Mainstream Technical Education For Disabled

New Delhi, Aug 9 (UNI) The government today stressed strengthening community polytechnics and integrating the disabled in mainstream technical and vocational education during the 11th 5-year-Plan.

In a statement, the Human Resource Development Ministry said these schemes give people in rural areas real benefits by imparting skills that help eke out a living.

The government view was spelt out by Minister of State for HRD D Purandeswari on Tuesday at a workshop on expanding the two schemes during the XIth Plan for 2007-12, the statement said.

The workshop was attended by Directors of Technical Education of States and Union Territories and representatives of National Institutes of Technical Teachers Training and Research.

The community scheme is currently implemented through 669 polytechnics approved by the All India Council for Technical Education and the integration scheme through 50 AICTE-approved polytechnics.

The Community Polytechnics scheme will be reviewed and revised for implementation during the XIth Plan.

The higher education officials suggested setting up more polytechnics as the ratio of Degree to Diploma students in the country is aproximately 2:1 as opposed to the desirable 1:3.

The Higher Education Secretary told participants how infrastucture and other standards have been ''relaxed'' for new polytechnics.

He spoke of encouraging Public Private Partnership to establish new polytechnics, specially in districts which do not have any at present.

State government officials raised several issues including delegation of powers to accord approval for Diploma Level Institutions and Programmes.

UNI