PIB: State-wise literacy rates of all persons, males and females as of 2001 Census

[The following from the PIB http://pib.nic.in/release/release.asp?relid=33161]

Literacy rate in the country is collected only through the decennial census operations.  As per the last Census conducted in 2001, the literacy rate of the country was 64.84 per cent and female literacy was 53.67 per cent in respect of the population aged 7 years and above.  The literacy rate of Andhra Pradesh was 60.47 per cent and the female literacy rate was 50.43 per cent.  A statement showing the State-wise literacy rates of all persons, males and females as 2001 Census is enclosed.

The approach Paper to the XI Plan of the Planning commission has set a target of achieving 8.5 per cent  literacy rate by the end of the Plan period. 

This information was given by the Minister of State for Human Resource Development, Shri M.A.A. Fatmai in a written reply to a question by Shri Ravula Chandra Sekar Reddy  in  Rajya Sabha today.

                                                                        …..

HB/SB/literacyrate26.11

STATEMENT REGARDING LITERACY RATE IN THE COUNTRY

S.No.           State/UT                                    Literacy Rate

                                                     Male        Female                   Person

1 comment November 26th, 2007

PIB: State-wise ranking on a composite index for primary and upper primary level of education

[The following is from http://pib.nic.in/release/release.asp?relid=33162]

To assess progress of States and Union Territories towards the goal of Universalisation of Elementary Education, an Educational Development Index (EDI), has been developed by National University of Educational Planning and Administration (NUEPA).  The EDI has been developed on four broad parameters of access, infrastructure, teacher related indicators and elementary education outcomes.  State-wise ranking on a composite index for primary and upper primary level of education based on 2005-06 data, is given at Annexure.

Educationally Backward States receive priority in allocation of funds under the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan.  In addition, capacity building of these States through trainings and workshops has been undertaken, especially in components in which these States are not performing well.  

This information was given by the Minister of State for Human Resource Development, Shri M.A.A. Fatmi in a written reply to a question by Dr. Gyan Prakash Pilania in  Rajya Sabha today.

                                                                        …..

HB/SB/SB/nuepa26.11

ANNNEXURE

Composite (Primary & Upper Primary Level)Index

November 26th, 2007

Both Orissa govt. as well as Orissa Congress minister in Orissa neglect in pursuing NIFT

In https://www.orissalinks.com/?p=304 and https://www.orissalinks.com/?p=178 we mentioned reports regarding Orissa Congress central minister Mr. Chandrasekhar Sahu pursuing NIFT and getting assurance to get one for Orissa. However, today’s PIB below tells us that Orissa might miss the bus with respect to NIFT. See http://pib.nic.in/release/release.asp?relid=33181.

The Union Government proposes to open new Fashion and Textile Technology Institutes during the Eleventh Plan period. New Centres of National Institute of Fashion Technology are being set up subject to the conditions that the State Government is willing to provide land and financial support and fulfillment of feasibility conditions. Decisions about the new centres are taken by NIFT Board, a Statutory body under Ministry of Textiles, as and when the proposals from State governments are received. This information was given by the Minister of State for Textiles, Shri E.V.K.S. Elangovan, in the Lok Sabha today, in a written reply to a question by Shri N.N. Krishnadas and Shri Tathagata Satpathy.

The Minister further informed that proposals have been received from Government of Bihar and Government of Kerala for setting up NIFT Centre in their states. No formal proposal has been received from Government of Orissa.
He further stated that proposal for setting up of NIFT Centre in Bihar has been approved by NIFT Board and the matter has been taken up with State Government for allotment of land and funding support. Proposal for setting up of NIFT Centre in Kannur, Kerala will be placed for consideration of the Board in its next meeting. 

2 comments November 26th, 2007

Stepmotherly attitude of the central government and Orissa’s ability: Op-ed in Samaja

November 21st, 2007

Number of Medical Colleges established during the last three years in various states

The following table is from the PIB http://pib.nic.in/release/release.asp?relid=32920.

State-wise list of medical colleges, which have been permitted by the Central Government for being, set up during the last three years i.e. 2005-06, 2006-07 and 2007-08

November 21st, 2007

Three HRD issues (AIIMS, IIT, KBK University) to be raised by the ruling coalition in the current assembly (from Dharitri)

November 19th, 2007

GOI to partner with MIT for a health science and tech institute

Following is an excerpt from a MIT News item on this.

