Sam Pitroda calls for regulatory mechanism in education

Bhubaneswar, Jan 11 (UNI) National Knowledge Commission(NKC) Chairman Sam Pitroda today called for setting up of Advisory and Working groups at the state levels to implement the education programmes in view of Rs three lakh crore earmarked under the sector during the 11th Five Year Plan period.

Mr Pitroda, who visited Orissa along with NKC Advisor S Raghunathan to have an interaction with the state government officials, told newspersons that the Commission would like to reduce and minimise the disparity between the educated and uneducated, the rich and the poor, the urban and rural areas and focus for the job for nearly 550 million people below the age of 25 years.

He said each state should set up high level advisory group of distinguished citizen and experts, working group under the chairmanship of Chief Secretary and a small group to train the teachers and find out what kind of the educations the state required to meet the growing demand.

The NKC Chairman expressed concern over the decline in the teaching standard in various technical as well as general education and suggested that there should be some regulatory mechanism to regulate the quality of teachings in these institutions.

He said the country required to improve the knowledge institutions substantially to meet the requirement of 9 to 10 per cent growth rate, adding more emphasis should be made on the vocational, medical and legal education and a thrust be given on agriculture.

Mr Pitroda said the NKC had identified 30 subjects and set up a group with 10 to 20 people on each subject to take views from the expert and submit a whitepaper to the Prime Minister, recommending the steps to be taken to improve the infrastructure and standard of education.

He said about 65 million more children would be brought under the purview of the mid-day meal during the 11th Five year plan.

The country, Mr Pitroda said, required more expansion in the education field as only six per cent students pursued for higher education adding that it should be increased to at least 15 per cent.

UNI DP SJC KLC1753