National Policy on Education (1986)

The Government of India reviewed the prevailing education system in 1985 and the policy
was articulated in the document “Challenge of Education: A Policy Perspective”. Former
Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi introduced the National Policy on Education in May 1986. The new
education policy was intended to prepare India for the 21st century. The policy emphasized
the need for change in the following words
“Education in India stands at crossroads today, neither normal linear expansion nor the
existing pace and nature of improvement can meet the needs of the situation.”
 Access, Enrolment and Retention of all children upto the age of 14 years in the
schools.
 Quality improvement of education by improving the school environment, child
cantered and activity-cantered teaching methodology, continuous evaluation
throughout the year, removal of all kinds of physical punishment, continuing the
practice of not failing the students in any class at elementary level and arranging the
essential facilities in primary schools.
 Arranging non-formal education for children, who left the schools, in between, or
are residing at places not having schools.
 Setting up of Navodaya Vidyalayas was another landmark in the history of education
 primary schools be opened in remote areas including ashram or residential schools in
tribal regions.
 The policy emphasized on inclusion of motor handicapped children in normal schools
and arrangement of special schools at district headquarters.
 NPE 1986 proposed a national system of education based on the accepted structure of
10+2+3.
 It suggested that +2 stage be accepted as part of school education throughout the
country.
 The Policy had some important features like common school curriculum, minimum
levels of learning, value education, role of media and education technology, work
experience, emphasis on teaching of Mathematics and Science, Sports and Physical
Education and education for international understanding.
 Equal educational opportunities especially for women and reserved communities.
 From expanding scholarships to recruiting more teachers from the reserved categories
and incentives for poor families to send their children to school regularly
 It also extended the open university system with the inauguration of Indira Gandhi
National Open University in 1985
 emphasized adult education
 reorientation of the system to promote gender equality,
 employment of teachers from oppressed groups, and disabled persons
  Development of new schools and universities.
The NPE and POA elaborately discussed about the concept of language development and
emphasised the adoption of regional languages as the medium of instruction at the university
stage. Mother tongue should be the medium of instruction at the school stage.
Recommendations relating to language practice were as follows:
 three language formula, improvements in the linguistic competencies of students at
different stages of education;
 Provision of facilities for the study of English and other foreign languages; and
development of Hindi language as a link language etc.
Regarding teachers and teacher education, the policy suggested that
 District Institutes of Education and Training (DIET) need to be established with the
capability to organise pre-service and in-service courses for elementary school
teachers and for non-formal and adult education
 Selected Secondary Teacher Education Institutes should be upgraded to compliment
the work of the State Councils of Educational Research and Training (SCERT).
 The National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE) should be provided the
necessary resources and capability to accredit institutions of teacher-education and to
provide guidance regarding curricula and methods.
 Networking arrangements should be created between institutions of teacher education
and university departments of education.
 The NPE, 1986 also advocated developing consciousness about environment
Prof. Ram Murti Committee “Towards an Enlightened and Humane Society”.
Government as early as 1990 formed an Education Committee under the Chairmanship of
Sarvodaya leader Prof. Ram Murti. The purpose was to examine old education policies and to
suggest new measures for promoting industrialization and development of rural areas of the
country. Also, it suggested suitable measures for decentralization of educational system and
for making the Operation Black Board Scheme of 1986 policy more successful. The
Committee recommended that even the private schools should be converted into common
schools to remove social, economic, regional and gender disparities. It suggested that there
must be some concrete programmes for SCs, Tribes, Women and educationally backward
minorities. It further suggested that there should be adequate funds to improve the basic
structure and quality of primary education. Primary education must be in mother tongue and
the aid to schools providing education in other medium should be stopped. The
recommendation of the Committee provided a base to develop a new programme of action,
the revised Programme of Action, 1992.
Revised Programme of Action (1992)
Before considering the suggestions of the Ramamurthy Committee, the Government
appointed another committee under the chairmanship of Janardan Reddy in 1992.The report
of the Committee provided a base for the modified National Policy on Education and a
concrete programme emerged as Programme of Action, 1992
The revised programme of action proposed education for equality. It recommended a more
comprehensive Operation Blackboard to enhance its coverage area up to upper primary level,
aim at a minimum of 50 percent female teachers in future appointments at elementary level,
informal education programme for the educationally deprived and working boys and girls,
and computer education to as many schools as possible. It was also proposed that elementary
schools should be open throughout the year.
Janardan Reddy Report, 1992
Janardan Reddy Committee was appointed in 1992 in order to make a detailed examination of
the Report submitted by Prof. Ram Murti in 1990 under the Central Advisory board of
Education. It was basically formed to look into the educational progress of scheduled castes
and tribal people The Reddy committee further recommended that all the state government in
the country should appoint similar committees in their separate jurisdictions in order to
educate the scheduled caste and tribal people as much as possible. The Committee
emphasized the development of a common school system in order to provide all the needed
facilities to the so far neglected backward class people. It also emphasized that Navodaya
Vidyalaya school should be established in all the districts of each and every state of the
country.
The Committee also gave suggestions with regard to free and universal education of the
children, adult education, and vocationalization of secondary education, university education,
teachers’ training and financial provision. It also recommended for the appointment of
AICTE i.e. All India Council for Technical Education. It suggested that a new system of
education should be established where the load of the school bag of children will definitely be
reduced.
National Policy on Education (1992): P.V. Narasimha Rao modified the NPE in 1992 with
special emphasis being placed on higher education. A proposal for 20 new universities was
set forward while modernisation of curriculums and research allowance for M.Phil and Ph.D.
students got a fillip.
Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (2001)
The Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan government was launched in 2001 to provide education for
children aged 6 to 14 years. Prior to that, he launched an effective initiative, the province-
supported education program, which has led to an increase in the number of schools
throughout the country. In an attempt to attract children to school, especially in rural areas,
the government also began implementing a midday meal program in 1995.
Subsequently, the Planning Commission of India stressed that the education system should
be beneficial to the UEE. The provision of adequate infrastructure and the number of
qualified staff was verified and disseminated in 2008 through local Panchayat. The central
government has developed and supported it
Programme of Action (2005): In 2005, Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh adopted a
new policy based on the "Common Minimum Programme" of his United Progressive
Alliance (UPA) government Programme of Action (PoA), which envisaged the conduct of a
common entrance examination across India, which would act as the basis for admission to
professional and technical programmes across the country. For admission to Engineering and
Architecture/Planning programmes, Government of India vide Resolution dated 18 October
2001 has laid down a Three – Exam Scheme (JEE and AIEEE at the National Level and the
State Level Engineering Entrance Examinations (SLEEE) for State Level Institutions – with
an option to join AIEEE). This takes care of varying admission standards in these
programmes and helps in maintenance of professional standards. This also solves problems of
overlaps and reduces physical, mental and financial burden on students and their parents due
to multiplicity of entrance examinations
The National Curriculum Framework published in 2005 by the National Council of
Educational Research and Training (NCERT) in India recommended major changes in the
syllabus and teaching practices within the school education programmes in India.