HRD, Science and Technology ministries sign MoU

 New Delhi: The Human Resource Development Ministry signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Ministry of Science and Technology on Friday for institutionalizing synergy between both ministries.
"The education sector in India is expanding rapidly to meet the increasing demand resulting from rise in Gross Enrolment Ratios. Human Resource Development processes have gained high significance in India during the last few years. There is a need for expansion while ensuring excellence and equity. The challenge ahead is large," an official press release said on Friday.
This memorandum was signed by Department of Higher Education Secretary Vibha Puri Das and Department of Science and Technology Dr. T. Ramasamy in the presence of Union Minister for HRD, Communications and Information Technology, Science & Technology and Earth Sciences Kapil Sibal.
The salient features of the MoU are as follows:
- Secretary of Higher Education to be invited to the National Science and Engineering Research Board (NSERC), the Bill for which has been passed by parliament.
- A Council for Grand Alliance Initiative would be established under the chairmanship of Union HRD Minister with Minister of S&T as Co-chair with all Secretaries of the two Ministries as members and Secretary (Telecommunications) as a permanent invitee. The Council would meet at least once in 3 months.
- An Executive Council (EC) will be constituted for overseeing the Alliance Initiatives. The EC would be a Committee of Secretaries of MHRD, MST and MoT with Secretary (HE) as Chair. This Council will meet at lease once in a month to review the progress of various activities.
- An "Office of Alliance for Research in Science" will be established as a physical unit in the MST. It will be staffed and governed jointly by the MHRD and MST. This office would constitute various Advisory Committees and commission studies for identifying new areas of cooperation and collaboration. This office will serve as the back office for the two Ministries and serve as the coordinating arm.
This information is taken from- http://www.indiaedunews.net/Toda/HRD%2C_Science_and_Technology_ministries_sign_MoU_13363/

Vice President Ansari stresses on 'quality agenda' in education

New Delhi, Jan 14 : Vice President M. Hamid Ansari on Friday said that simple, reliable and scientific methods of sampling and assessment on a nation-wide scale are important for highlighting 'quality agenda' in education.  

 Releasing the "Annual Status of Education Report (ASER)- 2010 here, Ansari said: "Quality indeed lies at the heart of the goal of "Education for All". This is more glaring in the context of our public policy because we neither have an inbuilt evaluation culture nor adequate trained human resources with both technical knowledge and field experience to check and monitor outcomes."
"What happens in classrooms and other learning environments is vitally important to the future of our citizens, and indeed to the future of our republic. Education of acceptable quality must address basic learning needs, enrich the lives of learners and their overall experience of living and well being," he added.
He further said that evidence from around the world demonstrates that "efforts to expand enrolment must be accompanied by attempts to enhance educational quality if children are to be attracted to school, stay there and achieve meaningful learning outcomes.
"Public policy can address this challenge with a sharp focus on two issues - quality improvement in teacher training and curricular materials development," he added.
He further said that education governance and management at the grass roots and institutional level should be participatory and engage with local communities and cultures.
"We have made a positive beginning with the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act 2009. It mandates the constitution of School Management Committees consisting of parents, elected representatives of the local authority, teachers and local educationists, and tasked, inter alia, with monitoring the working of the school and maintenance of prescribed norms and standards," he added
He further hoped that this statutory initiative would be utilized for enabling parents and the local community a greater say in the monitoring of educational outcomes.

This news is collected from- http://www.newkerala.com/news/world/fullnews-123958.html