mutual; sometimes the society influences changes in educational system and at other times the educational system influences changes in the society.

Education of Women:-

                         The National Policy on Education, 1986 also laid emphasis on education for attaining women’s equality which will foster the development of new values. The strategies proposed are: encouraging educational institutions to take up active programmes to further women’s development removal of women’s illiteracy, removing obstacles inhibiting their access to elementary education, and pursuing policy of non- discrimination to eliminate sex stereotyping in vocational, technical and professional courses.

Education of SCs, STs. And OBCs

                     Education is directly related to the development of an individual and the community. It is the most important single factor for economic development as well as social emancipation. For the weaker sections of society, education has a special significance because for a number of centuries, their illiteracy and social backwardness have been used for their harassment, humiliation and economic exploitation.

Nature Of Social Change And Its Impact On Education-Change In Wider Social Environment :-

                          The change may be in the total social environment surrounding the society. It may be due to some internal forces or external forces arising in other societies. Social phenomena occurring in neighboring or distant societies have very widespread impact now. English, for example, is now became a world language for dissemination of knowledge and consequently India feels the necessity to emphasis the need for retaining and strengthening the knowledge of English in order to continue to be

benefited by new knowledge developing all over the world.

Change In Social Goals, Objectives And Values:-

                       The social change may be in social goals, objectives and values. The changes may be in social values that directly affect the content of social roles and social interaction. For example, the adoption of equality as a value may ultimately lead to compulsory and free primary education, to expansion of primary educational facilities to all children up to the age of fourteen and to providing financial and other aid to backward classes for enabling them to avail of the expanded educational facilities.

Institutional Social Changes.

The social change may be „institutional‟ which includes change in more definite structures such as form of organization, roles and role content. The adoption of democracy and adult franchise in India has made training in responsible and responsive citizenship absolutely necessary for the electorate. This may ultimately affect the content and the method of teaching in educational institutions as well as the teacher-taught relationships.

Changes In Knowledge And Technology

                            The changes may be in the existing knowledge and technology. Space exploration, industrialization, agricultural and domestic technology, development of  transportation, and mass media of communication, new understanding of the human organism, individual and social behavior are some of the scientific and technological areas in which knowledge has expanded a great deal and will still continue to expand. Thus, the development of knowledge and technology may bring changes in syllabus, teaching and evaluating methods and role of teacher.

Change in Size And Composition Of Population

                      The change may be in the size and composition of population. The explosion of population with differential rates of increase in different regions, communities, socio-economic groups and age groups may necessitate many changes in the educational system. Students with different levels of intelligence and educational aspirations, belonging to different socio-economic classes, different castes and religious groups have begun to come in the same type of educational institution and are huddled in same classroom. All these changes also necessitate change in the educational system.

                            Thus, different types of social changes occurring in society make the existing educational system dysfunctional to a certain extent and in course of time pressurize to bring changes in it.

Social Change and Lags In Indian Educational System

                                       In response to social change educational system must also change. The change may be in consonance with the social change and meet the new goals and demands of various social groups adequately. Otherwise a lag is created between the goals and demands of the society and the goals and demands of the educational system. A number of such lags have occurred in the Indian educational system after independence and in many ways perform a dys functional role in Indian society. This has been accepted by the Kothari Commission very clearly. It reported:

“As is well known, the existing system of education is largely unrelated to life and there is a wide gulf between its content and purposes and the concerns of national development. Instead of promoting social and national integration and making an active effort to promote national consciousness, several features of the educational system promote divisive tendencies; caste loyalties are encouraged in a number of private educational institutions; the rich and poor are segregated, the former attending the better type of private schools which charge fees while the latter are forced, out of circumstances, to attend free government or local authority.

Modernisation of Education in India: Problems

                                    The modernization of education in India becomes a special problem in several ways. India has adopted the path of economic development within the framework of a free society and therefore it cannot adopt authoritarian means to modernize education. The centre has to get the willing consent of the states and each state has to get the willing consent of its elected representatives in their legislative assemblies before introducing any major change in the allocation of resources to education or in the educational system itself. Secondly, India has no colonies to depend on for resources to meet the expenditure on modernizing its educational system. It has to depend on its own self and find out its own resources which are bound to be very limited. But, it can avail assistance from advanced countries and international agencies like UNESCO which have developed programmes to assist educational development in developing countries.

                                       The aims, methods and organization of education which may be functional for one group may be dysfunctional for the other. Lastly, in western societies, economic modernization preceded political and social modernization. Consequently, in their educational thinking, they could lay more emphasis on the needs of the individual than on the economic needs of the country. But India, being largely agricultural and poor has to think of the economic needs of the country before it thinks of the needs of individuals. It cannot initially afford to waste its resources on educational programmes that are not productive in economic terms. Thus the Indian education system needs a complete overhaul through proper legislation and its effective implementation. Legislations should be made taking into account the regional diversities of each state. The masses should be made aware of the new developments.

Conclusion

                    Education has become one of the influential instruments of social change in India. It has led to the mobilization of people’s aspirations for development and change. Thus in modern complex national societies, education can neither be regarded as a controlling force conserving cultural heritage, nor could it be viewed as an agent of social change. It can only be regarded as a cooperative force in bringing about social changes decided by the forces possessing more pervasive power in society. Thus the Indian education system needs a complete overhaul through proper legislation and its effective implementation. Legislations should be made taking into account the regional diversities of each state. The masses should be made aware of the new developments.