Indian Education System

The oldest university system of education in the ancient india is Nalanda and Thakshasila. Nalanda University was established by Kumara Gupta. Nalanda University was destroyed by Bakhtiyar Khilji. Buddhist learning in India during the Pala dynasty is Vikramasila. Vikramasila was established by Dharmapal. Asiatic Society for Asiatic study was established in 1784 in Kolkata by William Jones. The First College in India is CMS College Kottayam (1817). In 1825, Vedantha College was set up by Raja Ram Mohan Roy. In 1877, Muhammadan Anglo oriental college was set up by Syed Ahmed Khan. In 1920, Muhammedan Anglo Oriental College was renamed as Aligarh Muslim University. The First women's college in India is Bethune College (1879) and the first Medical College in India is Kolkata. The Santiniketan was established by Rabindranath Tagore (in 1901). The Santiniketan was renamed as Visva Bharati in 1921. Education is now included in the Concurrent list of Indian Constitution. It is included in the Concurrent list by the 42nd Constitutional Amendment of 1976. Before 1976, Education was in State List. The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act has come into force on April 1, 2010. The 86th Constitutional Amendment on December 14, 2002 mandates Free and Compulsory Education for all children in the age group of 6-14. The article added by the 86th Constitutional Amendment is Article 21 A.

Education Commissions

Education Commissions have been appointed since the British era for educational planning and policy formulation. Their views and recommendations are a part of the history of education in India. The various committees and schemes that brought reforms in the education system are given below.

Charter Act of 1813

The English East India Company was forced to provide education to the Indian people. In 1813, through the Charter Act, the British government sanctioned to the Company a lakh of rupees for educational development. Due to the pressure of circumstances, the British government had to take it over.  An amendment was added to the Charter Act of  1813 as Section 43.  This amendment became the basic document of English education in India.

Macaulay Minutes

Lord Macaulay was appointed by Lord William Bentinck, the Governor-General of British India, as the President of the General Committee on Education.   The Governor-General asked Lord Macaulay to advise him on the implementation of Section  43 of the Charter Act of  1813.  The Macaulay Minutes were prepared in connection with Section  43. The report was submitted in 1835. This was a policy document that determined the course of education in India  from 1835  onwards. Lord Macaulay is known as an important figure in the history of Indian education.

Wood's Despatch ( 1854)

This is the foundational document known as the ' Magna Carta '  of English education in India. Sir Charles Woods was the President of the Board of Control of the East India Company.  British secondary education was introduced in India as an experiment in 1835 , when Macaulay's Minutes were implemented. Over the next several years,  34 English educational institutions were established in India by  1854.  Woods' Despatch led these activities. Wood's Despatch (1854) made medium of instruction English for higher studies and vernacular at school levels. Lord Dalhouise was the Governor General of India at the time of Wood's Despatch. Considering the recommendations of Woods' Despatch, a University Act was passed in India for the first time  in 1857. Following this, universities were formed in Calcutta, Bombay and  Madras. Lord Canning was the Governor General at the time when Universities of Calcutta, Bombay, Madras was established. Later in 1882, Punjab University and in 1887, Allahabad University was established.

Indian Education Commission/Hunter Commission ( 1882-83)

Lord Ripon, the Viceroy of India,  appointed an Education Commission in  1882 with William Hunter as Chairman. It is the first education commission in India. Hunter Commission was appointed to study about Primary and Secondary education. The Commission had 21  members including the Chairman.  The main duties of the Commission were to suggest practical methods for implementing the principles set out in Wood's Despatch of 1854 and  to submit recommendations regarding the implementation of primary education.

Central Advisory Board of Education (CABE)

The Central Advisory Board of Education (CABE) is the highest advisory body and was established in 1920. CABE advices the central & state governments for Education related matters. The CABE was dissolved in 1923 by the British government in India. Later in 1928, a report of Hartog Committee observed that the dissolution of the CABE was very unfortunate consequently, the present CABE was revived in 1935.

