Essay on Indian Education System for Students and Children

500+ words essay on indian education system for students and children.

The Indian education system is quite an old education system that still exists. It has produced so many genius minds that are making India proud all over the world. However, while it is one of the oldest systems, it is still not that developed when compared to others, which are in fact newer. This is so as the other countries have gone through growth and advancement, but the Indian education system is still stuck in old age. It faces a lot of problems that need to be sorted to let it reach its full potential.

Essay on Indian Education System

Problems with Indian Education System

Our Indian education system faces a lot of problems that do not let it prosper and help other children succeed in life . The biggest problem which it has to face is the poor grading system. It judges the intelligence of a student on the basis of academics which is in the form of exam papers. That is very unfair to students who are good in their overall performance but not that good at specific subjects.

Moreover, they only strive to get good marks not paying attention to understanding what is taught. In other words, this encourages getting good marks through mugging up and not actually grasping the concept efficiently.

Furthermore, we see how the Indian education system focuses on theory more. Only a little percentage is given for practical. This makes them run after the bookish knowledge and not actually applying it to the real world. This practice makes them perplexed when they go out in the real world due to lack of practical knowledge.

Most importantly, the Indian education system does not emphasize enough on the importance of sports and arts. Students are always asked to study all the time where they get no time for other activities like sports and arts.

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How Can We Improve Indian Education System?

As the Indian Education System is facing so many problems, we need to come up with effective solutions so it improves and creates a brighter future for students . We can start by focusing on the skill development of the students. The schools and colleges must not only focus on the ranks and grades but on the analytical and creative skills of children.

In addition, subjects must not be merely taught theoretically but with practical. This will help in a better understanding of the subject without them having to mug up the whole thing due to lack of practical knowledge. Also, the syllabus must be updated with the changing times and not follow the old age pattern.

Other than that, the government and private colleges must now increase the payroll of teachers. As they clearly deserve more than what they offer. To save money, the schools hire teachers who are not qualified enough. This creates a very bad classroom environment and learning. They must be hired if they are fit for the job and not because they are working at a lesser salary.

In conclusion, the Indian education system must change for the better. It must give the students equal opportunities to shine better in the future. We need to let go of the old and traditional ways and enhance the teaching standards so our youth can get create a better world.

FAQs on Indian Education System

Q.1 What problems does the Indian Education System face?

A.1 Indian education is very old and outdated. It judges students on the basis of marks and grades ignoring the overall performance of the student. It focuses on academics side-lining arts and sports.

Q.2 How can we improve the Indian education system?

A.2 The colleges and schools must hire well and qualified teachers. They must help students to understand the concept instead of merely mugging up the whole subject.

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education system in bihar essay

Education in Bihar: Still a long road ahead

Blog Post Date

Nishith Prakash

University of Connecticut

[email protected]

In the north Indian state of Bihar, education has been improving faster than in the rest of the country. But as this column reminds us, Bihar is starting from the bottom. For education to continue to improve, Bihar needs to universally provide drinking water facilities, separate toilets for girls in schools, and more teachers and classrooms per student.

One thing that development economists agree on is the importance of education. Put simply, if development is to be sustainable, people need to be better educated. Just looking at economic output, education contributes to growth by increasing the level of human capital of the workforce – as India has discovered in the IT sector. Looking beyond the statistics, education can equip people with the tools for a more fulfilling and enjoyable life.

The government of Bihar, one of India´s poorest states, has recently undertaken several policy initiatives to make education more affordable and accessible to children. These initiatives have focused on reducing the ‘opportunity cost’ of schooling and providing incentives for enrolment and performance.

In my study with Priya Ranjan, we look at the state of education in Bihar and analyse the policies of the Bihar government (Ranjan and Prakash 2012). We draw on our own research, publically available data, and previous studies on education in India. We find that while Bihar has made several impressive steps, there is still a long road ahead.

The state of education in Bihar

Using data from District Information System for Education (DISE), we find that starting in 2006-2007 the enrolment rate at the primary level in Bihar – has been increasing and is now higher than the median of the 20 large states. However, the enrolment rate at the upper primary level is right at the bottom of the 20 major states in India with less than half of eligible children attending school. Since the DISE enrolment data for primary grades are not available for Bihar after 2007, we use an alternative measure from Assessment Survey Evaluation Research (ASER) called the ‘out of school rate’ which is the percentage of school age children not attending school. This measure is far less impressive for Bihar. We find that Bihar has a higher out of school rate than the median state in India, though the percentage has been declining over time. In line with the enrolment numbers, the out of school rate is higher among older children.

We use ASER scores for Reading and Maths as our measures of quality of education. While Bihar’s performance in these areas is close to median average among Indian states, there is still a lot of scope for raising the quality of education. To cite a couple of stark statistics – one third of students in Class 6 (on average ages 11-12) cannot read a paragraph taken from a Class 2 textbook (for ages 6-8), and half of Class 5 (age 9-10) students cannot solve a simple division problem.

Schooling inputs

One way of assessing school performance is by looking at ‘schooling inputs’ – that is, what is being provided in the schools. We find that Bihar performs very poorly in the provision of basic schooling inputs, both in absolute terms and in relation to other states in India. Bihar has the highest student-teacher ratio as well as the student-classroom ratio among Indian states. In 2009-2010, which is the last year for which data are available, Bihar had 53 students to every one teacher, while the national median was 26. The student-classroom ratio is also very poor, with over 80 students per classroom in all years surveyed, far above the national median. We also find that the proportion of classrooms in good condition is 60%, which in addition to being below the national median is 20 percentage points below the best performing state in India.

Among some other measures of schooling infrastructure, Bihar has made some progress in recent years in the provision of drinking water, and is now ranked above the median in India on this measure. However, the fact that roughly 10% of the primary schools lack access to drinking water facilities is clearly unacceptable. Other studies have found availability of a separate girls´ toilet to be an important determinant both of female schooling and teacher attendance (see for instance Glewwe et al. 2011). This is particularly important in Bihar, which despite focusing on hiring female teachers for primary school, has only 20% of schools with separate toilets for girls – a very low figure in both relative and absolute terms.

Unsurprisingly, we find several of these schooling inputs to be key to providing a good education. Disease transmission within and across schools adversely affects both the amount of schooling received and its quality. While the Bihar government has taken some steps in this direction by implementing a massive deworming programme in 2011 with a follow-up planned later this year, we argue that the policy imperative should be on providing access to drinking water and separate girls´ toilets in school.

Teacher absenteeism and perceptions of schooling

In addition to the infrastructural challenges identified above, Bihar needs to consider other important determinants of a good education. Previous studies, such as Chaudhury et al. (2006), highlight the problem of teacher absenteeism in several developing countries, including India. This body of research highlights a strong connection between poor school infrastructure, such as lack of drinking water, and teacher absenteeism, but also suggests that improved monitoring by authorities can improve teacher attendance. Indeed, data from a field experiment in Kenya suggest that scholarship incentives, where good grades were rewarded with grants and payment of school fees, helped to motivate both students and parents as well as reduce absenteeism (Kremer et al. 2009).

Focusing on the teachers themselves, most studies on the link between performance-related pay and educational outcomes find the effects to be positive (see for example Muralidharan and Sundararaman 2011). An essential prerequisite to the implementation of any kind of incentive pay scheme, however, is to set up a data system for monitoring the performance of schools and teachers. Such a data system is essential in linking student performance to teacher effectiveness. Developing such a data system will have the additional benefit of allowing the administrators to monitor the performance of schools and take remedial action in poorly performing schools. Put simply, if Bihar is to implement such a policy of incentivising teachers and measuring school performance, it needs to have the data system in place first.

But the problem is not just teachers. There is a problem with parents and children demanding enough education. Our survey of existing research suggests that many parents and children perceive the returns to schooling as much less than the returns from starting work earlier in life. The result is people choosing to ‘under-educate’ themselves in many developing countries (otherwise known as ‘underinvestment’ in education). Experimental studies suggest that public campaigns aimed at informing parents and children of the benefits of education are extremely cost effective at increasing school enrolment. Given the current lack of public information in Bihar, we strongly recommend the government launches such a campaign. In Bihar in particular, it would be a good idea to emphasise the development of English language skills, given their high returns in the job market (Azam et al. 2011).

The road ahead

Recent policy initiatives and improvements in primary school enrolment show that Bihar is making progress in improving its education. Recent policies have focused on lowering the cost of schooling through subsidising or providing textbooks, uniforms, bicycles and cash transfers for attendance. While these have reduced the costs of schooling in Bihar, much remains to be done to boost schooling infrastructure and improve conditions for both students and teachers.

We re-emphasise that policymakers must universally provide drinking water facilities, and separate toilets for girls in schools. They must also improve the student-teacher ratio and ensure that classrooms are in good condition. Finally, given the high cost effectiveness of information campaigns regarding the returns to education, the government of Bihar should seriously look into this policy option. More generally, understanding the determinants of household’s decision to ‘invest’ in education should be an important component of academic research and policy in the area of education, which has previously tended to focus more on improving the quantity and quality of educational inputs.

Looking to the future, performance-related pay (or incentive pay) for teachers can play an important role in improving the quality of education. However, to be able to link student performance to teacher effectiveness, a state-wide data system needs to be put in place.

