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Institutes. (Shriniketan, Madurai, Agra, Udaipur, Jamianagar, Amarabati,

Gcu:go~etc.). Three of these institutes have been accepted to be deemed Universities.

Thefollowing programmes of work to be followed in these eleven

1) Three-year,Diploma Course in Rural Sciences.

2) Three-year Certificate Course in Rural and Civil Engineering.

3) Two-year Certificate Course in Agricultural Science.

4) Preparatory Course for Matriculates to prepare them for entry into

the three-year Diploma Course.

The subjects should be selected which have direct relation with rural

life and problems. These are : Agriculture, Rural health and sanitation, Rural

Economics,Rural Engineering,Adult Education, Rural and Cottage Industries

such as leather, cotton and wood industries. Emphasis will be laid on

extension work and research activities that promote an understanding of rural

culture and life. The Govt. of India sanctions annual grants to these institutions.

Besides, the National Council for Rural Higher Education was established

in 1956in pursuance of the recommendations of the Committee on Ru- ,

ral Higher Education. The functions and powers of this Council would be as

follows:

(a) to serve as an expert body to advise the State and CeQtral Govts.

about improvement and expansion of rural education in all its

phases ;

(b) to advise the rural eduction institutions and to act as the coordinating

agency amongst them;

higher education and to encourag~ research in problems relating to

higher education in rural areas;

(d) to advise the Govt. of India on grants to be paid to institutions participating

in the rural development schemes ;

(e) to examine proposals referred to by the Govt. of India and the State

Govts. and to assist in the implementation of approved programme.

Though the Rural Institutes had to face difficulties due to nonrecognition

of their diplomas by the Universities or the Govt., yet it is gratifying

to note that this difficulty is now largely removed. Recognition of the

[,Iploma in Rural Services as equivalent to a first degree of a University for

the purpose of employment has been secured. It has also been recognised by

the Inter-University Board and certain Universities for Post-graduate studies

in specified subjects.The Certificate course in Civil and Rural Engineering

has been recognised by the All-India Council of Technical Education and

some State Govts. for the purpose of appointment. The 2 year certificate

course in Agricultural Sciencehas also been recognised by most of the State

Govts. 'There should be no barriers between these Institutes and the Universities

as there should be none between the villages and towns. It is only

, ,",;

when there is a proper give-and-take between the cities and the villages

that both will be enriched".

Criticism:

1. In the selection of places for establishing Rural Institutes for Higher

Education emphasis has been given on urban areas instead ofrural

ones.

2. The establishment of only 11 Rural Institutes for Higher Education

is extremely inadequate for 6 lakhs villages in India and 80crares

of people.

of ideas and for the search of truth. It stands for the onward march

of the human race towards even higher objectives". (Pandit Jawaharlal

Nehru). Universities have a crucial part to play in the life, welfare and

strength of a nation. They are essentially a community of teachers and students

where, in some way, all learn from one another.Their principal object

mind and spirit, to disseminate this understanding throughout societyand to

apply it in the service of mankind. They are the dwelling places of ideas

aI\d idealism. They stand for high ideals of life and high standards of conduct.

Their is the pursuit of truth and excellence in all its diversity. Great

Universities and timid people will go together.

Universities owe their allegiance to some fundamental values of life.

Values are not constant but dynamic, and as such, the functions of universities

change from time to time. In the rapidly changing contemporary world,

universities are undergoing profound changes in their scope, functionsand organization

and are in a process of rapid evolution. The general functions of

the Universities in the modem world may be summed up in the following

way:

1) To seek and cultivate new knowledge, to engage vigorously and

fearlessly in the pursuit of truth, and to interpret old knowledge

and beliefs in the light of new needs and discoveries ;

2) To provide the right kind of leadership in all walks of life, to

identify gifted youth and help them develop their potential to the

full by cultivating physical fitness, developing the powers of the

mind and cultivating right interests, attitudes and moral and intellectual

values ;

3) To provide society with competent men and women trained in agriculture,

arts, medicine, science and technology and variou~ other

I,

with the priorities fixed by the Commission. Priorities are determined on

the national.policy and requirements. Grants are given on specific items and

grants are to be spended on those specificpurposes.

