The Central Right To Education rules have been amended to include a reference to class-wise, subject-wise learning outcomes.

Progressing with the same idea, the output for language classes such as Hindi, English and Urdu and Mathematics, Environmental Studies, Science and Social Science up to the elementary level have been defined and shared with the States and the Union Territories (UT) to leverage better understanding. 

This will also help lay the guidelines for States and UT’s establishing appropriate learning standards for children.

The learning evaluation will be as per the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) developed outcomes which are based on their periodical and national surveys of learning achievements for children in III, V, VIII and X standards.

So far four rounds of National Achievement Survey (NAS) have been conducted for class V and three rounds for classes III & VIII. These surveys give an insight into the learning achievements of the students in various subjects.

From 2018, the Government has also decided to conduct a National Achievement Survey with the district area as its sample base.

The student’s assessments will be aligned with the NCERT evaluations. Within the Centrally sponsored scheme of Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) and Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA), the State Governments and UT Administrations are supported on several occasions in order to enhance their teaching standards.

These include regular in-service teachers’ training, induction training for newly recruited teachers, recruitment of additional teachers for improving student-teacher ratio, educational support for teachers through block and cluster resource centres, Maths and Science kits, Lab equipment, specialised teaching for better learning, ICT facilitated schools, introduction of vocational education component at the secondary level and activities under ‘Unnati’ project for developing English language skills.

Apart from this, the Central Government also supports States and UTs on early grade reading, writing & comprehension, and early Mathematics programmes through a sub-programme of SSA ‘Padhe Bharat Badhe Bharat’ (PBBB) in classes I and II.

The Government has also launched Rashtriya Aavishkar Abhiyan (RAA) programme on 9th July 2015 as a subcomponent of Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan and Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA), to motivate and engage children in the age group 6-18 years in science, mathematics and technology through observation, experimentation, inference drawing, model building, etc. both through inside and outside classroom activities.

This information was given by the Minister of State (HRD), Upendra Kushwaha today in a written reply to a question in Rajya Sabha.

To promote publishing, writing and cultural reading in the society, the Government of India has announced to frame a National Book Promotion Policy.  The policy seeks to motivate and facilitate effective writing, good publishing and systematic distribution of books, making then accessible to readers.

The announcement was made by Minister of State of Human Resource Development Dr. Mahendra Nath Pandey, at two-day national seminar organised by National Book Trust.

With this move, cultural, national, tribal and other literatures will be preserved and foster the importance of printed books in the society.

Under this policy, Indian literature will receive preferential treatment in publishing policies, writing and distribution policies across the country while promoting reading.

“The Government of India is working on finalising a National Book Promotion Policy, which will take care of providing a policy direction to the whole spectrum of book publication, writing and distribution in order to promote a culture of reading in the society,” added the HRD State Minister.

He also highlighted the role being played by National Book Trust and assured the commitment of the Government of India to support its endeavors to meet its avowed objectives.

While deliberating on the theme of the seminar, Dr. Pandey said, “Nationalism is an integral part of Indian literature.”

The national seminar had sessions focused on the tribal literature, folk literature, etc and their importance in order to preserve our culture and literature.

The Delhi government has plans to establish 12 regional language academies with a vision to promote the culture and tradition.

As per the scheme of the things, languages like Bengali, Gujarati, Marathi, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada, Odia, Assamese, Garhwali, Kumaoni, Jaunsari, Kashmiri and Marwari will be a part of Delhi government’s Art, Culture and Languages Department.

According to the officials, Delhi’s Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, who recently took charge of the ministry, wanted formation of the academies in the capital city.

“Since Delhi is the national capital, people from all parts of the country live and work here. It is this diversity that forms Delhi’s vibrant and cosmopolitan culture,” Sisodia said, in an official order.

“I have found that language academies play an important role in not only promoting the languages of different parts of the country but also the culture and tradition of different regions,” he added.

The ruling Aam Aadmi Party in its annual budget had also announced that they will set up multiple academies after the inclusion of Hindi and Sanskrit language.

Minister of State for Human Resource Development Dr Mahendra Nath Pandey on Monday said the Government is working on several regulatory measures to keep the cost of higher education affordable.

According to the National Sample Survey Office (NSSO), a survey conducted in the 2011-12 financial year on the Household Consumer Expenditure, the percentage of monthly per capita expenditure (MPCE) on education to the household MPCE is 3.5 % and 6.9% for rural and urban India respectively.

In a written reply to a Lok Sabha question, the minister stated: “The fee structure within the government universities and colleges is minimal. With a perspective to monitor the fees structure in professional/ technical institutions, The All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) has introduced Justice Srikishna Committee to supervise the fees structure within the institutions.”

He said this information has been shared with the State Governments. State governments have also set up their board to regulate fees structure in professional and technical institutions.

The considered list of universities must publish the details of their fees structure within their prospectus, according to the University Grants Commission UGC (Institutions Deemed to be Universities) Regulations 2016. Also, capitation fee is not allowed in these institutions.

It was stated that the Central Government has no formal regulatory mechanism for schools. Private schools affiliated with the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) are regulated under CBSE guidelines.

The minister also said that in some States, at the school level, this mechanism exists through administrative guidelines and/or legislations.