Further reading

  • Azam, M, A Chin, and N Prakash (2011), “The Returns to English-Language Skills in India”, Forthcoming, Economic Development and Cultural Change.
  • Chaudhury, Nazmul, Jeffrey Hammer, Michael Kremer, Karthik Muralidharan, and F Halsey Rogers (2006), “Missing in Action: Teacher and Health Worker Absence in Developing Countries”, Journal of Economic Perspectives, 20(1):91-116.
  • Glewwe, Paul, Nauman Ilias, and Michael Kremer (2008), “Teacher Incentives in the Developing World”, Manuscript, 2008.
  • Glewwe, Paul, Eric Hanushek, Sarah Humpage, and Renato Ravina (2011), “School Resources and Educational Outcomes in Developing Countries: A Review of the Literature From 1990 to 2010", NBER, Working Paper No. 17554.
  • Muralidharan, Karthik and Venkatesh Sundararaman (2011), “Teacher performance pay: Experimental evidence from India”, Journal of Political Economy, 119(1):39-77.
  • Ranjan, Priya and Nishith Prakash (2012), “Education Policies and Practices: What Have We Learnt and the Road Ahead for Bihar”, Manuscript, 2012.

education system in bihar essay

By: Gaurav Kumar 27 July, 2020

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Education system in bihar.

Nalanda university in Bihar

Home to one of the earliest universities in the world - Nalanda (500 A.D.) and Vikramshila (800-900 A.D.) - Bihar, however, lagged behind in higher education after Independence with state government over the decades unable to mobilise either funds or committed persons to build institutions of higher learning in this state.

An attempt was made to streamline the education system in the 1960s through reforms and bold measures by the then minister Satender Narain Sinha. But they were short-lived as successive government could not implement them fully.

Due to poor educational facilities there is a widening gap between the demand for schools, colleges, hostels and their market supply. As a result, most Bihari students migrate to other states to do higher studies and in search of career prospects in other parts of the country having well-development infrastructure and economy.

According to a survey, 38% of teachers in Bihar schools could not be found during a surprise visit by an official team, pointing to the worst teacher absent rate in India and the world.

Primary Schools in Bihar

In the 1970s-80s, the private schools were taken over by the government which affected the quality of primary education in Bihar.

Moreover, the government was not in a position to manage these schools as the officials were concerned with other administrative works. To fill the vacuum after the takeover of private schools by the government, schools run by Christian missionaries began to grow and earned the goodwill of the public.

The Kendriya Vidyalayas and Jawahar Navodaya schools (for rural students) run by the Central government are popular in the state. Most schools are affiliated to Bihar School Exam Board, while the KVs and elite schools run by Christian missionaries are affiliated to either to the ICSE or CBSE boards.

A series of reform measures was implemented in primary schools including the compulsory digitisation of records at state-run schools.

Higher education in Bihar

Indian Institute of Technology of Patna

Bihar capital Patna has emerged as centre for higher education offering courses in technology, medicine, management, law and fashion. Many institutes were inaugurated in Patna to open up opportunities for those wishing to pursue higher education in Bihar itself.

Colleges such as Indian Institute of Technology, Birla Institute of Technology and National Institute of Technology are top engineering colleges in Patna.

The newly opened National Institute of Fashion Technology and in the medicine, Indira Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences, Patna Medical College and Hospital and Nalanda Medical College and Hospital have many takers willing to settle for higher education in Patna rather than migrating to other states.

Anugrah Narayan College and B N College are among the top colleges in commerce and humanities apart from offering a range of PG courses.

Nalanda University New chancellor

New chancellor to Nalanda University George Yeo

Following the grand vision of former President Abdul Kalam to revive the ancient seat of higher learning at Nalanda, an Act was passed in Parliament in 2010 for setting up Nalanda University at Rajgir, the capital of Nalanda district.

In September 2014, Nalanda University admitted a select 15 students out of a total number of 1,000 applicants for its academic courses.

After Nobel Laureate Amartya Sen did not take up the second term as chancellor, the Centre appointed Singapore former minister George Yeo to this academic post. The new varsity will focus on doing high-end research in historical sciences, environment and ecology.

Nalanda was the ancient hub of higher education (413-1193 A.D.) that attracted scholars from across the world. But it was destroyed completely by the Muslim invaders of the 12th Century.

History of India

Bihar election, bihar travel.

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Challenges of Education Beyond Literacy in Bihar

Profile image of DM Diwakar

—Education is considered globally as one of the important instruments for social change. It attaches more significance for the developing nations. Moreover, child centric quality education has still been concerns of intellectuals, policy makers and social activists across the world in general and backward regions like India in particular. This paper is an attempt to underline the issues related to quality education in Bihar, one of the most backward states of India. This exercise is intended to deal with status of free and compulsory quality education, its underlying challenges, gaps in terms of hard and soft infrastructure and desired imperatives.

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This research study was commissioned by the UK’s Department for International Development (DFID) in India to provide a broad overview of key issues associated with how the role of the private sector in education has evolved over the last ten years of Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA), the Government of India’s flagship programme for universal elementary education. The terms of reference set the focus of this study on broadly covering public-private partnerships (PPPs) and the emergence of low-fee private schooling.

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Education in India – A Detailed Analysis

Last updated on June 22, 2024 by ClearIAS Team

Education

This article is a detailed analysis of the Education System of India.

The post covers various aspects of the problems faced by the Indian Education sector, the Constitutional provisions related to education, and the education policies adopted by modern India.

Also read: Learning Poverty

Table of Contents

History of Education in India

India has a rich tradition of imparting knowledge.

The ‘gurukul’ was a type of education system in ancient India with shishya (students) living with the guru in the same house. Nalanda has the oldest university system of education in the world. Students from across the world were attracted to Indian knowledge systems.

Many branches of the knowledge system had their origin in India. Education was considered a higher virtue in ancient India.

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However, the renaissance and scientific thinking as happened in Europe didn’t happen in India at that time.

The British who took control of the Indian affairs by that time had different priorities. Education in British India initially lagged a lot.

However, later, the British established the modern education system still followed in India. They replaced age-old systems of education in the country with English ways . 

Still, the education system in India needs a lot of reforms.

Also read: Examination System in India

Current Status of Education in India: Data from Census 2011

Literacy Rate Trend in India

  • Literacy rate in India as per Census 2011:  74%.
  • Literacy rate: Male: 82.1%; Female: 65.5%
  • Kerala tops the rankings, followed by Delhi, Maharashtra, and Tamil Nadu.
  • Bihar is the lowest among states, followed by Arunachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, Jharkhand, etc., however, they are improving their position.
  • Bihar has a literacy rate of 63.8%, and that of women is 53.3%.
  • Literacy rates for both adults as well as youths have increased, still, the absolute number of illiterates in India is as much as India’s population was at the time of independence.
  • The gender gap in terms of literacy began to narrow first in 1991 and the pace has accelerated, however still lags far behind the global female literacy rate of 7% (UNESCO 2015).
  • There are large state variations in the gender gap.
  • However, during 2001 – 2011, the male literacy rate increased by 6 percentage points but female literacy increased by nearly 12 percentage points. Achievement in female literacy in Bihar is noteworthy: from 33% in 2001 to 53% in 2011.
  • Be that as it may, India is still lagging behind the world  literacy rate of 86.3%(UNESCO 2015).  A major group of states lies in the average rank i.e. just above the national level of 64.8 percent.  

Indian Education System: The Present Pyramidal Structure

The Indian education system can broadly be considered as a pyramidal structure:

  • Pre-primary level: 5-6 years of age.
  • Primary (elementary) level: 6-14 years of age. Elementary-level education is guaranteed by our constitution under Article 21 A . For this level, the government has introduced Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) under the Right To Education(RTE) Act.
  • Secondary level: Age group between 14-18. For this level, the government has extended SSA to secondary education in the form of the Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan .
  • Higher education: generally of three levels: UG→ PG→ MPhil/PhD. To cater to the requirements of higher education, the government has introduced Rashtriya Uchhattar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA).

Read: Examination System in India

Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) related to Education

Goal 4 of SDG : Education for all – ensures equitable, inclusive, and quality education along with the promotion of lifelong learning opportunities for all by 2030.

Provisions in the Indian Constitution related to Education

  • Under  Article 45 in DPSP , it was mentioned that the government should provide free and compulsory education for all children up to the age of 14 years within 10 years from the commencement of the Constitution. As this was not achieved, Article 21A was introduced by  the 86th Constitutional Amendment Act of 2002 , making elementary education a fundamental right rather than a directive principle. Article 45 was amended to provide for early childhood care and education to children below the age of six years.
  • To implement Article 21A, the government legislated the RTE Act. Under this act, SSA – Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan – got a further impetus. SSA aims to provide Universalization of Elementary Education (UEE) in a time-bound manner.
  • SSA has been operational since 2000-2001. Its roots go back to 1993-1994 when the District Primary Education Programme (DPEP) was launched. However, under the RTE Act, it got legal backing.

RTE Act 2009

  • 86th Amendment Act 2002 introduced Article 21-A, which provides for free and compulsory education of all children in the age group of six to fourteen years as a Fundamental Right.
  • The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act was enacted to implement this fundamental right.

Provisions of the RTE Act

  • ‘Compulsory education’ means an obligation of the government to provide free elementary education and ensure compulsory admission, attendance, and completion of  elementary education.
  • Provision for a non-admitted child to be admitted to an age-appropriate class.
  • Rational deployment of teachers, ensuring that there is no urban-rural imbalance in their postings.
  • Prohibition of deployment of teachers for non-educational work, other than services like decennial census, elections, etc.
  • It prohibits (a) physical punishment and mental harassment (b) screening procedures for admission of children (c) capitation fees (d) private tuition by teachers (e) running of schools without recognition.
  • Development of curriculum in consonance with the values enshrined in the constitution, ensuring all-around development of the child, building a system of child-friendly and child-centered learning.
  • To further inclusiveness, 25% reservation is provided for disadvantaged students in private schools.