Wardha Scheme ( 1937-38)

This was the first study on elementary education conducted at the national level. It is known as  the Zakir Hussain Committee and  the Wardha Scheme. The educational views put forward by Mahatma Gandhi were the basis for this education committee. In 1937, a meeting held at Wardha under the chairmanship of Gandhiji formed a committee headed by Dr. Zakir Hussain.  The report of this committee, published in  1938 , is known as the ' Wardha Scheme of Education'. Based on the report, an All India Board was formed to implement the basic education scheme at the national level.

Sergeant Commission ( 1944)

It was a full fledged education plan for the future educational reconstruction in India. This scheme has a historical impact as it was the first challenge to enlarge a National system for education in India.

University Education Commission ( 1948-49)

The Education Commission was formed in 1948 under the chairmanship of Dr. S. Radhakrishnan, the President of India. The subject of study of this commission was the objectives of university education in India and its modernization. The Dr. Radhakrishnan Commission was the first education commission in independent India.  The commission submitted its report in 1949.

Recommendations

•  12 years of Pre-University Education

•  All universities should start vocational education.

•  The examination system should be reformed.

•  Promote research.

•  Establish a University Grants Commission.

•  Establish rural universities.

•  Colleges and universities should be established exclusively for women.

•  University education should be included in the concurrent list

Secondary Education Commission ( 1952-53)

In response to the need to reform school education in India, the Government of India, on the advice of the Central Advisory Board,  constituted the Secondary Education Commission in  1952. Dr. A. Lakshmanaswami Mudaliar was the chairman of the committee. It is also known as the ' Mudaliar Committee '. The Mudaliar Committee was tasked with investigating the existing state of secondary education in India and submitting suggestions for its improvement and reform.  The Commission submitted its report in 1953.

Recommendations:

•  Opportunities for primary education should be provided before secondary education. Lower primary education should be three years and upper primary education should be four years.

•  At the secondary level, there should be a three-year junior secondary or senior basic stage. There should also be a four-year higher secondary stage.

University Grants Commission

UGC was established on December 28, 1953. UGC became a statutory organisation by an Act of Parliament in 1956. The University Grants Commission provides funds for government recognized universities and colleges. The Headquarters of UGC is in New Delhi. UGC -NET (National Eligibility Test) exams for the appointments of teachers in colleges and universities to be conducted by CBSE (former NET exams conducted by UGC). UGC was formerly inaugurated by Maulana Abul Kalam Azad. UGC was set up by the recommendation of the commission, Radhakrishnan Commission. The Motto of UGC is Gyan “Vigyan Vimuktaye”. UGC was setup in the First Five Year Plan. The First Chairman of UGC is Dr. Shanti Swaroop Bhatnagar.

Basic education in 1956

The Union Ministry of Education appointed an Evaluation Committee under the chairmanship of G. Ramachandran to review basic education. The committee travelled across the country and submitted recommendations for improving basic education to the Government of India under seven heads: State Government Universities ,  Public Administration ,  Basic Teacher Training ,  Basic Schools ,  and the General Public.

National Bal Bhavan (NBB)

National Bal Bhavan (NBB) is an autonomous institute, run and funded by the Government of India. National Bal Bhavan was founded by Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru in 1956 for children in the age group of 5-16 years. It is under Ministry of Human Resource Development.

Kothari Commission ( 1964-66)

The Kothari Commission was appointed by a resolution passed  by the Government of India  in 1964. The Commission, which had a total of 17  members, was chaired by the then UGC Chairman D.S. Kothari. The purpose of the committee was to prepare a National Pattern of Education  and  formulate general  principles and policies for various levels of education. The commission formed 12 task forces and seven working groups to study various problems of education in the country.   The commission submitted its report in June  1966. The name of this three-part report was Education and National Development.

Recommendations

•   Free and compulsory education for children aged six to  14.

•  Implement the three-language formula at the state level.

•  Promote regional languages ,  Sanskrit ,  and international languages ​​(especially English)

•  Education of girls ,  backward classes and  tribals.

•  Science and mathematics should be given importance and made an integral part of education.

