Hi Friends,

Even as I launch this today ( my 80th Birthday ), I realize that there is yet so much to say and do. There is just no time to look back, no time to wonder,"Will anyone read these pages?"

With regards,
Hemen Parekh
27 June 2013

Now as I approach my 90th birthday ( 27 June 2023 ) , I invite you to visit my Digital Avatar ( www.hemenparekh.ai ) – and continue chatting with me , even when I am no more here physically

Wednesday 6 November 1985

ENROLMENT OF GIRLS (COMPARED WITH BOYS)

FROM  THE REPORT

" CHALLENGE OF EDUCATION "

NOV. 1985
ENROLMENT OF GIRLS (COMPARED WITH BOYS)

PRESENT SITUTION:
                    

                                  BOYS             GIRLS
                                                                                                   
Primary Stage                84%                54%                              
Secondary Stage            33%                16%                                                
Higher Education Stage      6%               3%                                                   


CHANGE/ ACTION DESIRED :

Even at Primary stage only 54% girls get enrolled and this rate drops to as 16% in Secondary. 46% Population is that of female. Unless and until this Population the country cannot prosper.

Primary Education for girls should be Compulsory.
Secondary Education should be free for girls.

ADVANTAGES EXPECTED:

Better Quality of social/ family life.
Girls would contribute equally to the prosperity of the nation.

ACTION BY :

Ministry OF Education for appropriate bill
State Govt. Education Ministries.
Gram Panchayats/ Local Self Govt. Social organization

ENROLMENT IN HIGHER EDUCATION

FROM  THE REPORT

" CHALLENGE OF EDUCATION "

NOV.1985
ENROLMENT IN HIGHER EDUCATION
PRESENT SITUATION :
Total Enrolment in higher education in 1981 was only 31 lacs which was only 2.94% of the total numbers enrolled.

CHANGE/ ACTION DESIRED :
World Is Progressing into high-tech. areas. To prepare manpower for the needs of 21st century. More and more students will have to be motivated to opt for higher studies. Ideally 10% of the enrolled must find their way into higher education.

ADVANTAGES EXPECTED :
India will be equipped to meet challenges of boom in Electrics / Computer/ Energy Development Era.

ACTION BY :
Govt. must encourage Private Sector including Industrial Houses to invest in setting of Institute of Educational/ Research Excellence.

ENROLMENT IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS

FROM  THE REPORT

" CHALLENGE OF EDUCATION "

NOV. 1985
ENROLMENT IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS
PRESENT SITUATION :

ENROLMENT IN 1950-51     Was 12.2 Lacs
Enrolment in 1980-81        was 94.9 Lacs
Growth-rate (Compound)    7.08% per annum
Whereas growth-rate in Primary was
-      In Fifties      ...   6.2%
-      In Sixties     ...   5.0%
-      In Seventies  ..   5%


CHANGE/ ACTION DESIRED :

Even though the growth-rate in Secondary Education was higher it may not sustain due to drop in growth-rate of Primary.

When we achieve 100% enrolment rate at Primary level. Larger growth-rate will be required at Secondary level as well.
ADVANTAGES EXPECTED :

Level of literacy will go up.
ACTION BY :

State Governments.

MIDDLE EDUCATION

FROM  THE REPORT

" CHALLENGE OF EDUCATION "

Nov. 1985
MIDDLE EDUCATION
PRESENT SITUATION:                               (LAKHS)
                                  1950       1985     GROWTH- RATE
Primary Schools (Nos.)     2.01          5.04              2.6%
Middle Schools (Nos.)      0.13         1.23             7.2%
RATIO – MIDDLE:PRIMARY 1:15         1:4


CHANGE / ACTION DESIRED :
-      As Laid Down In the Constitution – Education up to the age of 14 years (i.e. till middle level ) is responsibility of Government i.e. it should be compulsory & free
-      Even though the ratio of middle schools has improved still in order to reach the above goal there has to be 4 fold increases in middle schools as compared with Primary.

ADVANTAGES EXPECTED :
Constitutional obligation towards citizens will be met

ACTION BY :
Ministry of Education, GOI

ENROLMENT (PRIMARY ) ONLY 76%

FROM  THE REPORT

" CHALLENGE OF EDUCATION "

Nov. 1985
ENROLMENT (PRIMARY ) ONLY 76%
PRESENT SITUATION :
-      In India enrolment at primary level is only 76%
-      China          117%
-      France        112%
-      Singapore   107%
-      USSR            106%
-      Japan           101%
-      USA               98%
In 1981 out of total 15 Crores (of age group 6-14 years)
Only 9.3 crores were enrolled.
CHANGE / ACTION DESIRED :
China with much higher Population has achieved highest enrolment rate which is an exemplary indication of its development.
If India has to achieve some world standing the primary enrolment will have to be boosted to 100%


ADVANTAGES EXPECTED:
Elementary education would eradicate illiteracy along with many other ourses associated with it chiefly population explosion
ACTION BY:
Ministry of Education. Ministry of Family Welfare.
Gram Panchayats. Social organizations.

