Centre to launch Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyaan soon

Itanagar, Sep 23 (UNI) The Centre is all set yo launch the Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (MSA) throughout the country like the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) during the Eleventh Plan period, joint secretary of Union Ministry of Human Resource Development S C Khuntia said.

Mr Khuntia disclosed this to Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Dorjee Khandu during a meeting here yesterday, official sources said today.

Mr Khandu apprised the visiting secretary of the state's dismal education scenario which could not be at par with other states due to infrastructural bottlenecks.

''The recent CBSE results in the state are a testimony to the fact,'' Mr Khandu explained, adding that the Centre needed to know the ground realities and practical problems particularly posting of teachers in the remote inaccessible areas, availability of teachers' quarters, school buildings, adequate subject teachers and other related problems, and accordingly prepare special schemes for the state.

The Chief Minister suggested that special provisions in education sector need to be initiated by the Centre keeping in mind the state's geographical factors where many places were yet to be connected by surface communication.

Advocating for creation of subject teachers especially for Science and Mathematics under the new policy of the Centre, Mr Khandu lamented that due to shortage of subject teachers, pass percentage in science stream drastically degraded in recent years.

''If the Centre sanctions post for subject teachers, complete transparency would be maintained in the recruitment process which would be conducted by Aruanchal Pradesh Civil Service Commission to ensure selection of meritorious candidates,'' the Chief Minister assured.

Deliberating upon the schemes and programmes of the MSA, Mr Khuntia informed the Chief Minister about universalisation of elementary education up to Matriculation level.

He disclosed that under the programme, every school would be fully equipped with the latest teaching technologies including computer education.

He, however, said the Centre would provide 75 per cent of the total fund and the state had to bear the rest 25 per cent for all programmes.

Considering the request made by the Chief Minister and Education Minister for reducing the state liability to 10 per cent, Mr Khuntia said the Centre would reconsider the proposal for the fund sanction.

Lauding the Chief Minister for giving special attention to the education sector, the joint secretary disclosed that under MSA programme new school buildings, upgradation of schools from primary to high schools, other required infrastructure like laboratories, hostel building for both girls and boys and teachers quarters would be incorporated.

He further revealed that special incentives in the form of scholarships would be awarded to meritorious students from Class IX to XII at the rate of Rs five hundred per month.

The joint secretary further disclosed that Rs 40 lakh have been earmarked for improvement of infrastructure for every school and initially secondary schools would be provided the fund and the Higher Secondary schools would be covered by the next one or two years.

The meeting was attended among others by Education Minister Tatar Kipa, commissioner Hage Khoda and other senior officials, the sources informed.

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