•  Reforms to improve education at the university level

Major changes

•  Under the leadership of Indira Gandhi, the National Education Policy Bill was passed in Parliament.

•  The education system  was changed to 10+2+3  pattern. A new National Education Policy was introduced.

•  The education system was divided into two: the Central Board and  the State Board.

National Education Policy -  1968

The National Education Policy of 1968 was India's first education policy, announced by the Indira Gandhi government based on the recommendations of the Kothari Commission Report. The policy proposed radical changes with the goals of national integration ,  cultural and economic development ,  and providing educational opportunities to all. It recommended the implementation of the Three  Language Formula at the secondary level and the teaching of Hindi in addition to English and  the regional language. The education policy also stipulated that six percent of the national income should be allocated for the education sector. This policy also reinforced the Programme of Action (POA) in 1986

National Education Policy-  1986

The new National Education Policy was introduced during the Rajiv Gandhi government. Its aim was to take steps to provide educational opportunities to the backward classes and women.  ' Education is the only capital of today and tomorrow. '  is the basic principle of the National Education Policy.

Instructions

•  Lifelong Education should  be the motto of the educational process.

•  Minimum Levels of Learning  must be ensured.

•  The position of a teacher should be highly respected in society.

•  Provide special scholarships for backward classes. Recruit teachers from this category.

• ' Operation Black Board was part of this policy. Operation Black Board was a scheme designed to ensure basic facilities for primary education.

National Literacy Mission (NLM) 

The National Literacy Mission (NLM) is a nationwide program launched by Government of India in 5th May 1988 with an aim to eradicate illiteracy in the country.

Acharya Ramamurthy Committee

A committee was formed in 1990 under the chairmanship of Acharya Ramamurti  to review the National Education Policy of  1986. The commission submitted its report to the government in 1991.

Considerations

• Review the National Education Policy of 1986 and its implementation.

•  Submit proposals for reforming education policy.

•  Propose a roadmap, including a timeline, for implementing the revised proposals.

Janardhana Reddy Committee ( 1991-92)

A committee was formed in July 1991 under the chairmanship of Janardhana Reddy to identify and implement the necessary changes in the recommendations of the Ramamurti Report. The commission examined the recommendations of the Ramamurti Committee and found no need for changes in the education policy. However, it recommended that the Programme of Action be subjected to significant changes.   The report of the commission, submitted in January  1992, is known as the ' National Programme of Action '. 

Yashpal Committee Report

This is a National Advisory Committee appointed by the Union Ministry of Human Resource Development in  1993. The Yashpal Committee Report, formally titled ' Learning Without Burden '  , focused on submitting recommendations to reduce the learning burden of all children at the school level (especially young children) and examining the decline in the quality of learning. 

Recommendations

•  Reduce the weight of textbooks.

•  Decentralize the curriculum.

•  Reform teacher training.

•  Create a child-friendly learning environment.

National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) 

NAAC (National Assessment and Accreditation Council) was setup in 1994. NAAC is a public autonomous body of the central government that assesses and accredits higher education institutions (HEIs) in the country. It is funded by the UGC and headquartered in Bengaluru, Karnataka.

National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE)

National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE) is a statutory body of Indian government was established in 1995 to achieve planned and co-ordinated development of Teacher Education system. It is formed under the National Council for Teacher Education Act, 1993.

Mid-Day Meal Scheme

The National Programme of Nutritional support of Primary Education (NPSPE) is popularly known as Mid-Day Meal Scheme. Mid-Day Meal Scheme was started on August 15, 1995.

Muhi Ram Saikia Committee (1996-97)

A committee headed by Union Human Resource Development Minister Muhiram Saikia was appointed in  1996 to make recommendations for making primary education a fundamental right. The final report was submitted in January 1977.

Recommendations

•   The Central Government should provide guidelines to the states for enacting legislation under the 73rd and 74th amendments to the Constitution regarding making primary education compulsory.

•  Under Article  350(A)  of the Constitution , States should provide facilities for imparting primary education to linguistic minorities in their mother tongue. The Committee suggested that the responsibility for improving primary education lies with the States.

