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MAIN EDUCATION COMMISSIONS IN THE POST INDEPENDENCE PERIOD

• University Education Commission (1948)

• Secondary Education Commission (1952)

• Indian Education Commission (1964-66)

These education commissions played a vital role in the education system of India. Under the light of this commission that various education policies had been implemented for the improvement of the education in India. 

The main goals of the Planning Commission were: 

• To achieve universal elementary education. 

• To eradicate illiteracy.  

• To establish vocational and skill training programs. 

To upgrade standards and modernize all stages of education, with  special emphasis on technical education, science, and environmental  education, on morality, and on the relationship between school and  work. 

To provide facilities for high-quality education in every district of the country. 

The University Education Commission (1948):  

The Indian government appointed the University Education Commission under the Chairmanship of Dr. Sarvapalli Radhakrishnan on 4th November 1948 to reconstruct the Education in Independent India. In the University Education Commission, there were a total of ten members including Dr. S. Radhakrishnan. Shri Nirmal Kumar Siddhanta was appointed as Secretary of this Commission. 

Major Objectives of University Education Commission:

1. To set the goals and objectives of university education and research in India. 

2. To suggest measures to ensure transparency of admission procedures to university courses. 

3. To prepare the framework of the qualifications, terms of service, salary and scope of work of university teachers. 

4. To suggest appropriate provisions with respect to students, students’ welfare, hostel facilities, discipline and students' development in the jurisdiction of university.  

5. To provide guidance for maintaining high quality of teaching and examination in universities and its affiliated colleges.   

Major Recommendations given by University Education Commission:

1. There should be uniformity at all India level in degree examination and evaluation in order to maintain the quality of higher education.  

2. Scholarships should be given to the researcher in order to promote the research work.  

3. Establish colleges with adequate resources and staff, in the jurisdiction of university.  Attendance should be made mandatory up to graduation level in colleges. 

4. The university teachers should have three categories : Lecturer, Reader and Professor. The retirement age of teachers should be 60 years. However, professors should be given extension to serve up to the age of 64 years. 

5. A student welfare advisory council should be established in each university. Good quality hostels should be built attached to university and the colleges.  

6. Every university should have a permanent full-time Board of Examination in order to identify and rectify the defects in examination system. 

7. The work done in the classroom throughout the year should be evaluated through examination. Inclusion of written as well as oral tests at postgraduate and vocational examinations should be done. External examiners should be appointed for evaluation. 

8. Every university and college should have large and comprehensive library. The staff of the library should be trained. 

Secondary Education Commission (1952-53) 

In 1948, in a meeting of Central Advisory Board of Education, it was proposed that a separate commission should be set up for secondary education. A committee was set up by the government to study this proposed commission under the chairmanship of Dr. Tarachand. In 1949, the commission submitted the report to Central Advisory Board of Education. As per the report, a Secondary Education Commission was set up under the chairmanship of Vice Chancellor of Madras University Dr. A. Laxmanswami Mudliyar on 23rd September 1952. Secondary Education Commission consisted of 10 members along with  Dr.Mudaliyar.  

Principal A.N. Basu was appointed as the member secretary of the commission while Dr. S. M. S. Chari was appointed as Assistant Secretary of the Commission. 

Major Objectives of the Secondary Education Commission:

1. To study the Secondary Education comprehensively in all its perspectives. 

2. To restructure and improve the secondary education.  

3. To think about the objectives, management and content knowledge of secondary education. 

4. To connect secondary education with primary and higher education.  

5. To create a uniform system of secondary education for the entire nation considering the problems of secondary education.  

Major Recommendations given by Secondary Education Commission:

1. To make recommendations on restructuring of education. 

2. To provide guidance related to the school admission, evaluation scheme, interrelation between education and local community, curriculum and textbook etc. 

3. To give directions related to classroom teaching and teaching methods. 

4. To suggest recommendations regarding religious and moral education. 

5. To provide guidance to schools related to importance of subjects, work experience and social service. 

6. To recommend regarding co-curricular activities at school and college level. 

Indian Education Commission (1964-66):

To achieve development of education at national level, various levels of education and departments should be thought integratively. To achieve this, Government of India formed Indian Education Commission under the chairmanship of Dr. Daulat Singh Kothari on 14th July 1964.There were a total of seventeen members along with Dr. Daulat  Singh Kothari in Indian Education Commission. Shri J.P. Naik was the Member Secretary of the Commission. 

