MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT (Dr. SHASHI THAROOR)
(a) & (b) : As per the annual publication “Statistics of Higher and Technical Education” of Ministry of Human Resource Development, the Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) of students enrolled in higher education in the country as a percentage of the population in the age group of 18-23 years during 2009-10(Provisional) is 15.0. The GER of students in the country is estimated to be 18.8 in 2010-11, as per the provisional report of the All India Survey on Higher Education based on data collected up to 31st July, 2012. The data on GER in higher education is not available for 2011-12. As per the annual publication “Statistics of School Education” of the Ministry of Human Resource Development, the Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) of students in Classes I-VIII and Classes IX-X in the country during 2010-11(Provisional) is 104.3 and 65.0 respectively. The data on GER in school education is not available for 2011-12.The targets of GER for higher education and secondary education in the Eleventh Plan are 15.0 and 75.0 respectively. The target for elementary education is universal enrolment of children in the age group of 6-14 years.
(c):The Government has been making consistent progress in meeting the goals of Universal Elementary Education through implementation of the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA). The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act 2009, which became operational with effect from 1st April, 2010, provides that every child in the 6 to 14 age-group shall have a right to free and compulsory education till completion of elementary education. The SSA Framework of Implementation has been revised to correspond with the provisions of the RTE Act 2009 and the SSA is being implemented in accordance with the norms and standards of the RTE Act to enhance enrolment and retention of children and to bridge gender gaps in elementary education. The Mid Day Meal Scheme is being implemented with a view to enhance the enrolment and retention of children in school. Further, the Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan has been launched for universal access to seconday education.
During the 11th Five year plan, several new Central Universities, Indian Institutes of Management,Indian Institutes of Technology, National Institutes of Technology, Polytechnics and other Institutions of Higher learning have been established to increase the GER in Higher Education. A new scheme has been approved by the Government under which central assistance on a sharing basis is being provided to the State Governments/ State Universities for the setting up of a model degree college in each of the 374 identified educationally backward districts, where the Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) for higher education is less than the national GER.
