Education in India 1974-76 (Presented at XXXVI International Conference on Public Education Geneva, September, 1977)

Abstract

The India Constitution places the responsibility for ’education’ , in the main, with the States while it vests the Central Government with direct responsibility in a few specified areas, viz. , coordination and determination of standards in institutions for higher education or research and scientific and technical institutions. Union agencies and institutions for professional, vocational or technical training and the promotion of special studies or research; and the administration and maintenance of Central universities and any other institutions including those for scientific or technical education financed by the Government of India wholly or in part and declared by Parliament by law to be an institution of national importance. The Constitution also specifies certain other areas which are the joint responsibility of the Centre and the States; these are : vocational and technical training of labour; legal, medical and other professions; and economic and social planning (which essentially includes educational planning). Besides, the Constitution provides for two onerous responsibilities on the ’State’ (the term involves both the Centre and the States), viz. provision of universal elementary education and promotion of the education and economic development of the weaker sections of the society. Again, another article places a special responsibility on the Government of India for promoting the spread of Hindi language and its development.