(a) whether the Government is aware that the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and
Development has reported that there is a substantial downfall in the quality of education in the
country;
(b) if so, the details thereof;
(c) whether the Government envisages to ensure equitable quality education as stipulated under
the sustainable development goals;
(d) if not, the reasons therefor; and
(e) the steps taken by the Government in this regard?
MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT
(DR. MAHENDRA NATH PANDEY)
(a) to (e): Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) in its Report dated
09.02.2015 has stated that India shall continue improving access to education, especially at the
secondary level, and improve the quality of education. The UN Sustainable Development Goal 4
with target year 2013 states “Ensure inclusive and quality education for all and promote lifelong
learning”.
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. Having nearly reached the goals of
universalizing elementary education, and making substantial gains in expanding access to
secondary and higher education, the focus is on improving the quality of education at all levels.
Several initiatives are currently being undertaken in this direction. In elementary education, the
Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) programme aims for improvements in school infrastructure and in
teaching and learning. Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA), ICT in Schools,
Centrally Sponsored Scheme on Teacher Education (CSSTE), Shaala Siddhi, Rashtriya Avishkar
Abhiyan are being implemented to improve the quality of secondary education. In higher
education also, various schemes ,namely, Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA), Global
Initiative for Academics Network (GIAN), Impacting Research, Innovation & Technology
(IMPRINT), Technical Education Quality Improvement Programme(TEQIP), Pandit Madan
Mohan Malviya National Mission on Teachers and Teaching (PMMMNMTT), Study Webs of
Active-Learning for Young Aspiring Minds (SWAYAM), National Digital Library, campus
connect programme, Uchhatar Avishkar Abhiyan, Unnat Bharat Abhiyan are being implemented
to improve the quality of higher education. To promote objective assessment of performance
annually, Government has launched the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) in
September 2015. A number of initiatives are also undertaken by UGC and AICTE for quality
improvement in higher and technical education.
The Government had initiated the process of formulating a New Education Policy to meet the
changing dynamics of the population’s requirement with regard to quality education, innovation
and research, aiming to make India a knowledge superpower by equipping its students with the
necessary skills and knowledge and to eliminate the shortage of manpower in science,
technology, academics and industry.
For formulating the New Education Policy (NEP), , the Government has carried out nearly a yearlong
highly participative, inclusive and multi-pronged consultation process, through online,
grassroots and thematic expert consultations across 33 identified themes. Meetings were held with
Government of India Ministries and State Governments. Six zonal meetings were also held on
NEP with the State Education Ministers, State Education Secretaries and other state officials. The
Ministry had constituted a Committee for Evolution of the New Education Policy which submitted
its report in May, 2016. Thereafter the Ministry has formulated ‘Some Inputs for the Draft
National Education Policy, 2016’ on which comments/suggestions were invited from the
Government of India Ministries, State Government, Hon’ble Members of Parliament and other
stakeholders up to 30th September, 2016. A Committee under an eminent educationist will be
appointed to prepare final draft NEP.
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