Education system of India

Education means the process of acquiring knowledge, virtue, proper conduct, technical education, technical competence, learning, etc. Education includes knowledge, proper conduct and technical competence, teaching and learning.

Education is an attempt by society to transfer its knowledge from one generation to the next. From this point of view, education acts as an institution, which plays an important role in connecting the individual with the society and maintains the continuity of the culture of the society. The child learns the basic rules, systems, norms and values of the society through education. The child can connect with the society only when he is exposed to the history of that particular society.

Education is the process of developing an individual’s inherent potential and personality. This process socializes him to play the role of an adult in society and provides him with the necessary knowledge and skills to become a member of society and a responsible citizen.

The word ‘education’ is derived from the Sanskrit word ‘Shiksha’. ‘Shiksha ‘means learning and teaching. The word ‘education’ means learning.

Views of some scholars on education:

By education I mean the all-round and perfect development of the body, mind and spirit of the child and man. (Mahatma Gandhi).
Education is the manifestation of the inner perfection of man. (Swami Vivekananda)
Education is the development of all the inner powers of a person so that he can discharge his responsibilities by taking control of his environment. (John Dewey)
Education is the process of integrated development of the individual. (The Buddha)
Education means harmonizing the inner energies with the outer life. (Herbert Spencer)
Education is the natural, progressive and harmonious development of all the faculties of man. (Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi)
Education is a powerful tool for the economic and social development of a nation. (National Education Commission, 1964-66)
Education is the means of fulfilling the basic needs of the child. (Universal Declaration on Education for All, 1990)

The main purpose of education in ancient India has been the desire for ‘liberation’ (Sa Vidya or Vimuktaye / Vidya is that which liberates). Later, the changing needs and the complexities brought by social development also changed the objectives of education.

History:

Gurukul was a type of education system in ancient India, in which disciples (students) and gurus lived in the same house.
Nalanda, where the world’s oldest university is located, has attracted students from all over the world to Indian knowledge traditions.
The British Government, through the recommendations of the Macaulay Committee, the Woods Dispatch, the Hunter Commission Report and the Indian Universities Act, 1904, brought about many reforms in the education system which played a vital role in shaping the society.

Current Status of Education in India:

The overall literacy rate of India is 74.04% which is lower than the world average of 86.3%. Many states in India fall in the average category slightly above the national literacy level.
The gender gap in literacy in India began to narrow in 1991 and the pace of improvement accelerated. However, the current female literacy rate in India (65.46% – Census 2011) is still far behind the global average of 87% reported by UNESCO in 2015.

Various legal and constitutional provisions:

Legal provisions:

The Government has implemented Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) as a part of the Right to Education (RTE) Act, 2009 for primary level (6-14 years).
Moving towards the secondary level (age group 14-18), the Government has extended SSA to secondary education through Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan.
Higher education- including undergraduate, postgraduate and MPhil / PhD levels – is addressed by the government through the Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA) to meet the needs of higher education
All these schemes have been included under the umbrella scheme of ‘Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan’.

Constitutional Provisions:

Initially Article 45 of the DPSP was intended to provide free and compulsory education for children up to the age of 14 years, which was later amended to include early childhood care and finally made a Fundamental Right (Article 21A) through the 86th Constitutional Amendment Act, 2002 due to non-fulfillment of its objectives.
Entries 64 and 65 of the Union List in Schedule 7 of the Constitution list the institutions for scientific or technical education, vocational, professional or technical training etc. funded by the Government of India.

Education as a ‘State Subject’:

The Government of India Act, 1935 created the federal structure and placed education in the provincial list.
In post-independence India, education remained a state subject.
However, during the Emergency, the Swaran Singh Committee recommended the transfer of education to the Concurrent List, which was implemented through the 42nd Constitutional Amendment, 1976.
The 44th Constitutional Amendment was an attempt to rectify the changes to some extent.

Why should education be included in the State List?

The framers of the Constitution had initially placed education in the State List, as they believed that local governments were better able to meet educational needs.

Effects of the 42nd Amendment:

Unilateral inclusion of education in the Concurrent List during the Emergency damaged the federal structure.
Giving special control over education to the states will restore the balance of power as envisaged by the framers of the Constitution.

State-specific policies:

States can tailor their educational policies to suit their specific cultural, linguistic and socio-economic circumstances.
This ensures that education is relevant and responsive to the needs of the local population and can be important for improving literacy rates and educational outcomes.
For example, under Article 350A, efforts should be made to provide primary education in the mother tongue.

There are different policies:

Central government policies such as the National Education Policy and the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) often conflict with state policies, leading to inefficiency and deprivation.

Allocation of resources:

States that make significant investments in their educational infrastructure should have the right to regulate and benefit from their investments without interference from the Central Government.
The 2022 report of the Ministry of Education states that the majority (85%) of the expenditure on education is borne by the states.

Determination of Eligibility:

Centralized entrance exams like NEET do not necessarily reflect the merit or ability of students from diverse educational backgrounds.
States should have flexibility in framing admission criteria so that the potential of students can be better assessed and nurtured.
The Tamil Nadu Admission to Professional Educational Institutions Act, 2006, upheld by the Madras High Court and the Supreme Court, supports the argument that common entrance tests do not determine merit.
In Neil Aurelio Nunes and Others v. Union of India and Others, the Supreme Court held that marks are not a determining factor of merit.

The issue of accountability:

If important institutions are brought under the purview of the State, it will ensure the accountability of the State about quality education in a streamlined manner.

Why education should not be included in the state list?

Primary Education Status:

As per ASER 2023 report, most of the rural children in the age group of 14-18 years cannot solve mathematical questions of class 3, while more than 25% children cannot read. This shows the poor administration of education in the states.