Criticisms of the RTE Act

  • Even though the RTE + SSA have increased access to schools, resulting in a high enrollment rate, dropout rates increased in tandem. However, there is inadequate attention given to this scenario.
  • There is a fear of financial burden on the government for teacher recruitment and training.
  • The grey area of teacher transfer is also not helping the cause.
  • Since all state holidays are not relevant for all localities, such a calendar preparation by local authorities can increase attendance and can also encourage local panchayats to take ownership of schools.
  • RTE students in private schools are paying extra fees as the schools claim that the government fund provided for the same is not adequate.
  • Most private schools treat RTE as charity and demand that the onus of universalizing education should be on the government’s head rather than putting pressure on them.
  • 70% of students are in government schools. So it must be fixed in priority, by providing infrastructure , teacher quality , and targeted   learning  for children from  disadvantaged  groups to provide an equitable education system.
  • Under the RTE Act, till class 8, students should not be failed in exams. This is called the No detention policy. It had reduced dropout rates.
  • There is growing criticism of the policy resulting in reducing the quality of elementary education. Hence the RTE Act was amended to scrap the policy.
  • RTE Act prioritized schooling of children only from the age of 6, thus ignoring pre-school education. Kothari Commission had recommended the establishment of a center for the development of pre-primary education in each district.
  • District Information System for Education (DISE) report states that 30% of primary and 15% of upper primary schools have higher PTRs.
  • According to the Economic Survey 2018-19, the PTR at the national level for primary schools is 23 and 27 for secondary schools. Thus PTR appears to be satisfactory, as there are sufficient teachers. However, the main issue is a balanced deployment of teachers based on student strength.
  • Even though the Student-Classroom ratio (SCR) improved in almost all of the States, there is disparity across the country.

Modern Education in India: The Evolution of the System through various policies

The British government had introduced modern education in India. From Macaulay’s minutes to Wood’s dispatch to several commissions like the Sadler Commission, 1904 Indian education policy, etc. built the foundation of the Indian education system during the colonial period.

Radhakrishnan committee

In 1948-49, the University Education Commission was constituted under Radhakrishnan . It molded the education system based on the needs of an independent India. The pre-Independent Indian education value system was catering to colonial masters. There was a need to replace Macaulayism  with the Indian value system.  ( Macaulayism is the policy of eliminating indigenous culture through the planned substitution of the alien culture of a colonizing power via the education system). Some of the values mentioned in the commission were:

  • Wisdom and Knowledge 
  • Aims of the Social Order : the desired social order for which youths are being educated.
  • Love for higher values in life
  • Training for Leadership

The Independent Indian education system developed along the lines of this value framework. In the present times, where there are imminent threats of political ideologies hijacking the pedagogy of education and commercialization of education eroding value systems, it is appreciable to dust off the values promulgated by the commission. A recent controversial circular by the Central University of Kerala (CUK), directing that research topics for Ph.D. students must be by ‘national priorities’, and research in ‘irrelevant topics’ and ‘privilege areas’ must be discouraged, is a case in point.

Kothari commission

If the Radhakrishnan committee charted out the value system of the Indian education system, it was the Kothari Commission that provided the basic framework of the same. The commission provided for:

  • Standardization of educational system on 10+2+3 pattern.
  • Emphasized the need to make work experience and social/national service an integral part of education.
  • Linking of colleges to several schools in the neighborhood.
  • Equalization of opportunities to all and to achieve social and national integration .
  • Neighborhood school system without social or religious segregation and a s chool complex system integrating  primary and secondary levels of education.
  • Establishment of Indian Education Service.
  • On-the-job training of the teaching staff and efforts to raise the status of the teachers to attract talents into the profession.
  • To raise expenditure on education from 2.9% of the GDP to 6% by 1985.

This committee report paved the way for the National Educational Policy 1968 which provided the base and roadmap for further development of the education system in India.

National Educational Policy 1968

  • The policy provided for “radical restructuring” and  equalization of educational opportunities to achieve national integration and greater cultural and economic development.
  • Increase public expenditure on education to 6% of GDP.
  • Provide for better training and qualification of teachers.
  • Three-language formula : state governments should implement the study of a modern Indian language, preferably one of the southern languages, apart from Hindi and English in the Hindi-speaking states, and of Hindi along with the regional language and English in the non-Hindi-speaking states. Hindi was encouraged uniformly to promote a common language for all Indians.

National Educational Policy 1985

  • The policy aimed at the removal of disparities and to equalize educational opportunities, especially for women, SC and ST.
  • Launching of “Operation Blackboard”  to improve primary schools nationwide.
  • IGNOU, the Open University, was formed.
  • Adoption of the “rural university” model , based on the philosophy of Mahatma Gandhi, to promote economic and social development at the grassroots level in rural India.

T.S.R.Subramanium committee report

  • ECCE is inconsistent across states. So all government schools should have facilities for pre-primary education, which would facilitate pre-school education by the government instead of the private sector.
  • The policy of no detention should be upheld only till class five and not till class eight.
  • There is a steep rise in teacher shortage, absenteeism, and grievances.
  • Need to constitute an Autonomous Teacher Recruitment Board.
  • Four years integrated B.Ed. the course should be introduced.
  • There is an inadequate integration of information technology (IT) and the education sector.
  • The National Skills Qualification Framework should be scaled up.
  • The choice of vocational courses should be in line with local opportunities and resources . 
  • Bringing formal certification for vocational education at par with conventional education certificates.
  • All India Education Service.
  • Existing separate laws governing individual regulators in higher education should be replaced by the said act.
  • The role of existing regulatory bodies like UGC and AICTE should be revised.
  • National Accreditation Board (NAB) subsuming the existing accreditation bodies.

Kasturirangan Report On School Education (Draft National Education Policy)

For restructuring the education system in India, the government is preparing to roll out a New Education Policy that will cater to Indian needs in the 4th Industrial Revolution by making use of its demographic dividend. Committee for Draft National Education Policy (chaired by Dr. K. Kasturirangan) submitted its report on May 31, 2019.

You can read about the National Education Policy 2020 in detail here .

School Education: 

  • Low accessibility.
  • The curriculum doesn’t meet the developmental needs of children.
  • Lack of qualified and trained teachers.
  • Substandard pedagogy.
  • Currently, most early childhood education is delivered through anganwadis and private preschools. However, there has been less focus on the educational aspects of early childhood.
  • Guidelines for up to three-year-old children.
  • Educational framework for three to eight-year-old children.
  • This would be implemented by improving and expanding the Anganwadi system and co-locating anganwadis with primary schools.
  • Expanding the ambit of the Act to all children between the ages of three to 18 years, thus including early childhood education and secondary school education.
  • There should be no detention of children till class eight. Instead, schools must ensure that children are achieving age-appropriate learning levels.
  • The current structure of school education is to be restructured based on the development needs of students.
  • 10+2+3 structure to be replaced by 5-3-3-4 design comprising: (i) five years of foundational stage (three years of pre-primary school and classes one and two), (ii) three years of preparatory stage (classes three to five), (iii) three years of middle stage (classes six to eight), and (iv) four years of secondary stage (classes nine to 12).
  • The current education system solely focuses on rote learning. The curriculum load should be reduced to its essential core content.
  • Force students to concentrate only on a few subjects.
  • Do not test learning in a formative manner.
  • Cause stress among students.
  • To track students’ progress throughout their school experience, State Census Examinations in classes three, five, and eight should be established.
  • Restructure the board examinations to test only the core concept. These board examinations will be on a range of subjects. The students can choose their subjects and the semester when they want to take these board exams. The in-school final examinations may be replaced by these board examinations.
  • Although establishing primary schools in every habitation has increased access to education, it has led to the development of very small schools making it operationally complex. Hence the multiple public schools should be brought together to form a school complex .
  • A complex will consist of one secondary school (classes nine to twelve) and all the public schools in its neighborhood that offer education from pre-primary to class eight.
  • These will also include anganwadis, vocational education facilities, and an adult education center.
  • Each school complex will be a semi-autonomous unit providing integrated education across all stages from early childhood to secondary education.
  • This will ensure that resources such as infrastructure and trained teachers can be efficiently shared across a school complex.
  • A steep rise in a teacher shortage, lack of professionally qualified teachers, and deployment of teachers for non-educational purposes have plagued the system.
  • Teachers should be deployed with a particular school complex for at least five to seven years.
  • They will not be allowed to participate in any non-teaching activities during school hours.
  • Existing B.Ed. the program will be replaced by a four-year integrated B.Ed. program that combines high-quality content, pedagogy, and practical training. An integrated continuous professional development will also be developed for all subjects.
  • Separating the regulation of schools from aspects such as policymaking, school operations, and academic development.
  • Independent State School Regulatory Authority for each state will prescribe basic uniform standards for public and private schools.
  • The Department of Education of the State will formulate policy and conduct monitoring and supervision.

Higher Education

  • According to the All India Survey on Higher Education , the Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) in higher education in India has increased from 20.8% in 2011-12 to 25.8% in 2017-18. Lack of access is a major reason behind the low intake of higher education. The policy aims to increase GER to 50% by 2035.
  • Multiple regulators with overlapping mandates reduce the autonomy of higher educational institutions and create an environment of dependency and centralized decision-making.
  • The National Higher Education Regulatory Authority (NHERA) should replace the existing individual regulators in higher education. Thus the role of all professional councils such as AICTE would be limited to setting standards for professional practice. The role of the UGC will be limited to providing grants.
  • Separate the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) from the UGC into an independent and autonomous body. It will function as the top-level accreditor and will issue licenses to different accreditation institutions. All existing higher education institutions should be accredited by 2030.
  • Replacing the current system of establishing higher educational institutions by Parliament or state legislatures. Instead, institutions can be set up through a Higher Education Institution Charter from NHERA.
  • Research universities focus equally on research and teaching.
  • Universities focus primarily on teaching.
  • Colleges focus only on teaching at undergraduate levels.
  • All such institutions will gradually move towards full autonomy.
  • Total investment in research and innovation in India has declined from 0.84% of GDP in 2008 to 0.69% in 2014. India also lags behind many nations in the number of researchers, patents, and publications.
  • NRF will act as an autonomous body for funding, mentoring, and building the capacity for quality research.
  • Undergraduate programs should be made interdisciplinary by redesigning their curriculum to include: a common core curriculum; and one/two area(s) of specialization.
  • Introduce four-year undergraduate programs in Liberal Arts.
  • By the next five years, five Indian Institutes of Liberal Arts must be set up as model multidisciplinary liberal arts institutions.
  • Poor service conditions and heavy teaching loads, augmented by a lack of autonomy and no clear career progression system, have resulted in low faculty motivation.
  • Introduction of a Continuous Professional Development program and permanent employment track system for faculty in all higher education institutions by 2030.
  • The student-teacher ratio of not more than 30:1 must be ensured.
  • All higher education institutions must have complete autonomy on curricular, pedagogical, and resource-related matters.