Thus we find that the University Grants Commission has been empowered

with extensive powers to finance and develop higher education keeping

in tune with the national requirements. Consequently, the Commission has

been spending money for the purposes of developing university education

since its establishment. This money has been paid towards the development

of humanities as well as advancement of higher scientific education, research,

engineering education and technology.

In its first report in March, 1957,U. G. C. made a number of observations.

In the opinion of the Cqmmission, the teaching profession has almost ceased

to attract the best talented men and women. Steps mQ.st,therefore, be taken

to raise both the initial salary as well as the grades of all classes of teachers.

The Commission recommended a new pay scale for the teachers of the

Universities as well as affiliated colleges. New grades have been started

almost in all the Universities of the country, first in March, 1973and then in

Jan., 1986.

For the purpose of the construction of hostels and staff quarters loans are

granted to the Universities.and also to the affiliated colleges.

Now not only financing of higher education, but also its planning, reform

in academic standards and examination system, research and other matters

of importance are dealt with by the U. G. C.

Rural Higher Education and Rural Universities:

About 80% population' of India resides in the rural areas. The need of

developing opportunities for higher education in rural areas was first of all

emphasised by the University Education Commission in 1949.Since then it

has attracted growing attention of the Govt. and the educationists in the

country. For many years in the past rural education was limited to primary

schooling.This was gradually extended to secondary education. But even today

the existing facilities and opportunities for rural education at the primary

and secondary stages are far from satisfactory. At present we have no

definite standard of rural higher education. talents are gradually leaving

the villages and a passion has also been created in their minds for urban

values. But without rural development total development of India is impossible.

The slogan "Co back to villages" cannot be effective without adequate

provision for facilities for higher education in rural areas. Hence an adequate

planning for rural higher education is the need of the time. Indian rural

life should be injected with new vigour and activity to raise the standard

of living by the eradication of abject poverty, to rehabilitate millions

of village people who live in filthy and inhuman environments and to give a

constructive and creative purpose to their rather purposeless and morbid

life, it will be necessary to reorient the entire rural education from top to

bottom towards these objectives. Appropriate educational opportunities

should be provided to Indian rural life. With this end in view the Commis-

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sion suggested that rural Universities surrounded by a ring of rural colleges

doing undergraduate work should be set up. The Commissionthus drew up a

detailed plan for rural Universities and made the following recommendations:

1) At the primary stage basic education for 8 years (6-14);

(a) Secondary schools should be residential. 30to 60 acres of land would

be reserved for each school to cover school building, quarters for teachers,

play-ground, workshops and craft-room, agricultural farm, pasture land and

garden. The school should be centrally located so that the children of adjoining

villages can take advantage of it. A school should not admit more

than 150 students. 50%time would be devoted to theoretical work and the

remaining 50% to practical work. The whole school campus should be

planned like an ideal village, and the students thereby would come into contact

with a planned and well-organised ideal village. (b) After the secor.-

dary stage the students would take further higher education in rural colleges

and Universities.The subjectsoffered in collegesand universities would be

of wider scope and variety.A rural University would be surrounded by a few

undergraduate rural colleges. The University would conduct post-graduate

teaching and research. It should have also an extension wing. Teaching in

University should be limited to such subjects which have relation to rural

life.The number of students in a college should not be more than 300and in a

University it should be not more than 2,500.There should be co-ordination

between intellectual learning and practical work in the colleges. Equal importance

should be attached to both the types of education. Apart from the

rural subjectsthere should be some subjectsin which the students can conduct

higher studies and research.The rural education should not be dominated by

the traditional examination system. The major subjects in the curriculum

should include philosophy, language, literature, physics, chemistry, zoology,

physiology, sociology,psychology, economics,agriculture etc.

There should be an efficient governing body to administer these colleges

and universities. The colleges and Universities should have academic freedom

and autonomy to work in their own way.

To formulate a clear picture of the pattern of rural education as recommended

by the Commission an expert committee was appointed in October,

1954, which submitted its Report in January, 1955. (Committee on Rural

Higher Education with Headquarters at Delhi). The Committee outlined

with the basic and secondary schools. The Committee at the initial stage

recommended for the establishment of Rural Institutes instead of Rural Universities

on experimental basis. The Institutes might be converted into universities

in case of necessity. The Covt. of India accepted its recommendations

in broad outline and 14 institutions have been established as Rural