98% kids reach school after Right to Education: Javadekar
Human Resource Development (HRD) Minister Prakash Javadekar has said that 98% of the children have started going to school after the implementation of Right to Education. Claiming that Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government is focusing on the issue of brain drain, Javadekar added that all efforts are being made to check the same.
Human Resource Development (HRD) Minister has said the standard of education in the country has registered a significant improvement due to the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan which had started during the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government's tenure. He said 98 per cent of the children have started going to school after the implementation of Right to Education.Speaking on the second day of Agenda Aaj Tak Conclave 2016 today, Prakash Javadekar said innovation needs to be encouraged in primary education. The creative mind of children should not be suppressed. Inquisitiveness among them should be promoted, he said.He said the Narendra Modi government is focusing on the issue of brain drain. All efforts are being made to check brain drain. There is need to strengthen research infrastructure. There is a scope to enhance scholarship. The government will create 20 world class universities. In the days to come, there will be reduction in the number of those going abroad, he said.The HRD Minister claimed that the government spent Rs 1.75 lakh crore last year on higher education. This will be increased in the days to come. The capacity to spend will increase when tax income will increase. The money will be used for the growth of the country, he said.Making a significant announcement in the course of the programme, Javadekar said the government is in favour of according full autonomy to deemed universities or private universities of top standards. An arrangement would be made to grant 90 per cent autonomy and only 10 per cent regulation to such institutions, he said.Talking about learning outcome, the Minister said it would be a teacher's responsibility to ascertain the level of knowledge which a Class 8 student should have. The issue of holding Class 5 and 8 examinations should be left on the state governments. There should not be any examination till Class 4. Tenth Board examination will take place, he said.EDUCATION A NATIONAL AGENDAJavadekar said education is not a political agenda. It is a national agenda. The government does not indulge in politics over education. The standard of education will improve by exchanging the good works. Only those countries progress which have good universities and there are better facilities to conduct research. There is a need to improve the education policy every 20 years, he said.Talking about the priorities of the Narendra Modi government, he said the education system will be improved in mission mode. The mere paper work to complete formalities will not be allowed to continue. The Modi government's target is "Sabka saath, sabka vikas, sabko acchi shiksha (everyone's support, everyone's progress, good education for all)", he said.