National integration and mobility:

The Kothari Commission (1964-66) emphasised the importance of a uniform educational structure in the states to promote national integration and cultural exchange.
The Concurrent List allows the Centre to set key national standards, while states can adapt them to local contexts, thereby promoting both unity and diversity.

Ensuring minimum standards and equity:

The Right to Education (RTI) Act 2009 guarantees a minimum level of education across India.
Keeping education concurrent helps the Centre monitor implementation, while also ensuring that disadvantaged sections get access to quality education, irrespective of their state.

Standardization of Skills and Employment:

The FICCI (Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry) report highlights the need for a standardized national curriculum to ensure that graduates have the skills required for a pan-India job market.
A Concurrent List facilitates this by establishing a common framework allowing states to design vocational training.

Regulation of National Institutions and Accreditation:

Keeping education concurrent helps the Centre to monitor as well as ensure quality standards in these institutions, which impart education to students across the country.

Addressing National Concerns and Emergencies:

The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 outlines strategies for areas of national importance such as digital literacy and artificial intelligence.
New national challenges like climate change also require an integrated pedagogical approach.
A concurrent list allows the Centre to develop a national curriculum that addresses these emerging issues while accommodating state-specific concerns.

Solution:

Cooperative federalism:

The focus should be on the “cooperative federalism” approach suggested by the Kothari Commission (1964-66).
This will ensure national minimum standards set by the Centre, while giving flexibility to the states in curriculum, language and pedagogy.

Outcome-based financing:

Implementation of outcome-based financing mechanism as recommended by NITI Aayog in its Strategy for New India @ 75 document.
It allocates resources based on learning outcomes and encourages States to improve educational quality.

Decentralized School Management:

Promote decentralized school management structures as envisaged in the Right to Education Act (RTE) 2009.
It empowers School Management Committees (SMCs) through community participation and promotes local ownership and accountability.

Teacher Training and Transfer Policy Reforms:

Supporting reforms based on the recommendations of the TSR Subrahmanyam Committee Report (2009).
This includes better teacher training programmes, transparent transfer policies and performance-based incentives to create a more motivated and effective teaching force.

Standardized national assessments with state-specific benchmarks:

Develop a standardized national assessment framework along with state-specific benchmarks, inspired by the practices of countries like Australia. It allows for national comparisons while acknowledging regional variations.

Leveraging technology for equitable access:

Implementation of the strategies outlined in the Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya National Mission on Teachers and Teaching (PMMMNMTT) of the Government of India to leverage technology for equitable access and quality education, especially in remote areas.

National Curriculum Framework with State Adaptations:

Develop a flexible National Curriculum Framework (NCF) as suggested by NCERT, allowing states to adapt it to their specific linguistic and cultural contexts. It ensures a balance between national goals and state needs.

Key Government initiatives related to educational reforms:

National Programme on Technology Enhanced Learning (NPTEL):

NPTEL is a project of the Union Ministry of Human Resource Development, initiated by the seven ‘Indian Institutes of Technology’ (IITs) of the country in association with the Indian Institute of Science Bangalore.
It was set up in 2003 to facilitate online education.
It aims to provide web and video courses in the field of engineering, science and management.

Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan:

It is an integrated scheme for school education covering all aspects of education from pre-school to class XII.
It aims to provide inclusive, equitable and accessible school education.
It encompasses three schemes of Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA), Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA) and Teacher Education (TE).
The scheme covers 1.16 million schools, more than 156 million students and 5.7 million teachers (from pre-primary to senior secondary level) in government and aided schools.
It is being implemented as a Centrally Sponsored Scheme. This includes a 60:40 split in funding between the Centre and most states. It was launched by the Ministry of Education in the year 2018.

PRAGYATA:

On July 14, 2020, the Union Human Resource Development Minister released PRAGYATA Guidelines on Digital Education through online medium in New Delhi.
The ‘Prajnata’ guidelines have been developed based on the students’ perspective which focuses on online / digital learning for students who are at home due to the ongoing lockdown in the wake of COVID-19.
These guidelines on digital / online education provide a detailed action plan to take online education forward to enhance the quality of education.
These guidelines emphasise the use of alternative academic calendars of NCERT, both for students who have digital devices and those who have limited or no access to digital devices.

Mid-Day Meal Scheme:

Mid-Day Meal Scheme (under Ministry of Education) is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme which was launched in the year 1995.
It is the world’s largest school meal programme to achieve the goal of universalisation of primary education.
Under this programme, cooked meals are provided to every child in the age group of six to fourteen years studying in classes I to VIII enrolled in the school.
It was renamed as’ Pradhan Mantri Poshan Shakti Nirman ‘Yojana (PM POSHAN Yojana) in the year 2021 and includes students of pre-primary classes Balvatika (children in the age group of 3-5 years).
It aims to end hunger and malnutrition, increase school enrolment and attendance, improve socialization among castes, provide grassroots employment, especially to women.

Beti Bachao Beti Padhao:

It was launched in January 2015 with the aim of addressing sex selective abortion and declining child sex ratio, which stood at 918 girls per 1,000 boys in 2011.
It is a joint initiative of the Ministry of Women and Child Development, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and Ministry of Human Resource Development.
It aims at prevention of gender-based selection, ensuring survival and protection of the girl child, ensuring proper provision of education and participation of the girl child, protecting the rights of the girl child.

PM SHRI School:

PM SHRI School is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme for upgradation and development of more than 14,500 schools across the country.
The objective is to strengthen the existing schools selected from the schools managed by Central Government / State / UT Government / Local Bodies.

Samagra Shiksha Scheme 2.0:

To enhance the direct reach of the scheme, all child-centred intervention students will be provided textbook, dress and transport allowances under the Right to Education entitlements from time to time through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) mode directly on the IT-enabled platform.