MIT and the government of India’s Department of Biotechnology today launched a partnership that will result in the creation of a new Translational Health Science and Technology Institute (THSTI) in India.

This new institute, which will be modeled after the Harvard-MIT Division of Health Sciences and Technology (HST), will include faculty from multiple disciplines and professions, offer degrees through multidisciplinary programs and develop strong ties with other institutions. Funded by the Indian government, the Indian HST will be a multidisciplinary, multiprofessional research and training center that is highly interconnected with regional centers of excellence.

The institute will increase India’s capacity for translating scientific and technological advancements into medical innovations that have the potential to improve healthcare both in India and around the world.

HST Director Martha Gray and Dr. M. K. Bhan, Secretary, Department of Biotechnology, Ministry of Science & Technology, Government of India, signed a letter of intent for this partnership today at a symposium in New Delhi titled "India and MIT: A Conversation about the Future."

…

"Launching this new partnership with India’s Department of Biotechnology will build on HST’s pioneering model of medical education that integrates science, medicine and engineering to solve problems of human health," said Susan Hockfield, president of MIT. "We look forward to a future of significant collaboration across disciplines, across institutions and around the world."

To foster a culture of innovation in THSTI, HST will help recruit and train new THSTI faculty members. Each year starting in September 2008 and continuing until 2011, four recruited THSTI faculty fellows will join the HST faculty. These faculty fellows will train at HST for two years. During their stay they will develop translational research programs, design courses and curricula for THSTI, and develop close relationships with HST faculty and students.

These fellows will benefit from HST’s nearly 40 years of experience bringing together science, engineering and medicine in education and translational medical research. HST’s success stories include medical innovations such as functional magnetic resonance imaging, a low-cost AIDS detection kit and novel implantable drug delivery mechanisms.

HST and MIT will also benefit from having these fellows on campus. "We will have people immersed in our program who actually know about the unmet medical needs in India and who will expose our students and faculty to those needs," said Gray.

November 19th, 2007

MM Joshi: Center neglecting Orissa

Following is an excerpt from a report in Pioneer.

BJP leader and former Union Minister Murli Manohar Joshi on Sunday met Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik at his residence, Naveen Niwas, and had breakfast with him. Sources said that both leaders discussed many issues pertaining to the interests of the State’s coalition Government and the interests of the State. “Yes, we are good friends,” he later told reporters.

Addressing a Press conference, he said the Congress-led Governments at the Centre have constantly neglected Orissa’s interests.

During the NDA regime, the foundation stone of the AIIMS was laid. But no work has yet been taken up to give it a formal shape, he said.

Though the NDA gave its nod for establishment of an international standard educational institute like National Institute of Sciences in Bhubaneswar, the UPA shifted it to Kolkata,” he pointed out.

November 19th, 2007

Co-operative university in Pune

Following is an excerpt from a news item in Hindustan Times. (After reading it I am not very clear what a co-operative university is.)

India will soon have its first co-operative university and the first of its kind in the entire South-East Asia. The Jawaharlal Nehru Co-operative University will set up in Pune.

The idea to have a full-fledged co-operative university has germinated to counter intense challenges posed by the private players to the co-operative sector institutions, which suffer due to lack of trained professionals in the area.

The Centre has agreed in principle to the proposal, which at present is under the University Grants Commission’s (UGC’s) consideration, the National Co-operative Union of India president Ghanshyam Amin said.

The proposed university will have courses such as BA (Co-operatives), MBA, law and MCE with special focus on the co-operative sector. To begin with, it will start with five courses that would be increased with the addition of new streams in future. Amin said that the existing national level co-operative institution in Pune will be upgraded to a university.

With the infrastructure readily available, the five new courses will be started as soon as the proposal is cleared by the UGC, he added. Significantly, a major source of funding for the university project would be the proposed corps fund of Rs 200 crore to be raised by the NCUI, an umbrella outfit of co-operative institutions and the Centre with both having 50 per cent stake.

November 17th, 2007

150 more Bal Bhavans next year. Will some of them be outside Delhi?

Following is an excerpt from the PIB http://pib.nic.in/release/release.asp?relid=32645.