Major Objectives of Indian Education Commission:

1. To make recommendations on restructuring of education.  

2. To provide guidance related to the school admission, evaluation scheme, interrelation between education and local community, curriculum and textbook etc. 

3. To give directions related to classroom teaching and teaching methods. 

4. To suggest recommendations regarding religious and moral education.  

5. To provide guidance to schools related to importance of subjects, work experience and social service.  

6. To recommend regarding co-curricular activities at school and college level.  

Major Recommendations given by Indian Education Commission:

1. Curriculum at pre-primary level should include various games, educational processes and activity-based programs. 

2. Textbooks and educational material should be given free of cost in primary schools.  

3. There should be a separate and autonomous mechanism for production of quality textbooks. 

4. At upper primary level, in addition to written examination, there should be an oral examination and internal evaluation.  

5. Vocational education should form large portion of secondary education. 

6. Mathematics and science should be made compulsory at the secondary level. 

7. The curriculum should include social service, work experience and Arts.

8. Students of standard 8th to 10th should know three languages (mother tongue, national language (Rashtrabhasha) and English).  

9. For evaluation, the State Board of Examination should conduct external examinations and award certificates.  

10. English should be the medium of instruction in main universities at national level.  

11. At university level, instead of traditional rote learning, there should be inclusion of good reading material which will lead to thinking and contemplation. 

12. Social science should be given importance at postgraduate level.  

13. More emphasis should be placed on activity-based teaching rather than on mere rote learning so that students feel encouraged to apply the knowledge gained from learning in real life. 

14. Religious education should be voluntary. It can be given with the permission of Parents and Management excluding school hours.  

15. Co-curricular activities form important part of the school curriculum which should include activities like Balveer, Veerbala, National Cadet Corps etc.  

NATIONAL POLICY ON EDUCATION (1986) 

In the history of Indian education, Indian Education Commission 1966 has a great importance. This is because the commission has made recommendations for preprimary to higher education level. The efforts were made for strict implementation of these recommendations that were important for Indian Education System. But due to various reasons such as Federal Government System in India, regional diversity, lack of motivation and narrow ideologies, it could not be implemented effectively. 

Keeping in mind the competition with respect to global, financial and technological progress and its constant changes and India’s need to imbibe democracy, social and financial equality, a need was felt to have a new education policy.  With this ideology, India’s the then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi promised to launch a New National Policy on Education in his address to the nation on 5th January 1985.  

On 20th August 1985, a report entitled 'Challenge of Education: A Policy Perspective' was published. Through this report the working on National Policy on Education started. 'Education is a unique investment in the present and the future'. This cardinal principle is the key to the National Policy of Education 1986. 

Salient Features:

1. The national system of education i.e. 10+2+3, a common pattern of education was accepted.  

2. More emphasis was given on free, compulsory and quality education to children from age of 6 to 14. 

3. Under the campaign 'Operation Blackboard', basic minimum physical facilities and physical resources were provided in every school.  

4. Navodaya Vidyalayas to be set up to provide opportunity of education to children of rural areas.  

5. Open universities will be set up for those who were educationally deprived but willing to pursue further education. National Policy on Education (1992) 

6. The Government of India had set up a commission under the chairmanship of Acharaya Ramamurti in 1990.  

7. Later, under the leadership of N. Janadhana Reddy the Central Advisory Board of Education was set up.  

8. The National Policy on Education – 1992 stressed on promotion of development and strengthening national integration.  

9. The National Policy on Education (1992) emphasised the need for greater transformation of the Indian educational system, with a focus on quality enhancement.  

10. The policy also stressed on developing moral values among students and bringing education closer to life (Ranganathan 2007).  

References and Further readings: (provided by website admin)

1. The Report of the University Education Commission (Dec1948 – Aug 1949) 

2. Recommendations of Secondary Education Commission (1952-53) - Dr. Goutam Patra, Principal (WBSES) 

3. Report of the Education Commission 1964-66: Education & National Development (Kothari Commission)