Bharat Shiksha Kosh

Bharat Shiksha Kosh was launched officially on 9 January 2003. It was started to facilitate donations including smaller amounts from India and abroad for implementing projects/ programmes connected with the education sector.

Saakshar Bharat Mission

Indian government has launched Saakshar Bharat Mission in 2009 for Female Literacy on 8th September 2009.

Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan

National Mission for Secondary education launched in 2009 to improve the quality of education in secondary level is Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan

Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA)

The scheme of development for higher education in India initiated in 2013 by Govt. of India is Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA)

Pandit Madan Mohan Malviya Teachers Training Programme

The new teachers training programme launched in 2014 to infuse new training tools and motivate teachers is Pandit Madan Mohan Malviya Teachers Training Programme. It was later restructured and re-launched by the UGC in September 2023 as the Malaviya Mission Teacher Training Programme (MMTTP).

National Education Policy- 2020

This is the first education policy of the 21st century. The National Education Policy 2020  aims   to increase  the Gross Enrolment Ratio ( GER) in higher education, including vocational education, from 263  percent  to 50 percent  by  2035. The new policy is a restoration of the National Education Policy of 1986. The policy aims to implement  the educational process from pre-primary to research, incorporating the fundamental principles of equality,  quality  , accessibility  and accountability.

Features

• Ensuring universal access to education from pre-school level to secondary level.

•   The school curriculum will be adjusted to 5+3+3+4 instead of  the current  10+2  structure ( 5+2+3+2).

• In addition to 12  years of school education, there will be three years of Anganwadi/pre-school education.

•  A national curriculum and pedagogical framework will be developed with an emphasis on childcare and education.

•  Emphasis is placed on basic learning to become literate and recognize numbers.

•  School curriculum reform to provide students with the opportunity to choose a variety of subjects.

•  Art and science are given importance in the curriculum.

•  Vocational education will begin in schools from the sixth grade.

•  Emphasis should be placed on the mother tongue or regional language as the medium of instruction at least up to class 5.

•  Indian Sign Language ( ISL)  will be made uniform across the country.

•  Opportunity to study Sanskrit, other classical languages, and Indian literature, including a trilingual learning system.

•  NEP-2020  envisages a shift to a regular assessment system based on student ability.

•  Multidisciplinary Education and Research Universities ( MERUs)  will be established on par with IITs and  IIMs.

•  The National Research Foundation will emerge as an excellent institution for developing a strong research culture and research capacity.

School Education

NCERT and SCERT

NCERT is National Council for Educational Research and Training formed in 1961. The apex body for school education in India is NCERT. SCERT is State Council for Educational Research and Training.

Education Schemes

Operation Blackboard

The scheme introduced to bring about substantial improvement in Primary Schools by providing all basic amenities is Operation Blackboard. Operation Blackboard was launched in 1987-88.

DPEP

District Primary Education Programme (DPEP) was launched in 1994. The first state to introduce DPEP is Uttar Pradesh.

NEEM

NEEM is National Elementary Education Mission. It is formed in 1995 aims at Universalisation of Elementary Education.

Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan

Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) is a scheme launched in 2001-2002 aimed at the universalisation of elementary education of making free and compulsory education to children of age 6-14.

Other Concepts of Education

•  The Education concept of kindergarten was proposed by Friedrich Frobel.

•  The Education concept of montessori method proposed by Maria Montessori. 

•  The Educational system Nai Talim was proposed by Mahatma Gandhi.

•  The Wardha Scheme of Education was also proposed by Mahatma Gandhi.

•  The concept of Sainik School was proposed by V.K. Krishna Menon.

Universities

State universities, Central universities, Deemed universities and State private universities are the types of universities in India. As of 14 November 2023, the list of total number of universities published by the UGC includes 479 active state universities, 56 central universities, 124 deemed universities and 455 state private universities in India. These four types of universities comprises 1114 universities together.