There will be 150 more Bal Bhavans next year, said Shri Arjun Singh here today. Inaugurating the International Children’s Assembly and Integration Camp on the occasion of Children’s Day, Human Resource Development Minister Shri Arjun Singh said “there are only 74 Bal Bhavans within the country that do not suffice the need of children. Therefore, our aim should be to bring up 150 more Bal Bhavans next year and one Bal Bhavan in each village in the future”.

 As per http://www.nationalbalbhavan.nic.in/about_us.htm there are currently 52 Bal Bhavan Kendras in Delhi, 73 affiliated state Bal Bhavans and 11 state Bal Bhavan Kendras. Following is an excerpt from the Bal Bhavan pages describing what they are.

With the objective of reaching out to maximum number of children who cannot avail the facilities provided by the National Bal Bhavan Head Quarters, Bal Bhawan Kendras were opened in different localities of Delhi. At present there are 52 Bal Bhawan Kendras which are mostly located in Municipal Corporation of Delhi’s schools or Govt. Schools. These Kendras cater to the under privileged children living in slum areas, rural areas and re-settlement colonies. Part-time Instructors man these Kendras. The activities provided in these Kendras are usually Art & Craft, Dance, Vocal Music, Painting, Batik etc. These Kendras are attended to by school going, non-school going and drop-out children. 92% of the children enrolled with these Kendras belong to the lower income group categories.

Lets hope some of the new Bal Bhavans, which are funded by MHRD, are opened in others states, including in Orissa.

1 comment November 15th, 2007

Planning Commission member Bhalchandra Mungekar on the 11th Plan education budget

Following is an excerpt from a report in Times of India.

Education is set to receive a Rs 2.85 lakh crore boost, with the Planning Commission increasing the allocation for the sector by a massive 19.9% in the 11th Five Year Plan.

The education budget has been classified into elementary, adult and secondary, and higher education. For elementary education, Rs 1.25 lakh crore is being earmarked, which is a major hike from the Rs 30,000 crore allocated in the last Plan.

Likewise, the share of adult and secondary education is being increased to Rs 6,000 crore and Rs 53,000 crore, respectively. As per the plan document, Rs 84,000 crore are being set aside for higher and technical education.

Planning Commission member, Bhalchandra Mungekar, said the increase in the budget for health and education is an attempt to achieve inclusive growth.

…  "The most important issue is our agenda for reforms in higher education system, where we have asked for major structural changes," he said. "Major reforms are a must like introducing credit and semesters systems and exam reforms."

The Plan has set aside resources for a massive expansion of higher education. It seeks to establish 30 new central universities of which 16 are to be set up in areas which don’t have a central university. The rest 14 are to be model universities of world class infrastructure.

According to HRD ministry, each of these 14 universities would cost around Rs 1,000 crores. There are plans for seven more IITs, seven IIMs, 10 National Institute of Technology, five Indian Institute of Science, Education and Research, 20 IIITs and two schools of architecture. There will also be 330 new colleges in educationally backward districts.

November 14th, 2007

Lalu asks IIT, IIM and Central University for Bihar

Following is an excerpt on this from a report in Bihar Times.

Railway Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav made a number of demands for his home state, Bihar, at the meeting of the Full Planning Commission on Thursday called to approve the 11th Five-Year Plan. The meeting was chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh,

Lalu demanded setting up of an IIT and IIM in the state and at least one polytechnic institute in each district. Besides, he sought Central University status for the Patna University.

November 10th, 2007

HRD related excerpt from the PM’s address to the full planning commission

Following is an excerpt from the PIB release http://pib.nic.in/release/release.asp?relid=32510.

There are concerns that some regions of our country are falling behind in their educational attainments and this gap must be bridged by the end of the 11^th Plan. The 6000 model schools in all the Blocks, the 30 new Central Universities, the 370 new colleges in educationally backward districts and the huge expansion in the number of IITs, IIMs, IIITs and IISERs and the planned universalisation of secondary education are all going to bear fruit only if the Central and State Governments work purposefully to see that outcomes match outlays. I must emphasize the importance of quality in our institutions of higher education. The pursuit of quality requires reforms in these institutions in the way they are run. The Plan emphasizes this and I would like the Ministry of Human Resource Development and the Planning Commission to work together to see how these objectives can be actually achieved. The issue is no longer one of resources. It is of planning, management and delivery capability.

