 "Build 10-20 world-class institutes to boost higher education: NITI Aayog")
The Centre has to build 10-20 world-class institutes of education with adequate operational autonomy to improve the education sector, the NITI Aayog told Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a recent review of the sector.
The review, conducted to assess gaps in education and health sectors despite huge public expenditure over the years, also favoured expanding the online delivery of educational content in a big way.
Vice-Chairman of NITI Aayog Arvind Panagariya and Chief Executive Officer Amitabh Kant was present during the review, along with senior officials from the Prime Minister's Office (PMO).
For elementary education - Classes I to VIII - the Aayog advised that there be guidelines to rationalise small schools. It also advised overhauling the teachers' training curriculum for junior classes to ensure quality education at the grassroots. Vocational stream and vocational education were vital to increase employability and to lower the dropout rates, it said.
For the health sector, the NITI Aayog suggested that dreaded diseases such as kala azar and microfilaria be eliminated by 2017 in a mission mode. It also pitched for public-private partnership (PPP) projects to improve health services due to the dismal performance of public hospitals at district level.
It has also stressed on the need for use of technology and asked the Prime Minister to track hospital performance online.
Stressing on significant scaling up of medical education capacity in the country, the body also batted for reforms of the Indian Medical Council, a statutory body with the responsibility of establishing and maintaining high standards of medical education and recognition of medical qualifications.
NITI AAYOG'S SUGGESTIONS
EDUCATION
The review, conducted to assess gaps in education and health sectors despite huge public expenditure over the years, also favoured expanding the online delivery of educational content in a big way.
Vice-Chairman of NITI Aayog Arvind Panagariya and Chief Executive Officer Amitabh Kant was present during the review, along with senior officials from the Prime Minister's Office (PMO).
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The Aayog suggested that junior classes have a mandatory system of certification for headmasters. It also favoured the creation of a fund for providing annual project-based grants for research. Around 30 per cent of the operating expense of any institute for higher education should come from internal fund generation, it said, which could include raising the annual fees charged from students.
For elementary education - Classes I to VIII - the Aayog advised that there be guidelines to rationalise small schools. It also advised overhauling the teachers' training curriculum for junior classes to ensure quality education at the grassroots. Vocational stream and vocational education were vital to increase employability and to lower the dropout rates, it said.
For the health sector, the NITI Aayog suggested that dreaded diseases such as kala azar and microfilaria be eliminated by 2017 in a mission mode. It also pitched for public-private partnership (PPP) projects to improve health services due to the dismal performance of public hospitals at district level.
It has also stressed on the need for use of technology and asked the Prime Minister to track hospital performance online.
Stressing on significant scaling up of medical education capacity in the country, the body also batted for reforms of the Indian Medical Council, a statutory body with the responsibility of establishing and maintaining high standards of medical education and recognition of medical qualifications.
NITI AAYOG'S SUGGESTIONS
EDUCATION
- Develop a system of certification of headmasters in junior classes
- Set up fund to provide annual project-based grant for projects
- Overhaul teachers' training programmes
- Eliminate diseases like kala azar and microfilaria by 2017
- Adopt public private partnership models to boost the country's health sector
- Reform the Indian Medical Council