Read: Institutions of Eminence Scheme

Additional Key Focus Areas:

Additional key focus areas are (1) Technology in Education (2) Vocational Education (3) Adult Education and (4) the Promotion of Indian Languages.

Technology in Education

  • Improving the classroom process of teaching, learning, and evaluation
  • Aiding teacher training.
  • Improving access to education.
  • Improving the overall planning, administration, and management of the entire education system.
  • Electrification of all educational institutions paves the way for technology induction.
  • An autonomous body, the National Education Technology Forum, set up under the Mission, will facilitate decision-making on the use of technology.
  • Single online digital repository to make available copyright-free educational resources in multiple languages.

Vocational Education

  • Less than 5% of the workforce in the age group of 19-24 receives vocational education in India, in contrast to 52% in the USA, 75% in Germany and 96% in South Korea.
  • Vocational courses : All school students must receive vocational education in at least one vocation in grades 9 to 12.
  • Higher Education Institutions must offer vocational courses that are integrated into undergraduate education programs.
  • The draft Policy targets to offer vocational education to up to 50% of the total enrolment in higher education institutions by 2025, up from the present level of enrolment of below 10%.
  • National Committee for the Integration of Vocational Education for charting out plans for the above objectives.

Adult Education

As per Census 2011, India had a total of 26.5 crore adult non-literate (15 years and above).

  • Establishing an autonomous  Central Institute of Adult Education as a constituent unit of NCERT. It will develop a National Curriculum Framework for adult education.
  • Adult Education Centers will be included within the school complexes.
  • Relevant courses are made available at the National Institute of Open Schooling.
  • National Adult Tutors Programme to build a cadre of adult education instructors and managers.

Education and Indian Languages

  • The medium of instruction must be the mother tongue until grade 5, and preferably until grade 8.
  • 3 language formula be continued and flexibility in the implementation of the formula should be provided. Implementation of the formula needs to be strengthened, particularly in Hindi-speaking states. Schools in Hindi-speaking areas should also teach Indian languages from other parts of India for national integration.
  • To promote Indian languages, a National Institute for Pali, Persian, and Prakrit will be set up.
  • The mandate of the Commission for Scientific and Technical Terminology will be expanded to include all fields and disciplines to strengthen vocabulary in Indian languages.

Transforming Education

The policy talked about the synergistic functioning of India’s education system, to deliver equity and excellence at all levels, from vision to implementation, led by a new Rashtriya Shiksha Aayog.

Education Governance

Revitalize education governance by bringing in synergy and coordination among the different ministries, departments, and agencies.

  • Constitute the National Education Commission or Rashtriya Shiksha Aayog, as an apex body for education headed by the Prime Minister. It would be responsible for developing, implementing, evaluating, and revising the vision of education and overseeing the implementation and functioning of bodies including the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT), National Higher Education Regulatory Authority, and National Research Foundation.
  • The Ministry of Human Resources and Development must be renamed the Ministry of Education to bring the focus back on education.

Financing Education

  • The Draft Policy reaffirmed the commitment to spending 6% of GDP as a public investment in education.
  • The draft Policy seeks to double the public investment in education from the current 10% of total public expenditure to 20% in the next 10 years. 5% will be utilized for higher education, 2% in school education, and 1.4% for early childhood care and education.
  • There should be optimal and timely utilization of funds through the institutional development plans and by plugging loopholes in the disbursement of funds.

Criticism of the New Education Policy of India

  • The New Education Policy lacks operational details.
  • It is not clear from where the funding will be sourced.
  • Enough importance is not given to innovation, startup culture or economic principles to be added to the curriculum.
  • One-size-fits for all states can’t be a solution as each state in India is diverse in its educational needs. Controversy on NEET has shown this.
  • With technological advancement and the democratization of knowledge, the policy should have focused more on how to teach rather than what to teach.
  • Economic Survey 2017-18 mentioned the perils of the distinction between research institutions and universities in higher education. The policy recommendation of three distinct higher education institutions of research universities, teaching universities, and teaching colleges will further augment the gap between research and universities.
  • The draft policy is silent on the Institutions of Eminence and agencies like the Higher Education Funding Agency.
  • The role of Rashtriya Shiksha Aayog should be defined clearly. What would be its role vis-a-vis existing regulators? Also, there are criticisms from some quarters that RSA will open the door to the politicization of education.
  • Earlier the 3-language formula proposed by the draft policy made Hindi compulsory in non-Hindi speaking states. However, after the furor, the proposal was removed.
  • Even though the policy talks about bringing “unrepresented groups” into school and focusing on educationally lagging “ special education zones” , it doesn’t comprehensively address the inequalities prevalent in the system. It misses methods to bridge the gaps between rich and poor children.
  • The policy proposes to remove the provision mandating that primary schools be within stipulated distance from students’ homes and common minimum infrastructure and facility standards that should be met by all schools. If a common minimum standard is not specified, it will create an environment where quality in some schools will fall further thus augmenting the inequalities between schools across the country.

India’s education history is rich with ambitious policies failing at the altar of inadequate implementation of the same. In the absence of a handholding mechanism for states to embark on the path-breaking reforms mentioned in the policy and that too in a short time, will be too much to ask.

Funding requirements and governance architecture pose major challenges in the implementation of the policy. Political commitment is required to increase funding. RTE Act expansion to include preschool should keep in mind the present infrastructure inadequacies and teacher vacancies.

Rashtriya Shiksha Aayog may face administrative problems and turf battles. Also, it will raise questions on the role of new bodies like the National Medical Council.

The recent controversy on 3 language formula shows the sensitivity of language education in India and care should be taken to appreciate the emotional overtures while implementing the same.

Politically acceptability, social desirability, technological feasibility, financial viability, administratively doability, and judicially tenability are 6 pillars that will impact the implementation of the policy.

Be that as it may, the new education policy aims to address the challenges of (i) access, (ii) equity, (iii) quality, (iv) affordability, and (v) accountability faced by the current education system. It aims to revitalize and equip the education system to meet the challenges of the 21st century and 4th industrial revolution rather than catering to 19th and 20th century needs of industrialization. Also, India is on the cusp of a demographic dividend, rather than entered into this phase. So the education system catering to these needs is not a luxury that we hope for but rather a dire need at this moment in Indian history.

The Problems associated with the Education System in India

HRD ministry: Over 1.4 million schools and 50,000 higher educational institutions are operating in India. Out of 907 universities, there are 399 state universities, 126 deemed-to-be universities, 48 central and 334 private universities.

  • Even after more than a hundred years of “ Gokhale’s Bill”1911, where universal primary education was originally mooted, India is yet to achieve this goal.
  • China had achieved it in the 1970s. As per Census 2011, over 26% of India’s population is still illiterate, compared to 4% in China. About 50% of India’s population has only primary education or less, compared to 38% in China. The 13% of the population with tertiary education at the upper end in India is comparable with China.
  • Progress has been made in respect of female participation up to secondary level and GER for girls has exceeded that of boys.
  • But the girl’s enrollment rate is lower than that of boys at the higher education level.
  • A gap is visible across social categories in terms of enrollment rate at the higher education level.
  • According to NSSO’s 71st round (2014), drop-out rates are very high for boys at the secondary school level. Reasons for the same are economic activities, lack of interest in education, and financial constraints.
  • The transition rate from secondary school to senior secondary and further to higher education is very low.

Despite these highly ambitious education policies and elaborate deliberations on the same, the outcomes are rather shaky. Major criticisms and shortcomings of these policies and their implementations are:

  • Half the population is crowded at the bottom, either illiterate or with only primary education. Meanwhile, a disproportionately large segment is at the upper end with tertiary education.
  • The 2015 Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) reflects this deteriorating quality. The report opines that deficits in foundational reading and arithmetic skills are   cumulative, which leaves students grossly   handicapped for further education .
  • India had fared poorly in the Programme for International Student Assessment  (PISA) test in 2008, and 09.
  • Education policies in India are focused on inputs rather than on learning outcomes.
  • Teacher shortages.
  • Local politics.
  • Corruption in teacher appointment.
  • Defects in teacher training.
  • Socio-cultural factors like caste division, and cynical attitude towards the teaching profession.
  • There is no accountability, as there is a guaranteed lifetime job independent of performance.
  • From 1952-2012 , education expenditure as a percentage of total government expenditure increased from 7.92 to 11.7, and as a percentage of GDP increased from 0.64 to 3.31. But it has still not reached 6% of GDP, as was recommended by the Kothari Commission way back in 1964.
  • Expenditure by the government on elementary education is more than tertiary level, but expenditure per student is more in tertiary. So there is a need to increase expenditure in all segments.
  • All India survey on higher education has shown that in West Bengal Muslim students in universities are very low. Lack of education at the primary and secondary levels is said to be the main reason.
  • Even though Article 15(4),(5) provides reservations for SC, ST, and OBC in higher education institutions , the Economic Survey 2018-19 points out their inadequate representation in these institutions.
  • The suicide of Rohit Vemula, a Ph.D. scholar at the University of Hyderabad, in 2016 had brought forward the discrimination still existing in these institutions.
  • Also, the representation of teachers at these levels is skewed against the backward class in spite of reservations. Article 16(4) provides for reservations of backward class in jobs.
  • At the school level, poor children are primarily concentrated in government schools. The poor quality of government schools thus disproportionately affects these children and creates a vicious cycle of illiteracy.
  • At the higher education level, the situation is more critical. One reason for the introduction of the National Medical Commission Bill is to curb the exorbitant fees charged by medical colleges.
  • Youths coming out of the higher education system in India are not employable, as they lack relevant industry-level skills.
  • India’s long-standing neglect of primary and secondary education has limited access to quality basic education. No skill development program can succeed without an underlying foundation of basic education.
  • National Policy on  Skill Development and Entrepreneurship 2015 (PMKVY) has shown disappointing results.
  • Budget 2019-20  stated that the government enables about 10 million youth to take up industry-relevant skill training through the Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY). The  Budget has also increased focus on  ‘new-age skills’  like Artificial Intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT), Big Data, 3D Printing, Virtual Reality, and Robotic.
  • Currently, B Tech courses in AI are offered mostly in premier institutions only.
  • The budget 2019-20 proposed the National Sports Education Board for the development of sportspersons under the  Khelo India program (2017).

