Central Government Secondary Education Teaching Urdu Language Scholarships Higher Education Loan

400 PC Increased in Education

400 PC Increased in Education

New Delhi: The Central Government is all set to unleash a revolution in the education sector.

The action plan is ready for setting up 6,000 new model schools covering all blocks, 30 central universities and expanding the capacities of vocational institutions, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said at the Planning Commission meeting on Thursday.

Chairing the full meeting of the Planning Commission, the Prime Minister said that outlay for education in the 11th Five-Year Plan (Rs 2.5 lakh crore) represents fourfold increase over the 10th Plan. The share of education in the total Plan will correspondingly increase from 7.7 per cent to 19.4 per cent.

In its first-ever exclusive meeting on the education sector, the Planning Commission focused its strategies on public-private participation and investment in infrastructure. It also stressed the need for quality education in primary education with a special attention to districts with concentrations of SC, ST and minority populations.

It also fixed the target of reducing the elementary dropout rate from 51 to 20 per cent by 2011-12. It was also decided raise secondary education general enrolment rate from 52 to 75 per cent.

The Planning Commission wanted the Government to ensure equity through special focus on education of girls, including incentives and hostels as suggested by the Fatmi Committee. It also suggested support to all madarsas for adoption of general curriculum of states and also for teaching of Urdu language.

It suggested rationalization of fee structure in the higher education.Briefing reporters, Planning Commission Deputy- Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia said the Commission agreed for the proposal to provide scholarships to all needy and deserving students in higher education. It also wanted establishment of a higher education loan guarantee authority to facilitate education loans.

Human Resource Development Minister Arjun Singh said there was a need to hike fees in central and state universities and colleges. The increase would be in a phased manner and details would have to be worked out, he added.

11th Plan Outlay

400 PC Increased in Education

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