MHRD

Educational administration at the national level

MHRD

      Prior to 1945, education as a department had no separate existence at the national level. It remained attached with health and agriculture. In 1945, however each of all these subjects formed a separate department. The Department of Education just after independence was upgraded to the status of a Minority and in 1957, it was also given the charge of scientific research.

      In the year 1958, the ministry of education and Scientific research was divided and two independents ministers were formed as: 1. The Ministry of Education, and 2. The Ministry of scientific Research and Cultural affairs, each under the charge of a separate Minister of State.

      In 1963, both the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of scientific Research and Cultural Affairs were amalgamated and formed a combined Ministry of Education with two Departments, namely, the Department of Education, and the Department of Science. Since the 29^th February 1964, the Ministry of Education was placed under the charge of an Education Minister assisted by two Deputy Education Ministers and one Minister of State.

      During the year 1964-65 the Ministry was reorganised into five bureaux and four Divisions. The Bureaux were those of 1. School Education, 2. Higher Education, 3. Scholarships, 4. Planning and Ancillary Educational services, and 5. Languages, Literature and Fine Arts. These Bureaux were further divided into Divisions and Units. Besides these Bureaux, four Divisions, viz., 1. Physical Education and Recreation, 2. External relations 3. Scientific research, and 4. Administration functioned as independent units.

      During the 1967-68, the work of the ministry was reorganised and reoriented again. Two more Bureaux were opened in the Ministry and all the Bureaux were renamed. The changes were as follows; 1. Bureau of Cultural Activities, 2.Bureau of planning and co-ordination 3. Bureau of Administration, 4. Bureau of General Education, 5. Bureau of Technical Education and Science 6. Bureau of scholarships and youth services, and 7. Bureau of Languages and book Promotion. Each bureau was headed by a Joint Secretary or an adviser, Under Secretaries, Assistant Educational Advisors, Senior Scientific officers, Education Officers, Assistant Education Officers, Section Officers and others in various numbers according to the volume of work in the Bureau.

      During the next decade there was an increasing awareness that the people of the country should be looked upon as its most valuable resources and that our growth process should be based on the integrated development of the citizen beginning with childhood and going right through life. It was increasingly realised that all relevant instruments and agencies contributing to, or responsible for, this growth should be integrated in order to ensure all-round development. A comprehensive approach was, therefore, adopted in which science and technology, arts and crafts humanities and human values should all be woven into a comprehensive pattern of development.

      In pursuance of this idea, a new Ministry was created under a suggestive name. Ministry of Human Resource Development, on 26^Th September, 1985 through 174^th Amendment to the Government of India (Allocation of Business) Rules, 1961. The new Ministry of Human Resource Development constituted by this Amendment consisted of 5 departments, namely, Department of Education, Department of Culture, Department of Arts, Department of Youth Affairs and Sports and Department of women’s Welfare. The conceptual framework of this Ministry of human resource development since then has been followed for building up the all-round personality of human beings and to this end, integrating under one umbrella as many relevant activities as possible with a view to evolving a package of inputs. “The Process”, as reported by the Ministry of Human Resource Development, Department of Education (1986), “has just started, and initial steps have been taken.”

      Accordingly, the department of education, one of the constituted parts of the Ministry of Human Resource Development has been working under the Minister of State with the overall charge of Minister for Human Resource Development.

      In Secretariat of the Department is healed by the secretary who is assisted by one special secretary (Higher Education), Additional Secretary and Educational Adviser (Technical). The Department is organised into Bureaux, Divisions, Desks, Sections and Units. Each bureau is under the charge of a Joint Secretary/Joint Educational Adviser assisted by Divisional Heads.

      Administrative set-up of the Ministry of Education existed as on 1.1.1986 may be seen at page 50a.

      The minister for Education is in the overall charge of the entire Minister and the State Minister and the Deputy Minister are to assist him in the work. They have to play an important role in providing leadership and implementing the general policies laid down by the concerned political party and the cabinet. The central minister of Education has to co-ordinate the educational policy and programmes of various states.

      The Educational Adviser is the Administrative head of the Ministry and the Secretary to the Government of India. He works as the principal adviser to the Minister on various matters of educational policy and administration. This post of the secretary is usually not filled up from the ICS or IAS pool and given to an eminent educationist. Due to importance of the post this tradition is found to be quite desirable.

      The Kothari Commission (pp. 453-54), therefore, have rightly remarked, “It is also necessary to make it clear that this is a ‘selection post’ and that it should not go, as a matter of routine, by promotion to the present advisory service or even to the proposed IES. This should be tenure post, given only for six years in the first instance with an extension, in exceptional cases, for three or four years, but not renewable further. The selection should be made from amongst all persons available official, non-official, IES, university men, etc. So, much depends upon the selection of the right man for this post that no vested interest of any service should be allowed to stand in the way and through a proper machinery for selection, the best man available in the country should be recruited on a tenure basis. We should like to mention that the present status of the Ministry of Education in the academic world is largely due to the fact that its Secretaries were selected in the post-independence period from outside the services and from among eminent educationists.”

      Since the Ministry of Education is expected to provide leadership and to command confidence of the public and teaching community throughout the country, it is immensely significant to give it an all-India colour and spirit in right earnest. Hence, distinguished educators, renowned educationists of schools, colleges and universities, outstanding officials from the State Educational Departments should be associated with the Ministry. The Kothari commission, with this important objectives in view, have eloquently suggested a feasible solution. We, therefore, recommend that all the posts at the level of additional or joint secretaries and joint educational adviser should be divided into two categories.

1.      About half the posts should be filled from among the official ranks by promotion, i.e., from the present education advisory service (or the IES when it is constituted) and officers seconded from the state education departments.

2.      The remaining half should be filled from the ranks of eminent educationists and outstanding teachers in universities and schools. The term of each tenure should be five years to be renewable at the most for a second term.