Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan seeks to achieve universal secondary education by the year 2017’

Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan seeks to achieve universal secondary education by the year 2017’

Speaking at the at the inauguration of the Silver Jubilee Celebrations of the Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) in New Delhi Pratibha Devisingh Patil, President of India, said that nations with high quality human resources would be counted amongst the front ranking nations of the world in the knowledge era.

Aristotle, the ancient Greek philosopher, once remarked that the fate of nations depends on the education of its youth. Therefore, reaching education to young girls and boys must occupy a foremost position on the agenda, if India is to be firmly positioned as one of the leading nations of the world. Government has made education a priority sector. Free education to children between the ages 6 and 14 years is now a fundamental right. The Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan seeks to achieve universal secondary education by the year 2017.

The Gross Enrolment Ratio or GER in India in higher education is very low as compared to the world average. Strenuous efforts are required to reach our goal of enhancing GER in India to 20 percent by 2020. A massive expansion in higher education through new institutions is also underway, alongwith efforts to improve educational standards, including through undertaking structural reforms in the higher education system and using all available methods to spread education. The National Mission on Education through Information Communication Technology launched in February this year will create internet connectivity to about 20,000 colleges and educational institutions. This initiative will, I am confident bring in the use of modern technology in higher education in a more widespread manner.

Note: Excerpts from President’s speech