Open University

Open University in India was established under the recommendation of G. Parthasarathi Committee. Largest Open University in India is IGNOU (Indira Gandhi National Open University). IGNOU was set up under an act of Parliament in 1985. India's first sign language institute established by IGNOU is Indian sign Language Research and Training Centre, New Delhi. The Motto of IGNOU is “The people's university”. The Head Quarters of IGNOU is at Delhi. The educational TV channel of IGNOU is Gyan Darshan.

Institutes of National Importance

Apart from the universities, other national institutions are granted the permission to autonomously award degrees. They do not affiliate the colleges and are not officially called universities. They can be called as autonomous organizations or autonomous institutes. They are directly under the administrative control of the Department of Higher Education, Government of India. The list of such institutions are Indian Institute of Technology (IITs), Indian Institute of Science Education & Research (IISERs), All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPERs), National Institutes of Technology (NITs), Indian Institutes of Information Technology (IIITs), Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) and Agricultural Universities.

Other Educational Institutions

•  Centrally sponsored scheme for Introduction of Yoga in Schools was launched in 1989 -90.

•  A co-educational residential school called Jawaharlal Navodya Vidyalaya was established in 1986.

•  Central Institute of English & Foreign Language (CIEFL), Hyderabad was set up in 1958.

•  Central Institute of Indian Languages, Mysore was set up in 1969.

•  Indian Council for Historical Research (ICHR), New Delhi was set up in 1972.

•  Indian Council of Philosophical Research (ICPR), New Delhi was set up in 1977.

•  Indian Institute of Advanced Studies (IIAS) of Shimla was set up in 1965.

•  Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR), New Delhi was set up in 1969.

•  The National Centre for Himalayan Studies is established, Uttarakhand.

•  India's first science school launched in 2013 is Vikram Sarabhai Science School (Kochi).

•  Rajiv Gandhi Aviation University is in Raibareli (UP).

•  Atal Bihari Vajapayee Hindi University is in Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh).

•  University that has Radio Station of its own is Vallabhai Patel University (Gujarat).

•  Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan was founded by K.M. Munshi (founded in 1938).

•  Navodaya Vidyalaya has branches in all over India, except the state, Tamil Nadu.

•  The International University established by the eight member nations of SAARC is South Asian University (SAU). The South Asian University (SAU) is located at New Delhi. SAU started its operations from 2010.

•  Lakshmibai National College of Physical Education is at Thiruvananthapuram (Kariavattom).

•  Lakshmibai National Institute of Physical Education is at Gwalior (Madhya Pradesh).

FIRST UNIVERSITIES IN INDIA

•  First University in India is Calcutta University.

•  First Woman's University in India is Shreemati Nathibai Damodar Thackersey Women's University (Mumbai, established by D.K. Karvey).

•  First Medical University in India is Vijayawada.

•  First Liberal Arts University in India is Tagore University for Liberal Arts (Pune).

•  First Yoga University in India is Lakulish Yoga University (Ahmedabad).

•  First Pravasi University is in Bangalore.

•  First Open University in India is B.R. Ambedkar Open University (Andhra Pradesh Open University).

•  First agricultural University in India is Govind Ballabh Pant University of Agriculture & Technology (Uttarakhand).

•  First University for the physically handicapped is Jagadguru Rambhadracharya Handicapped University (Uttar Pradesh).

•  First Sports University in India is Pune.

•  First University to start Distance Education Course is Delhi University.

•  First Tribal University in India is Indira Gandhi National Tribal University Amarkantak (Madha Pradesh).

•  First Law University in India is National Law School of India University Bangalore.

•  First Budget Study Centre in India is K.M. Mani Centre for Budget Studies (by CUSAT University).

•  First Defence University in India is Indian National Defence University located in Binola Village of Gurgaon of Haryana.

IMPORTANT DAYS

•  National Education Day : November 11 (Birthday of Maulana Abdul Kalam Azad, the first Education Minister of India)

•  National Teachers Day : September 5 (Birthday of Dr. Radha Krishnan)

•  International Teachers Day : October 5

•  National Hindi Day : September 14

•  World Book Day : April 23

•  International Literacy Day : September 8

•  International Mother Language Day : February 21