Now we will look at each rung of the education ladder in India.

Early childhood education

  • Early childhood education (ECE) is needed for  cognitive development in the early stage.
  • Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS)  has a component for providing ECE through Anganwadis . But lack of effective regulation in this sector is eroding the quality of ECE.
  • There is a National Early Childhood Care and Education Policy 2013 . However, the policy has not been properly implemented.
  • There are multiple service providers but there is no clarity in the types of services provided.
  • The sprawling of an unregulated private channel, both organized and unorganized, which is also spreading to rural areas, has led to inequitable access, uneven quality, and commercialization of ECE.
  • Both Anganwadis and private schools focus on reading, writing, and arithmetic rather than cognitive and conceptual development.
  • There is a decline in the quality and training of teachers.
  • S.R. Subramanian’s committee report has brought focus to the quality deterioration in this sector.

Primary level

  • There is an increasing trend of parents choosing private schools for the primary level. However, there is variable quality in private schools. Also, fees vary from school to school and are on the higher side.
  • Eschew rigid curricula and make them more cognitive and flexible. There should be a broader cognitive approach than rote learning.
  • There is a need for activity-based learning. Teachers should teach at the right level, rather than teaching for the average learner.
  • The government has launched Padhe Bharat Bade Bharat –  targeting early reading and writing. The twin-track  approach of comprehension and math is the main focus.
  • There is a supply-side problem . The government is pumping funds through government schools thus increasing the number of schools and thus enrollment. However, quality and inclusiveness have dropped and dropout rates increased. These lead to poor learning outcomes.

School Complex

  • RTE and SSA have resulted in over-access but low-quality primary-level education. Now the aim should be to integrate these into school complexes, as mentioned by the Kasturirangan committee report, thus rationalizing the number of schools in an area.
  • The ‘Adarsh’ integrated school system of Rajasthan is an example of a school complex system . Here one school provides classes from l to XII under one principal. There is one such school in every gram panchayat.
  • This is an efficient way to solve teacher shortages and also to address the shortages of secondary schools. It can also address the problem of resource scarcity by integrating and rationalizing resources.
  • Inclusive learning can be furthered through school.
  • Also, these complexes can act as a pivot around which new reforms in education can be implemented.

Secondary level

ASER Rural 2017: In 2017, ASER changed the age group of the survey from primary level to secondary level. The report mentions the following:

  • Enrollment is low in this age group. There is a high digital divide at this level. Low quality also persists at this level. There is a high amount of absenteeism as well.
  • There is a need to expand RTE to cover the 14-18 age groups.
  • To realize the demographic dividend, skill education for these groups is necessary.

Economic Survey 2018-19 points out that Indian demography is changing and it requires more quality secondary education system rather than merely an increasing number of primary-level schools.

Private fees

  • The vagueness in the judgment regarding ‘reasonable surplus’ and ‘commercialization’ of education has watered down the outcome of the judgment.
  • There are state laws for capping fees. However, implementation problems and litigation make them ineffective.
  • CAG report mentioned misreporting and mismanagement by private schools. So laws should address this problem through stricter inspection, penalties, etc.

Higher education

There is an increasing number of higher education institutions but their quality is questionable, effectively making ‘islands of excellence amidst the sea of mediocrity. Increased accessibility to a low-quality higher education system has made democratization of mediocrity.

Raghuram Rajan, the ex-RBI governor, argued that India needs idea factories and universities by leveraging India’s inherent strengths like tolerance, diversity, etc. He said that there is a need for strong accreditation agencies and continuing education.

Problems of the higher education system in India

  • There is a dual problem of both quality and quantity. The gross enrollment ratio (GER) in higher education is only 24.5.
  • Even though education policy had an elitist bias in favor of higher education, the state of the same is much worse than the state of school education. Unlike school education, there is no national survey of the learning levels of college students.
  • The desired levels of research and internationalization of Indian campuses remain weak points.
  • Also, there is a low philanthropic investment in this sector. This creates an exclusive dependency on government funding by universities. This, in turn, reduces the autonomy and vision of these universities.
  • Privatization of higher education has not been led by philanthropy but the commercial interest that does not have a symbiotic relationship with the vision of universities.
  • These have led to inadequate human capacity, shoddy infrastructure, and weak institutions. Recommendations of the Narayana Murthy committee,  on the role of the corporate sector in higher education, have not been implemented and thus channeling of CSR funds to higher education remains inadequate.
  • Banks and financial institutions are not giving adequate attention to this area. Giving PSL status to these institutions can be considered.
  • Indian higher education system is of a linear model with very little focus on specialization.
  • UGC and AICTE act more as controllers of education than facilitators.
  • Due to the mushrooming of colleges at a higher rate since the 1980s , there is a regulatory sprawl in higher education.
  • Poor governance , with mindless  over-regulation , is widespread in this sector. Educational institutions responded to this with claims of academic and institutional autonomy for themselves, which was mostly a smokescreen for a culture of sloth in these institutions.
  • There is a concentration of powers, as these regulatory institutions control all aspects like accreditation, curriculum setting, professional standard-setting, funding, etc.
  • Compartmentalization and fragmentation of the knowledge system.
  • Disconnect with society.
  • Overemphasis on entrance tests.
  • Absence of innovation in learning methods.
  • Corrosion of autonomy of universities.
  • For long basic disciplines across the physical and social sciences and humanities were ignored.
  • However, the Economic Survey 2017-18 mentioned that there is an increase in Ph.D. enrolment in India in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) due to efforts by the government to increase the number and quantum of fellowships. However, there are still fewer researchers in India in comparison to other countries.
  • Budget 2019-20 proposes ‘Study in India’  with a focus on bringing foreign students to higher educational institutions in India to make India a “hub of higher education.”
  • Higher education institutions are used as rewards for loyalists and channels of graft by political parties in power.
  • Indian higher education system is plagued by unregulated and shoddy coaching institutions. The coaching industry makes around Rs. 24000 crores a year in India. Proper regulation of the same is required.

Research and development (R&D)

Economic Survey 2017-18 stated: “To transform from net consumer to net producer of knowledge, India should invest in educating its youth in science and mathematics, reform the way R&D is conducted, engage the private sector and the Indian diaspora, and take a more mission-driven approach in areas such as dark matter, genomics, energy storage, agriculture, and mathematics and cyber-physical systems”.

  • Although Gross Expenditure on R&D (GERD) is consistently increasing, as a fraction of GDP it has been stagnant between 0.6-0.7  percent of GDP over the past two decades.
  • The universities play a relatively small role in the research activities in India. There is a disconnection between research institutes and universities. This results in the compartmentalization of research activities and teaching into two separate silos.
  • The  separation of research from teaching leads to a situation where universities  have students but need additional faculty support, while research institutes have qualified faculty but are starved of young students.
  • India was, at one point, spending more on R&D as a percentage of GDP than countries like China – but currently, India under-spends on R&D.
  • Doubling of R&D spending is necessary and much of the increase should come from the private sector and universities.

The need of the hour

  • It is imperative to improve math and cognitive skills at the school level to make a difference at a higher level.
  • There is a need to expand R&D in India and to go beyond paper presentations and patents to a broader contribution of providing value for society.
  • There is also a need to encourage Investigator-led Research for funding science research.  Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB) 2008,  a statutory body of DST, is a step in the right direction.
  • 50:50 partnerships with SERB for industry-relevant research under the Ucchatar Avishkar Yojana (UAY) is the right way to go forward.
  • It would strengthen state universities and provide knowledge in areas specific to a state.
  • National Research Foundation,  to fund, coordinate, and promote research at the college level, is proposed by the Kasturirangan report. It is reiterated in Budget 2019-20 : NRF will ensure the overall research ecosystem in the country is strengthened with a focus on areas relevant to national priorities without duplication of effort and expenditure. The funds available with all Ministries will be integrated into NRF.
  • Link national labs to universities and create new knowledge ecosystems. Together they can link up with the commercial sectors and help develop industrial clusters.
  • National Mission on Dark Matter
  • National Mission on Genomics
  • National Mission on Energy Storage Systems
  • National Mission on Mathematics
  • National Mission on Cyber-Physical Systems
  • National Mission on Agriculture
  • Ramanujan Fellowship Scheme.
  • Innovation in Science Pursuit for Inspired Research ( INSPIRE ) Faculty Scheme.
  • Ramalingaswami Re-entry Fellowship.
  • Visiting Advanced Joint Research Faculty Scheme ( VAJRA ).
  • Improve the culture of research thus ‘ ease of doing research’. There is a need for less hierarchical governance systems that encourage risk-taking and curiosity in the pursuit of excellence.
  • Greater public engagement of the science and research establishment is needed. A greater effort at science communication  is needed.