November 9th, 2007

Flying training institute to be established in Gondia, Maharashtra

Following is from the PIB release http://pib.nic.in/release/release.asp?relid=32493.

LONG-TERM MEASURES TO MEET THE SHORTAGE OF PILOTS: CONTRACTING OUT OF MANAGEMENT OF INDIRA GANDHI RASHTRIYA URAN AKADEMI AND ESTABLISHMENT OF FLYING TRAINING INSTITUTE AT GONDIA, MAHARASHTRA

The Union Cabinet today gave its approval for management contract agreement of Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Uran Akademi with M/s. CAE Inc., Canada and also gave its approval for formation of a subsidiary company of Airports Authority of India for establishing a flying and aviation training institute at Gondia in Maharashtra as a Joint Venture Enterprise with M/s. CAE, Canada.

The management for taking of IGRUA would be taken over by M/s. CAE Inc., Canada for better management of the Akademi in a more professional manner in order to produce 100 pilots per year.

The subsidiary company of AAI will establish a flying and aviation training institute which will help in meeting the growing requirements of pilots and technical manpower relating to the aviation industry.

22 comments November 8th, 2007

PIB: Center to provide 100% of the construction cost of building hostels for SC girls

Following is from the PIB press release http://pib.nic.in/release/release.asp?relid=32495.

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs today gave its approval to the proposal mooted by the Union Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment for revision of the Centrally Sponsored Scheme of Hostels for SC Girls & Boys. The primary objective of the revised scheme is to attract the implementing agencies for undertaking hostel construction programme, especially for SC girls towards the broader vision of containment and reduction of their drop out rate. According to the revised scheme, focus would be given for construction of hostels for middle and higher secondary levels of education. However, hostels can also be constructed for college and University levels of education. The hostels shall be completed within a period of two years from the date of sanction of the project.

The Government of India would meet the entire cost of construction for SC girls’ hostels as central assistance. However, in the case of boys’ hostels, the prevailing pattern of funding would continue, which is 50% for States, 100% for UT Administration, 90% for Central Universities and 45% for other Universities etc. Further, as hitherto, central assistance for NGOs would be eligible only for expansion of their existing hostel buildings. In addition to meting the cost of construction in the form of central assistance as mentioned above, the Government of India would also provide one-time grant of Rs.2500/- per student for making provisions of a cot, a table and a chair for each hosteller.

Another important provision included in the revised scheme is involvement of Panchayati Raj Institutions in the matter of selection of hostel site and overseeing the functioning of the hostels. Further, it has also been provided in the scheme that priority in allotment of hostel accommodation would be given to SC students whose parent are either “Safai Karamcharis” or engaged in unclean occupations.

1 comment November 8th, 2007

Business Standard on allocation for education in the 11th plan

Following is an excerpt from a report in Business Standard on this.

The Planning Commission, according to highly-placed sources, says GDP allocation to education will increase from its from current 3.5 per cent to 5 per cent by the end of the 11th Plan. Around 19.7 per cent of the total plan resources would be set aside for education, according to the sources in the Commission.

The Plan outlay for the education sector as a whole will thus be over Rs 2,20,000 crore,  five times more than what it was during the 10th Five-Year plan.

… The plan outlay on education has increased from Rs 151.20 crore in the 1st Five Year plan to Rs 43,825 crore in the 10th Five Year plan (2002-2007). The expenditure on education as a percentage of GDP also rose from 0.64 per cent in 1951-52 to 3.74 per cent in 2003-2004.

In fact, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in his independence day speech, had announced the setting up of eight new Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), seven Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) and 30 central universities. The government is already working on which states will house these institutes of excellence.

"With increased funds, establishing these IITs and IIMs will not be an issue with the government. Besides, the government is also looking at public-private partnership to involve private parties in education," said a professor.

With less than 50 per cent of secondary school students in India continuing college education in any form, and almost two-thirds of Indian universities and 90 per cent of the colleges being rated as "below average" on quality parameters, the funds would be utilised to put in place a better system of education.

The Planning Commission is also targeting a gross enrollment ratio (GER) of 15 per cent by 2015. In the 10th Five-Year Plan, the GER was 10 per cent.

November 7th, 2007