As this issue of EW goes to press, only the Congress, CPI-M and Trinamool Congress Party (TMC) have officially released their manifestos for General Election 2014. The BJP and Aam Aadmi Party manifestos are expected to be out only in the first week of this month. The promises and pledges made in relation to education by the Congress, CPI-M and TMC in their manifestos are summarised below.
Trinamool Congress Party
Massive emphasis on the entire verticals of primary and secondary schools, vocational institutes, colleges and Central universities with a commitment to spend a significantly higher proportion of GDP on education.
A new experts committee to prepare an employment-oriented education policy.
New Central universities of high quality to be promoted countrywide.
New All India Medical Institutes to be established in all four regions of the country.
Madrasas to be empowered and mainstreamed as per their own requirements.
A nationwide programme of long-term educational loans for students.
Indian National Congress
Robust implementation of the Right to Education Act to ensure quality learning outcomes, adequate infrastructure and facilities in schools, regular teacher training and optimal pupil teacher ratio systemswide.
Larger resources for implementation of the Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan, to improve the quality of secondary education and achieve near universal enrolment.
Special emphasis to be given to reducing school drop-outs particularly from middle and secondary schools.
An independent regulatory mechanism to be established to oversee State and private institutions to ensure standardisation and quality of education.
Full support for regional and context-specific curricula as well as development of life skills including leadership building.
Better facilities for children with special needs and disabilities.
The Rashtriya Ucchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA) programme will promote 70 new universities, improve infrastructure in existing universities, upgrade autonomous colleges to universities, and create a new model of general degree colleges and professional institutions.
A National Commission for Students will be established to protect and promote the interests of students.
Interest-free education loans to students of all levels especially from weaker sections of society.
New public-private-partnerships, appropriate regulatory systems, accreditation procedures, and policies will be developed, to enable private education providers to take on the challenge of expanding secondary education in particular.
Communist Party of India-Marxist
Public expenditure on education to be raised to 6 percent of GDP.
Right to Education Act, 2009 will be strictly implemented; the RTE Act will be amended to institutionalise the concept of neighbourhood schooling, and extend it beyond the elementary level; free education for all dropped out and returning students; stringent action against private schools and elite institutions who fail to provide admission to children from economically weaker sections under s.12 (1) (c); improved quality of schools and teachers.
Secondary education capacity to be expanded to reduce dropouts; quality of education and infrastructure in SSA schools to be improved; flexibility of rules, timings and other aspects to ensure retention of pupils in backward areas and otherwise marginalised groups.
New legislation to regulate fees, admissions and curricula in private educational institutions.
Ban on FDI in higher education and scrapping Bills such as Foreign Educational Institutions (Regulation of Entry and Operations) Bill, 2010, the Higher Education and Research Bill, 2011, and Universities for Research and Innovation Bill, 2012.
New regulations for private higher education institutions to control fees and strict implementation of teacher norms, and ensure quality and access.
Regularisation of terms and conditions of teachers currently employed as contract or para teachers.
Students’ union elections to be made mandatory in all higher educational institutions.