Government initiatives on higher education

The government is trying to revitalize the Indian higher education system and for this many initiatives have been launched. Let’s discuss the importance of them.

National Testing Agency (NTA) 2017

  • NTA was set up for conducting entrance exams in higher educational institutions. It is based on the recommendations of the Ashok Mishra committee on IIT entrance 2015.
  • It will conduct JEE, NEET, National Eligibility Test (NET), Common Management Admission Test (CMAT), and Graduate Pharmacy Aptitude Test (GPAT).
  • It will provide diversity and plurality in higher education. It will also ensure independence and transparency in conducting the exams.
  • However, it should be ensured that the computer-based test should not lead to further exploitation of rural students.
  • NEET stands for National Eligibility cum Entrance Test . It is for admissions in medical courses by replacing a plethora of medical entrance tests with one national-level test.
  • Supreme Court had said that NEET should be the sole basis for admission to medical courses.
  • There is a controversy about whether urban and CBSE students will dominate NEET. The government should pay heed to this criticism.
  • In Tamil Nadu doctors serving in rural areas get weightage in PG admission. NEET will effectively dislodge this system.
  • This controversy brought forward the conflict between the fair and transparent system of admission to curb the commercialization of medical education and the socioeconomic goals of the state, which in the case of Tamil Nadu includes ensuring enough doctors for rural areas.
  • Controversy on NEET has brought the following question to the limelight: should uniformity be thrust upon a country with such vast disparity and diversity? The political leadership should iron out the differences and produce a suitable admission policy. This task should not be left to the judiciary.
  • Be that as it may, states can’t remain insulated from the need to upgrade their education standard.

RUSA: Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan 2013

  • About 94 % of students in higher education study in 369 State universities, whereas less than 6% of students study in 150 Centrally-funded institutions.
  • 11th 5-year plan  (2007-12) opined that the center’s bias towards premier central institutions had skewed funding for these institutions mainly and thus neglected state-level institutions.
  • State investment in higher education was declining. UGC’s system of direct release of funds to State institutions bypassing State governments also leads to a sense of alienation for the states.
  • RUSA tried to correct this bias. The scheme aims at financing state institutions concerning their governance and performance.
  • RUSA has shown the result in increasing the performance of state institutions and changing the way regulators function for the good. State Higher Education Council(SHEC)  made medium-long-term state perspective plans.
  • Cabinet in 2018 decided to continue the scheme. A renewed focus by the center on RUSA will be a success only if it is impartially administered and states are willing to heed the advice of SHEC.

HECI: Higher Education Commission of India bill

  • On the recommendation of the Yashpal Committee 2010 for renovation and rejuvenation of higher education, the National Commission on Higher Education and Research bill was introduced but was not passed.
  • HECI was proposed to act as an overarching regulator of higher education by replacing UGC, which will maintain academic standards, approve new educational institutions, etc. but with no funding powers.
  • Draft Higher Education Commission of India (Repeal of University Grants Commission Act) Bill, 2018 was introduced in 2018. Budget 2019-20 proposed to bring a bill on HECI this year.
  • The draft bill had separated funding and placed it under MHRD. This was criticized for the fear of increasing political control and reducing the autonomy of universities.

IoE: Institutions of Eminence 2017

  • Around 2005, the Times Higher Education World University Rankings and the QS World University Rankings started, and in 2009 the Academic Ranking of World Universities started. From India, only the Indian Institute of Science was included in the top 500 every year. This prompted the government to introduce NIRF and IoE.
  • Under IoE, UGC was tasked to select 10 government universities and 10 private ones as IoE. These would be given autonomy in operations.
  • Selected government institutions would be provided with ₹1,000 crore over five years.
  • The IoE tag is expected to help them achieve the world’s top 500 higher education institutions in a decade and later into the top 100.
  • Institutes among the top 50 in the National Institute Ranking Framework rankings or in the top 500 in international ratings were eligible.
  • The model for the sector remains dependent on state patronage.
  • Entry into the global education race could now become an overriding concern when many systemic issues are plaguing the sector.
  • Funding only for public institutions is discriminatory.
  • Humanities institutions were neglected.
  • Transparency in the selection process, and the public sharing of benchmarks and guidelines. The furor over the selection of Jio Institute, even before it functioned, had attracted many eyeballs and criticisms.
  • Separate category to include sectoral institutions like IIM.

National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) 2015

NIRF is a methodology adopted by the MHRD to rank higher education institutions in India.

  • NIRF is common for public and private institutions as well as state and central institutions. Comparison of state-level colleges with central and private colleges may lead to a vicious cycle of low funding, poor performance, and low ranks among state-level institutions because of the resource gap.
  • So performance index values should be normalized concerning investments and resources that have gone into that institution. Also should consider making another ranking system for state-level institutions.

HEFA: Higher Education Financing Agency 2018

Introduced in Budget 2018-19, HEFA is a joint venture of MHRD and Canara Bank

  • With an initial capital base of Rs 1,000 crores, it will act as a not-for-profit organization that will leverage funds from the market and supplement them with donations and CSR funds. These funds will be used to finance improvement in infrastructure in top institutions.
  • It has been tasked with raising ₹1 lakh crore to finance infrastructure improvements in higher education by 2022.

 Foreign Education Providers Bill 2013 

  • There is no account of programs delivered by foreign universities in India. Inadequate regulation has led to low-quality courses offered in this sector.
  • The foreign Institution bill was not been able to pass in Parliament. However,

EQUIP report has mentioned the revival of this bill.

There are many other schemes and initiatives like SWAYAM, which offers open online courses from Class IX to post-graduation free of cost, GIAN and IMPRINT which are primarily focused on elite institutes like IITs and IISc.

APAAR: One Nation One Student ID Card

The Automated Permanent Academic Account Registry (APAAR) is a transformative initiative introduced in alignment with the National Education Policy (NEP) of 2020 and the National Credit and Qualifications Framework (NCrF).

It aims to provide a unified and accessible academic experience for students across India by assigning a unique and permanent 12-digit ID to every student, consolidating their academic achievements in one place.

Other Major Issues connected with the Education sector in India

The Indian education sector is also affected by other issues like the politicization of campuses, gender parity problems, poor-quality standards, etc.

Politicization of campuses

  • JP movement had provided an impetus to the politicization of students.
  • In Indian higher education institutions, university politics has become a launchpad for political ambitions.
  • Though campus politics is vital for democracy, as it makes students better citizens, the negative side of the politicization of campuses has been visible across Indian campuses. Recent incidents at Kerala University are a case in point.
  • One of the most important problems of student politics in India is that it acts as an appendage to political parties without having an independent identity or autonomy.

Gender Parity

  • By parents → who send boys to private and girls to government schools. Economic Survey 2018-19: enrollment of girls is higher than that of boys in government schools but the pattern gets reversed in private schools. The gender gap in enrollment in private schools has consistently increased across age groups.
  • By teachers → who reinforced the belief that boys are quick learners.
  • Girls are eased out of school to work on home chores or get married.
  • Economic Survey 2018-19 opines that BBBP has been a success and proposes to extend the cause of Gender equality by coining the slogan of BADLAV (Beti Aapki Dhan Lakshmi Aur Vijay-Lakshmi) to enhance the contribution of women in the workforce and the economy.
  • For ranking states based on gender disparity, Digital Gender Atlas for Advancing Girl’s Education was launched by MHRD.
  • In higher education, gender disparities still prevail in enrollment.
  • Efforts by the Government through programs like Beti Padhao, and Beti Bachao, the GPI has improved substantially at the primary and secondary levels of enrolment.

Quality of education

Learning outcomes are not assessed in India as numerical outcomes. The 12th Five-Year Plan noted the need for measuring and improving learning outcomes.

  • Children of illiterate parents can’t supplement school studies at home and also can’t afford expensive tuition, leading to a vicious cycle of illiteracy.
  • From 2014 to 2018, there was a gradual improvement in both basic literacy and numeracy for Class III students but only a quarter of them are at grade level (ability to read and do basic operations like subtraction of Class II level).
  • The report also shows that 1 out of 4 children leaving Class VIII are without basic reading skills (ability to read at least a Class II level).

Government initiatives

  • Central Rules under the RTE Act were amended in February 2017 to include the defined class-wise and subject-wise learning outcomes.
  • Nationwide sub-program of SSA to improve comprehensive early reading, writing, and early mathematics programs for children in Classes I and II.

Teacher Training

  • Teachers play the most critical role in a student’s achievement.
  • The need is for better incentives for teachers, investments in teacher capacity through stronger training programs, and addressing the problems in the teaching-learning process.
  • However, teachers in India, especially in government schools, are considered a cog in the way to efficient governance. There is an inadequate focus on their motivation and skill updation.
  • NCERT study shows that there is no systematic incorporation of teacher feedback into designing pieces of training. Also, there is no mechanism to check whether this training is translated into classroom performance.
  • These results in de-professionalizing the teaching profession and curb a teacher’s “internal responsibility” — the sense of duty to the job.
  • World Development Report on Education (2018) opined that both teaching skills and motivation matter. Individually targeted continued training is important. In line with this, MHRD and the National Council for Teacher Education launched the National Teacher Platform, or Diksha in 2017 . It is a one-stop solution to address teacher competency gaps.
  • However, the current training through Diksha follows a one-size-fits-all approach. Even though the platform is designed to democratize both access to and creation of content by teachers, its real benefits are in the ability to provide continuous professional development which complements existing physical training.
  • This technology-enabled platform allows training to become a continuous activity rather than an annual event and also creates a feedback loop ensuring the effectiveness of the material.
  • Diksha has the potential to re-engineer in-service teacher training in India. It is important to create good content and also to ensure technology consumption by teachers, the role of headmasters in promoting teachers’ professional development, etc.

As India participates in the PISA in 2021, it is to be made sure that we recognize the importance of teachers and their role in education outcomes.

