Educational reform key to sustaining growth: Sam Pitroda

Jaipur, Jan 12 (UNI) National Knowledge Commission (NKC) chairman Sam Pitroda today said the XIth Plan places high priority on education as a central instrument for achieveing rapid and inclusive growth with specific emphasis on expansion, excellance and equity in education.

Addressing a press conference after a meeting with the Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje here, Dr Pitroda said this was reflected in the proposed allocation of Rs 3 trillion for education, a five fold increase over the Xth Plan.

He said the share of education in the total plan would accordingly increase from 7.7 per cent to 20 per cent representing a credible progress towards the target of 6 per cent of the GDP. He said implementation of some of the key reforms suggested by the NKC has already commenced at various levels and many of the subjects on which the NKC reccomendations fall within the purview of the state governments.

He said in the light of the above fact the next stage of work involves formulating Knowledge Initiatives at the state and district levels to ensure that there is institutional and mental prepardnes at the grassroot level to absorb the financial outlays of the XIth Plan. He said presently the Commission is engaged in discussions with 17 states in this context.

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