The Hindu : Other States / Bihar News : Education gets a fillip under President's Rule

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Friday, Apr 22, 2005

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Other States - Bihar

Education gets a fillip under President's Rule

Governor Buta Singh shows active interest, series of measures planned

PATNA: President's Rule has proved to be a boon for students in educationally-backward Bihar and for college and university teachers waiting for long for wage arrears. This neglected sector seems to be getting a fillip with the decks being cleared for execution of a series of measures like introduction of CBSE curriculum and post graduate courses in private medical colleges.

Appointment of `Shiksha Mitras', amalgamation of academies of different languages, special teaching arrangements for visually-challenged students, payment of UGC salary arrears to college and university teachers, besides special grants for madarsas and Sanskrit schools are also other thrust areas.

The Chief Secretary, K.A.H. Subramanian, said a Patna branch of Birla Institute of Technology (BIT), Mesra (Ranchi) would start functioning from July this year.

He said a 20-acre plot of Bihar Veterinary College, Patna, has already been earmarked for the construction of buildings for the new institute.

A memorandum of understanding between the state government and the BIT management would be signed soon in this regard, Mr. Subramanian said adding the State Government would give Rs. 30 crore for the construction of the institute's buildings.

Mr. Subramanian said the government has also taken steps to ensure that the Bihar school examination board follows the CBSE syllabus from the next session.

"All this has been made possible due to the interest shown by Governor Buta Singh for improving education in Bihar," he said.

The long wait is over with the administration finally allowing post-graduate teaching in private medical colleges of the state. Till now, PG teaching has been done only in government-run medical institutions.

To begin with, the medical education department has issued `essentiality certificate' to a medical college in Katihar for starting PG courses in anatomy, pharmacology, pathology, micro-biology, preventive and social medicine, general medicine, paediatrics, obstetrics and gynaecology, radiology, anaesthesia and orthopaedics.

President's Rule also brought cheers for teachers of colleges and universities in the State with the Centre releasing Rs. 50 crore to the State government for payment of salary difference following implementation of UGC scales. The amount will be paid as arrear for the period between January 1, 1996 and March 31, 2000.

Higher education secretary Navin Verma said out of an arrear of Rs. 112 crores, the Centre would provide 80 per cent and the State would provide the remaining amount as grant.

With a thrust on improving teaching at primary level, the state administration has also decided to appoint over 85,450 `Shiksha Mitras' in 38 districts across the state.

The appointments will be made through Panchayats, official sources said.

The government also decided on amalgamation of separate academies of different languages like Bhojpuri academy, Sanskrit academy and South Indian language academy for better administrative control and functioning.

Sufficient funds are also being allotted to madarsas and Sanskrit schools to improve their condition.

Patna University has also decided to set up a well-equipped Braille library to help visually challenged students pursue their education. It will also provide them tape recorders to record classroom lectures, according to Vice-Chancellor J. Thakur. -- PTI

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Education gets a fillip under President's Rule