Private Schools vs Public Schools: The Big Debate in Education

At least 30% of students between the 6-14 age groups are in the private sector.

  • There is an increasing perception that the quality of teaching in private schools is better than that of public schools. Thus there is a clamour for increasing the number of private schools and simultaneously limiting public spending on government schools.
  • However, the claim on the quality of private schools is debatable as there is a wide disparity of the same among these schools.

Research paper by Geeta Gandhi Kingdon, professor of education and international development at the Institute of Education, London, offers insights into private-public school education in India:

  • The paper points out that between 2010-11 and 2015-16, the average enrolment in government schools declined from 122 to 108 students per school, while in private schools it rose from 202 to 208.
  • Nevertheless, according to the District Information System for Education (DISE), 65% of all school-going children, 113 million, get their education from government schools.
  • The study points out that the migration to private schools is due to the belief among parents that these schools offer better value for money in terms of quality.
  • IndiaSpend, in 2016, reported that despite the Rs 1.16 lakh crore spent on SSA, the quality of learning declined between 2009 and 2014. It also points out that less than one in five elementary school teachers in India are trained. Also, the contractual teachers, who are high in number in government schools, are likely to be less motivated and accountable.
  • Preference for private school tutoring is there.
  • The quality of schools varies between states. In 2016, in Kerala, the proportion of children enrolled in primary government schools increased from 40.6% in 2014 to 49.9% according to ASER 2016.
  • States with better-functioning government schools have more expensive private schools as there is no market for the ‘low-fee’ budget private schools. Around 80% of private schools in India are ‘low’ fee schools.
  • ASER 2016 has shown small improvements in learning outcomes in government schools.
  • Between 2010-11 and 2015-16, the number of private schools grew by 35% – to 0.30 million. On the other hand, the number of government schools grew only by 1%, to 1.04 million. The migration out of government schools has left many of these economically unviable.
  • Government teachers in India earn four times that of China but don’t perform as well. Up to 80% of India’s public expenditure on education is spent on teachers. There is a need to link teacher salaries to their accountability.
  • However, the salary of private teachers is very low compared to their government counterparts. This is due to the “bureaucratically-set high ‘minimum wage’, which is being influenced by strong unions of government school teachers.
  • Another reason for the low salary of private school teachers is that the private education sector offers salaries based on market factors of demand and supply. Since 10.5% of graduates are unemployed in India, there is a high supply of teachers.
  • Rather than merely increasing the budget outlay for education, the need is to revise the Education policy for better accountability and monitoring mechanisms.
  • Gandhi argued that a Public-private partnership (PPP) model may be the solution, with public sector funding and private resources for education, since reforming the present system may not be politically feasible.

Rather than debating about private versus public schools, the focus should be to  enable the private sector to set up more schools under the scrutiny of regulatory authorities. There is no point in driving off the private initiative in schooling given the limited resources of the states. Private investment should be encouraged but made accountable for quality and conduct.

The above discussion showed the challenges of the Indian education system. A workforce that India wants to create in this digital age requires reforms in education at all levels. UNESCO’s Global Education Monitoring (GEM) Report 2016 opined that India is expected to achieve universal primary education in 2050. India is 50 years late in achieving its global education commitments. If the nation wants fundamental changes in the education system, it has to meet the 2030 SDG targets on education. There is an urgent requirement for greater evolution in education in India.

Education Quality Upgradation and Inclusion Programme (EQUIP): How to transform Education in India?

EQUIP is a  five-year vision plan on education, released by MHRD, by  the Prime Minister’s decision to create a five-year vision plan for each Ministry.

The EQUIP project is crafted by ten expert groups led by experts within and outside the government:

  • Group 1: Strategies for expanding access
  • Group 2: Towards global best teaching/learning process
  • Group 3: Promoting Excellence
  • Group 4: Governance reforms
  • Group 5: Assessment, Accreditation, and Ranking Systems
  • Group 6: Promotion of research and innovation
  • Group 7: Employability and Entrepreneurship
  • Group 8: Using Technology for Better Reach
  • Group 9: Internationalisation
  • Group 10: Financing Higher Education

The groups have suggested initiatives to transform the education system completely. The goals set by the groups are:

  • Double GER in higher education and resolve the geographically and socially skewed access to higher education institutions.
  • Upgrade the quality of education to global standards.
  • Position at least 50 Indian institutions among the top 1000 global universities.
  • Introduce governance reforms in higher education for well-administered campuses.
  • Accreditation of all institutions as an assurance of quality.
  • Promote Research and Innovation ecosystems for positioning India in the top three countries in the world in matters of knowledge creation.
  • Double the employability of the students passing out of higher education.
  • Harness education technology for expanding the reach and improving pedagogy.
  • Promote India as a global study destination.
  • Achieve a quantum increase in investment in higher education.

We can see that each of the above goals has been known to us for a long time. The problem is its implementation. The political class and all other stakeholders should come together to achieve these goals. The plethora of government initiatives on higher education is a sure sign of the importance given by the political class in the reform of the education system of India. Let’s hope that a new dawn of Indian education is around the corner which will bring back the glory of ancient times when India was the centre of knowledge production.

As the Economic Survey 2016-17 points out, lack of health, malnourishment, etc. affects the cognitive ability of children. This will, in turn, have a detrimental effect on their future educational prospects. This leads to a vicious cycle of inter-generational illiteracy, poor health, and ultimately poverty. So education and health are complementary to each other and reforms in one sector should invariably be preceded and followed by reforms in other sectors. Human development as a whole can be considered as a wholesome development and we must appreciate the interlinkages of each section of human capital formation, be it health, education, digital literacy, skills, etc.

Also read: PM-USHA

In the larger domain of human capital , education, and skill development have a big role.

Census 2011 data on literacy gives us a quick perspective on the current status of education. However, education is not just about literacy.

RTE act acts as a cornerstone for Indian education. Nevertheless, it is the various education policies, charted out since Independence, which led to the historical evolution of the education system in India.

The results of these policies can be said to be mixed. There is still a lot of room for improvement.

There are various government initiatives targeting each level of the education system in India. The higher Education System is given a greater focus these days.

The latest update in the education sector is the Kasturirangan report or draft new education policy . It captures the need of the hour for reforming education.

The modern Indian education system is crying for a revamp. The draft New Education Policy (NEP) is the right moment to take stock of its history, achievements, and misgivings to chart out a futuristic education plan for 21st-century India.

Article by  Sethu  Krishnan M, curated by ClearIAS Team

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Reader Interactions

education system in bihar essay

November 27, 2019 at 10:33 pm

Wow what the largest matter of education is?. Very nice thank u sir

education system in bihar essay

November 28, 2019 at 12:09 pm

Nice article but it is too long we need around 400 words which explains education in india,challenges,way forward only It is very hard to remember and segrate from given imp because all points look like imp please try to make it around 400 words only

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November 28, 2019 at 2:00 pm

@MKM – The aim was to cover almost everything about Education in India as a comprehensive post. The post covers: (a) History of Education in India (b) Current Status of Education in India: Data from Census 2011 (c) RTE Act (d) Various Educational Policies in the past (e) The New National Educational Policy (NEP) (f) The Problems associated with the Education System in India (g) Education Quality Upgradation and Inclusion Programme (EQUIP): How to transform Education in India?

Though ClearIAS prefers short and crisp articles, for important areas like Education, we felt a detailed write-up would be useful.

Thank you for your feedback. We will continue to create concise articles as well.

education system in bihar essay

November 28, 2019 at 12:35 pm

Good Source thank you Team.

education system in bihar essay

November 28, 2019 at 1:56 pm

education system in bihar essay

November 28, 2019 at 2:41 pm

November 29, 2019 at 7:45 am

This is a very nice and comprehensive information on education.

education system in bihar essay

November 29, 2019 at 2:21 pm

Such a nice article sir thank you..

education system in bihar essay

December 16, 2019 at 5:31 pm

education system in bihar essay

March 30, 2020 at 12:48 pm

Sir,a small corrrection regarding literacy rate ranking, Kerala (93%)tops its followed by Lakshadweep(92 %), Mizoram (91 %) , Tripura (87.7 %) and Goa (87.4 %) as 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th places repectively according to 2011 census.

education system in bihar essay

June 16, 2020 at 12:20 am

Excellent Work

education system in bihar essay

August 31, 2020 at 1:14 pm

Thank you vry much team.🤗 You provide excellent data ,analysis,facts,etc…evrything at one doc.

November 16, 2020 at 10:47 pm

Absolutely amazing stuff. Can’t believe.. Thanks from the bottom of my heart ❤️❤️

education system in bihar essay

May 27, 2021 at 12:38 pm

Great article about Education ​very informative thanks for sharing

education system in bihar essay

May 31, 2021 at 11:55 pm

Well and easy to understand…thank u for the team

education system in bihar essay

September 12, 2021 at 10:37 am

Very good and such a broad information thank u 💖.. Lots of love

education system in bihar essay

December 16, 2021 at 11:10 am

Need to update with current data eg how much percentage of school/ children get access of online education in pandemic Era COVID challanges others family support etc thank

January 28, 2022 at 10:32 am

Thank you so much for your birthday support

education system in bihar essay

February 27, 2022 at 5:33 pm

good information

June 10, 2022 at 3:00 pm

Nice article very informative…traditional classroom study should be changed into a smart classroom online

education system in bihar essay

July 14, 2022 at 8:55 pm

education system in bihar essay

December 18, 2022 at 1:05 am

Absolute coverage article, Kindly keep it up for your determined spectators.

education system in bihar essay

May 28, 2023 at 9:10 pm

desserstation on education/slums/miagration par hindi me pdf mil sakta hai

January 23, 2024 at 8:06 pm

The analysis provides a comprehensive overview of India’s education system, highlighting its pyramid structure and alignment with Sustainable Development Goals. Constitutional provisions like Article 21A and the RTE Act aim for universal education. However, the RTE Act faces criticism. To enhance educational outcomes, addressing these concerns and ensuring effective implementation are imperative. Schools in Pataudi Gurgaon focus on quality, inclusivity, and overcoming criticisms can lead Indian education to new heights. Thank You Samriddhi Sharma

February 7, 2024 at 7:44 pm

It’s crucial to delve into the challenges confronting the Indian education sector and understand the constitutional framework and policies guiding it. Exploring these aspects sheds light on the complexities and opportunities within the system. However, it’s equally important to consider how these discussions translate into action at the grassroots level, especially in local communities like Rajajinagar, Bangalore. How are schools in rajajinagar bangaloreaddressing these systemic issues and implementing reforms to ensure quality education for all students? This intersection of policy discourse and on-the-ground realities is where meaningful change happens.

