Educational Agencies in India

The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT):

- The NCERT is the apex resource organisation set-up in September 1961, with head quarters at New Delhi.
- It assists and advises the Central and State Governments on academic matters related to school education.
- The council is fully funded by the Central Government.
- The NCERT provides academic and technical support for qualitative improvement of school education through its constituent units, namely.
National Institute of Education (NIE). New Delhi.
Central Institute of Educational Technology (CIET). New Delhi,
Pandit Sunderlal Sharma Central Institute of Vocational Education
(PSSCIVE).
Bhopal and Regional Institutes of Education at Ajmer, Bhopal, Bhuvaneshwar, Mysore and Shillong.


University and Higher Education in India:

- At present, there are 306 university-level institutions.
- There are 18 Central Universities and 186 State Universities.
- There are 89 Deemed Universities.
- There are 13 Institutes of national importance.
- There are 38 Institutions providing education in agriculture (including forestry, dairy, fisheries and veterinary science).
- There are 21 Institutions in medicine (including Ayurveda), 44 in engineering and technology, 4 in information technology and 4 in legal studies.
- There are 11 Open Universities and 5 Women Universities.


University Grants Commission (UGC):

- The UGC was established in 1956.
- It serves as a coordinating body between the Union and State Governments and the institutions of higher learning.
- The Commission consists of the Chairman, Vice-Chairman and 10 other Members appointed by the Central Government.
- It has its Regional Offices at I Hyderabad. Pune. Bhopal. Kolkata, Guwahati and Bangalore.

Autonomous Research Organizations:

- The Indian Council of Historical Research (ICHR), New Delhi, set-up in 1972, reviews the progress of historical research and encourages scientific writing in history.
- The Indian Council of Philosophical Research (ICPR), functioning from 1977 with offices in New Delhi and Lucknow, reviews the progress, sponsors or assists projects and programmes of research in Philosophy.
- The Indian Institute of Advanced Study (MAS). Shimla. set-up in 1965 is a residential centre for advanced research on humanities, social sciences and natural sciences.
- The Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR). New Delhi, is an autonomous body for promoting and coordinating social science research.
- The National Council of Rural Institutes (NCRI) was set-up in 1995 as an autonomous organisation for promoting Gandhian philosophy of education and. promotes research as a tool of social and rural development

Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU):

- The IGNOU. established in September 1985. is responsible for the introduction and promotion of Open University and distance education system of the country.
- IGNOU introduced its programmes in 1987.
- It has established 269 study centres for women. SC/ST and physically challenged persons.
- On 26th January 2001, IGNOU launched an education channel called 'Gyandharshan which is now a 24-hour channel.
- On 26th January 2003. IGNOU launched a channel for technical education called 'Eklavya Channel'.

Open Universities:

At present, there are 10 other Open Universities in the country, viz,
a. U.K. Ambedkar Open University, Hyderabad (Andhra Pradesh)
b. Rota Open University, Kola (Rajasthan)
c. Nalanda Open University, Nalanda (Bihar)
d. Yashwant Rao Chauhan Maharashtra Open University, Nasik (Maharashtra)
e. Madhya PradeshBhoj Open University. Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh)
f. Ambedkar Open University, Ahmedabad (Gujarat)
g. Karnataka State Open University. Mysore (Karnataka)
h. Netaji Subhash Open University. Kolkata (West Bengal)
i. Rajrishi Tandon Open University. Allahabad (Uttar Pradesh) and
j. Tamil Nadu State Open University, Chennai (Tamil Nadu).

Technical Education:

- The technical education system in the country covers courses in engineering, technology, management, architecture, pharmacy etc.
- The technical education system at the central level comprises the following
a. The All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE)
b. 7 Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs)
c. 6 Indian Institute of Management (IIMs)
d. Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bangalore
e. Indian Institute of Information Technology (IIIT), Allahabad
f. Indian Institute of Information Technology and Management (IIITM),
Gwalior and
g. 18 National Institutes of Technology (NITs) (converted from RECs with 100
per cent central funding).

Adult Education:

- The National Literacy Mission, set-up in May 1988 aims to attain a sustainable threshold level of 75 per cent literacy by 2007.
- The 'Total Literacy Campaign" is the principal strategy of the National Literacv Mission for eradication of illiteracy.
- The 'Continuing Education Centres' provide area-specific, need-based opportunities for basic literacy, upgradation of literacy skills, pursuit of alternative educational programmes, vocational skills and also promote social and occupational development.
- The State Resource Centres (SRCs) managed by NCOs provide academic and technical resource support in the form of training material preparation, extension activities, innovative projects, research studies and evaluation. At present, there are 26 SRCs.
- The objective of 'Jan Shikshan Sansthan" (JSS) is the educational, vocational and occupational development of the socio-economically backward and educationally disadvantaged groups. At present, there are 140 JSSs in the country

Minority Education:

The National Policy on Education, 1986. updated in 1992 envisages paving greater attention to the education of the educationally backward minorities in the interest of 'equity and social justice". In pursuance of the revised Programme of Action (POA), 1992, two new centrally sponsored schemes were launched in 1993-94. viz,

a. Scheme of Area-Intensive Programme for Educationally Backward
Minorities, and
b. Scheme of financial Assistance for Modernisation of Madrassa Education.