Monday 4 November 1985

EXPENDITURE ON RURAL EDUCATION

FROM  THE REPORT

" CHALLENGE OF EDUCATION "

NOV. 1985
EXPENDITURE ON RURAL EDUCATION
PRESENT SITUATION:

EXPENDITURE ON  1950-51           1970-71
-      RURAL          38.3              494.6 CRORES
-      URBAN          71.6              623.7  CRORES
                 ----------         ------------
 TOTAL        109.9              1,118.3 CRORES
                 ------------        -----------
% EXP. ON RURAL/ TOTAL      35%         44%
% RURAL POPULATION/TOTAL 75%         80%
For 80% of the rural population we spend only 44% of the total education outlay
CHANGE/ ACTION DESIRED:

Maintaining the present share of Urban Education the weighted average for Rural Education outlay should be increase to the Urban level i.e. 176% of the present i.e. Rs. 1978.4 crores.
This will bring around the parity in educational expenditure in proportion of population.


ADVANTAGES EXPECTED :

Population flow to urban centers would be arrested Equitable and just distribution of educational resources Upliftment of 80% population would eradicate poverty Family Welfare will get a boost because of rural literacy.
ACTION BY :

GOI – Dept. of Education

CHALLENGE OF EDUCATION


FROM  THE REPORT

" CHALLENGE OF EDUCATION "


                             LARSEN & TUBREO LIMITED
                             SAKI VIHAR ROAD, POWAI
                             BOMBAY 400 072
                             
                             NOVEMBER 4, 1985

Professor Ashok Chandra
Educational Advisor (T)
Ministry of Education
Government of India
New Delhi- 110 001

Dear Sir,

       CHALLENGE OF EDUCATION – A POLICY PERSPECTIVE

Kindly refer to your letter dated September 4, 1985. Along with a copy of the report “ challenge of education- A policy Perspective.

I have pleasure in sending herewith some preliminary on Education Policy. These have been compiled by me along with two of my colleagues, Mr. I.R. Sethi & Mr. V.K.Mahajan.

The Thoughts expresses herewith are personal view of the authors and not of our organization.
In case you find that some of the thoughts expresses in this folder are worth pursuing by developing a sharp, time-bond ACTION=PLAN. And if you like me to associate with such an exercise, please feel free to write to me.

I think I should also mention my association with education institutions. At present I am a member of the Governing Councils/ Board of Governors of
-     Victoria Jubilee Technical Institute          - Bombay
-     Fr. Agnel Polytechnic                           - Bombay
-     L&T Institute of Technology (LTIT)          -Bombay
-     Regional Engineering College                 -Surat
I am happy to enclose herewith a booklet on LTIT- which, I hope, you will find useful.

With kind regards,
                                         Yours faithfully,


                                        (H. C. PAREKH)
                                        GENERAL MANAGER
                              LARSEN & TUBREO LIMITED 

DIFFERENTIAL EXPENDITURE ON EDUCATION IN STATES

FROM  THE REPORT

" CHALLENGE OF EDUCATION "

NOV. 1985
DIFFERENTIAL EXPENDITURE ON EDUCATION IN STATES
PRESENT SITUATION :

In 1982-83 expenditure (Per Capita) in different states was varying drastically as would be evident below:
U.P.               40.5  LOWEST IN INDIA
M.P.               49.4
BIHAR            51.2
PUNJAB        100.0
KERALA        119.5  HIGHEST
ALL INDIA       68.2 AVERAGE
----------------------------------
CHANGE/ACTION DESIRED:

1.  No states should be allowed to spend less than the present National Average of per Capita Educational Outlay.
2.  Educational opportunities should be equally and evenly spread and grown in all the states.
3.  Backward states should pump far greater resources on education for upliftment of masses.


ADVANTAGES EXPECTED:

Equitable distribution of resources on education
Equal opportunities in all states
Regional imbalance eliminated which will also check migratory tendencies

ACTION BY:

GOI – Ministry of Education.
State Governments – Ministry of Education/ Finance.

PLAN OUTLAY FOR ELEMENTARY EDUCATION

FROM  THE REPORT

" CHALLENGE OF EDUCATION "

NOV. 1985
PLAN OUTLAY FOR ELEMENTARY EDUCATION
PRESENT SITUATION:

Share of plan outlay for education has been as follows:
1st Plan            56%
2nd Plan           35%
3rd Plan           34%
4th Plan            30%
5th Plan             32%
6th Plan             36%
CHANGE/ ACTION DESIRED :

Plan Outlay on Elementary Education should be at least restored to the 1st Plan level
Plan Outlay for Elementary Education should keep pace with realistic growth-rates in population and enrolment

ADVANTAGES EXPECTED:

Constitutional obligation will be met.
Majority of population will get at least satisfactory & meaningful elementary education

ACTION BY:

GOI – Planning Commission
-      Ministry of Education
-      Ministry of Finance