HRD consultative committee deliberates on gender parity in education
Minister of State for Human Resource Development Mohd. Ali Ashraf Fatmi has stressed on the monitoring of various programmes facilitating gender parity in education. The monitoring is essential keeping in view the budget allocations in Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA), Mid-Day Meal Programme (MDM) and other programmes. Shri Fatmi was chairing the Consultative Committee of Parliament attached to Ministry of Human Resource Development here yesterday. Shri Fatmi also noted that ground realities are changing very fast and girls are entering into mainstream education because of the various initiatives of HRD. He also underlined that these programmes enjoy social support also. He particularly praised the distance education programme conducted by IGNOU in promoting girl education.
The Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan is the national flagship programme for Universalisation of Elementary Education. It recognizes the need for special efforts to bring the “out of school” girls, especially from the disadvantaged groups, to the school. Under SSA, the following provisions are made for providing school infrastructure and quality improvement in education for the girl child: Free textbooks for girls upto Class VIII within the ceiling limit of Rs. 150 per child; Separate toilets for girls; At least 50 per cent of the teachers to be appointed should be women; Community mobilization to target girls enrolment and retention; Monitoring attendance and Gender Sensitization of textbook and curriculum.
The Committee was also informed that the National Programme for Education of Girls at the Elementary Level (NPEGEL) and the Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya (KGBV) Scheme specifically target girls from marginalized groups who are out of school or have not completed elementary education. In over 3000 Educationally Backward Blocks (EBBs) in the country, whereas the female rural literacy rate is below the national average (46.1%) and the gender gap in literacy is above the national average (21.6%).
The National Programme for Education of Girls at Elementary Level (NPEGEL) is another important component of SSA, set up with the objective of providing additional support over and above the investments for girls education through normal SSA investments for girls education for enhancing participation of girls.
In order to target the disadvantaged sections of society, the Ministry is taking several initiatives which include: 3073 Educationally Backward Blocks with gender discrimination in education identified (Rural female literacy below 46.13 per cent and Gender gap above 21.59 per cent); 60.6 per cent of EBBs are in Special Focus districts of SSA; 48 districts with gender gap of 10 per cent at primary level received 12 per cent of the total SSA outlay and 9.5 per cent of NPEGEL funds; 160 districts with 15 per cent gender gap at upper primary level received 36.72 per cent of SSA outlay and 43.5 per cent of NPEGEL funds; and Enhanced investments for SC, ST, OBC and minority girls through targeted schemes NPEGEL & KGBV.
The Consultative Committee was informed that gender parity in higher education critically dependent on the equity achieved at the lower levels of education. Even so, India has made impressive progress in terms of access of women to higher education. While in 1950-51, the enrolment of women was approximately only 40,000, this has multiplied over 100 fold to the current level of over 42 lakhs. While enrolment of women was only 14 per hundred male enrolment in 1950-51, at the end of academic year 2004-05 it has reached 68 women per hundred men. Women’s enrolment was the highest in the State of Kerala at over 60.85% and lowest in Bihar at 24.46% of the total enrolment in higher education. As many as 18 States had higher enrolment of women than national average of 40.40% of total enrolment. Nearly 10% of the total number of 17800 colleges were women’s colleges. In addition, there were 7 women’s universities in the country.
The University Grants Commission gives several relaxation in its general schemes while assisting women’s colleges and women’s universities. Apart form this, there were several schemes of the Commission which are specially designed to help women overcome barriers to access in higher education. The women’s Hostel Scheme of UGC has recently been revised. Similarly, Single Girl Child scholarship has been introduced at the level of higher education. As many as 72 women’s study centres providing teaching, research and extension services in all facets of empowerment of women were being assisted by UGC. Presentations were made by Chairman, UGC, and other officials of the Ministry.
The Central Government has over the last two years increased the Plan outlay for higher education. The Committee was told that while until three years ago, the total outlay for the entire university system assisted from the UGC was approximately 540 crores, the outlay has been substantially increased and a provision of Rs.1269 crores has been made in the Union Budget for assistance to UGC during the current financial year.
During the meeting, the members gave very valuable suggestions by raising important issues like validity of data on gender parity, earmarking of separate funds for minorities in respect of residential schools, grants, scholarships etc., increasing the number of schools exclusively for girls, strengthening of the KGBV and evaluating education keeping in view the requirement of girls and the need to reduce the drop-out rates. The meeting was attended by Smt. D. Purandeswari, MOS for HRD and Members of Parliament which include Shri Kishanbhai Vestabhai Patel, Shri Harisinh Chavda, Ms. P. Satheedevi, Shri Francis Fanthome, Shri Rupchand Pal, Shri Rashid Alvi, Shri Asaduddin Owaisi, Shri Laxminarayan Sharma, Dr. K. Kasturirangan and Shri Sriniwas D. Patel. The meeting was concluded by vote of thanks by Shri M.A.A. Fatmi, Minister of State for Human Resource Development.
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HB/RP/SB
(Release ID :20269)