March 8, 2024 at 6:22 am

Is there any data on how many states provide free education to girls till grade X and how many provide it till grade XII?

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Essay on Bihar in English for Students | 500+ Words Essay

December 10, 2020 by Sandeep

Essay on Bihar: Bihar is the state located in the eastern part of India. It is nestled around Nepal, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal and Jharkhand. It has a sub-tropical climate experiencing hot summers and cold winters. Agriculture is the main occupation in Bihar. Due to the favourable climate and good quality soil, it is the major producer of fruits and vegetables.The famous festival of Bihar is Chhath Pooja which is celebrated along the banks of the river by performing rituals. Popular cuisines like Litti Chokha, Sattu Paratha and Khaja are enjoyed by the people. Hindi and Urdu languages are spoken by the population of the state. Bodhi-Tree is an emblem of the state. Prominent places like, Bodh-Gaya, Darbhanga and Nalanda are the well-known tourist’s attraction.

Below we have provided Essay on Bihar in English, written in easy and simple words for class 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10 students.

Essay on Bihar in 500 Words

Below we have provided Bihar Essay, usually given for class 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10.

Bihar is a state located in the eastern part of India. The state is surrounded by West Bengal in the east, Nepal in the north, Uttar Pradesh in the west and Jharkhand in the south. The capital of Bihar is Patna. The name Bihar comes from the word Vihara, which means abode. It is a composition of thirty-eight districts and holds the eleventh position in India’s area. Hindi is the official language, and Urdu is the second official language. Moreover, the state emblem of Bihar is a Bodhi tree. The state animal is bear, and the state bird is an owl.

Several kingdoms existed in the ancient period. One of the kings called Videhas, father of the princess Sita from Ramayan ruled the plains. It was in Magadha period where Gautama Buddha developed the Buddhists religion and then later Mahavira reformed the theology of Jainism. Moreover, King Ashoka, Gupta dynasty even laid their foundation, which transformed the state gradually.

The total area of Bihar is 94,163 km. Ganga River divides the fertile plain unevenly. The centre of the Bihar consists of some hills, such as Rajgir hills. The climate of Bihar is diverse with a sub-tropical temperature in general, having hot summers and cold winters. The most suitable time to visit Bihar is in winter as it is the most pleasant part of the year. Though the vegetation of Bihar has a deciduous forest, only a small fraction of the total area is forested.

Mixed shrubs, grass and reeds dominate the forest. Common trees include bamboo, banyan and palmyra palms. The Himalayan foothills witness the most concentration of forest cover. Large mammals like Bengal tiger, leopards, elephants and different species of deer are found. Along the Kosi River, crocodile seems to rule. Also, birds, reptiles and fish are common in the state. Valmiki National park holds the 18th position in terms of tiger population. Moreover, other notable reserves include Gautama Buddha Wildlife Sanctuary, Kaimur Wildlife Sanctuary and Bhimbandh Wildlife Sanctuary.

Bihar’s economy is largely depended on agriculture. It is the fourth largest state to produce vegetables and fruits in India. The chief agriculture crops are litchi, guava, mango, pineapple, cauliflower, cabbage, rice, wheat, and sunflower. The state’s 80% of the population is employed in agriculture. Favourable climate and fertile soil are the conditions that favour agriculture, but it can be sabotaging during flood and storms.

The major industrial centres in Bihar are Barauni and Hajipur. Gradually, the government has taken the initiative to improve the industrial sector in the state, especially in Patna city. Soon the project of the expressway from the Purvanchal border through Bihar to Jharkhand is estimated to complete.

Among the paintings, Mithila painting is the famous style of painting used in Bihar. The painting is also known as Madhubani art which depicts the association of humans with nature. It is usually done on walls during festivals, marriages and events. Notable Mithila painters like the late Ganga Devi, Sita Devi and Mahasundari Devi were born in Bihar.

The painting was traditionally practised by women and passed down to generation. Bihar is rich in culture and known as the land of Buddha because Gautama Buddha attained enlightenment at Bodh-Gaya. The famous dishes that encompass the cuisine are Litti Chokha, Sattu Paratha, Bihari Boti and Bihari Kebabs. In dessert, they prefer eating Khaja a traditional sweet dish. The most celebrated festival is the Chhath Puja.

The best tourist’s attraction is the ancient monuments which reflect the culture and heritage of Bihar. Monuments like Sabhyata Dwar in Patna, Bodh-Gaya, Darbhanga, the ancient city of Vaishali, etc. are visited. Around 24 million people visit Bihar each year. Furthermore, it is also well-known for religious places. Several Hindu, Buddhists, Jains and Muslims shrines are constructed which abound this ancient land.

If we date back in history, Bihar was known as the centre of learning as the prominent universities like Nalanda and Vikramashila reside here. Items of the woodcarving, brass work, bamboo work, Zari embroidery, lacquer bangles and the popular Bhagalpur sarees can be bought from the state.

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Essay on Bihar

Students are often asked to write an essay on Bihar in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

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100 Words Essay on Bihar

Introduction.

Bihar is a state in the eastern part of India. It is the third-largest state in terms of population. The capital city is Patna.

Bihar has a rich history. It was the center of power, learning, and culture in ancient India. It is the birthplace of Buddhism.

Bihar’s culture is very diverse. It is known for its music, dance, and festivals. Bihari cuisine is also very famous.

Bihar’s economy is primarily agricultural. It is a major producer of vegetables and fruits. It also has a growing service sector.

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250 Words Essay on Bihar

Bihar, located in the eastern part of India, is a state rich in history and culture. Known for its ancient universities and religious sites, Bihar has been a significant center of learning, culture, and power in ancient and classical India.

Historical Significance

Bihar’s historical significance is unparalleled. It was the center of the Maurya and Gupta empires, two of the most powerful dynasties in Indian history. The state was also the birthplace of Buddhism, with Gautama Buddha achieving enlightenment in Bodh Gaya, a town in Bihar.

Cultural Diversity

Bihar’s culture is a blend of diverse traditions and practices. The state is known for its unique art forms like Madhubani painting and traditional dance styles such as Jat-Jatin and Bidesia. The Bihari cuisine, with dishes like Litti Chokha and Sattu Paratha, is famous for its flavors and simplicity.

Economic Aspects

Bihar’s economy primarily revolves around agriculture, with rice, wheat, and lentils as major crops. Despite its agricultural predominance, Bihar faces several challenges like poverty and lack of industrialization. However, recent years have seen significant efforts towards infrastructural development and economic reform.

Bihar, with its rich history and cultural diversity, holds a unique place in the Indian subcontinent. Despite economic challenges, the state continues to progress, striving to balance its historical legacy with modern development. The essence of Bihar lies in its resilience and the vibrant amalgamation of tradition and transformation.

500 Words Essay on Bihar

Bihar, an Indian state, is a region of historic and cultural significance. Known for its rich history, vibrant culture, and diverse population, Bihar is a fascinating study in contrasts. It is a place where ancient traditions coexist with modern development, where the urban and rural landscapes merge seamlessly.

Bihar’s history dates back to the dawn of Indian civilization. It was the center of power, learning, and culture in ancient and classical India. The state was home to two of India’s major empires, the Maurya Empire and Gupta Empire. Bihar is also the birthplace of Buddhism, with Bodh Gaya, the place where Gautam Buddha attained enlightenment, located here. The remnants of its glorious past, such as the ruins of Nalanda University, are still visible today and serve as a testament to Bihar’s historical significance.

Bihar’s culture is a rich tapestry of diverse traditions, languages, and festivals. The state’s cultural heritage is reflected in its folk music, dance, and art forms. Bihari cuisine, known for its distinctive flavors and variety, also reflects the state’s cultural diversity. Festivals like Chhath Puja, which is unique to Bihar, showcase the state’s vibrant traditions and religious fervor.

Economy and Development

Education and social challenges.

Education in Bihar has seen considerable improvement over the years. The state government has made concerted efforts to increase literacy rates and improve the quality of education. However, Bihar still grapples with issues like gender disparity in education and inadequate educational infrastructure.

Socially, Bihar is a melting pot of various castes, religions, and ethnic groups. While this diversity is a strength, it also presents challenges. Caste-based discrimination and communal tensions are some of the social issues that Bihar faces.

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education system in bihar essay

2021 Theses Doctoral

Health system strengthening in Bihar, India: three papers examining the implications on health facility readiness and performance

Introduction: Bihar ranks among the most socio-economically disadvantaged states in India, and its public health system had long suffered from structural deficiencies which contributed to poor health outcomes. In November 2013, the Bihar government, with funding from Gates Foundation and technical support from CARE India, launched the state-wide Bihar Technical Support Program (BTSP) – seeking to address gaps in infrastructure, supply chain, and human resources, as well as the quality of service delivery, so as to improve reproductive, maternal, newborn and child health (RMNCH) and nutrition service provision. BTSP adopted a two-pronged strategy – conducting (i) periodic comprehensive facility assessments (CFAs) to identify and address the structural gaps; and (ii) nurse-mentoring programs to develop competency among nursing cadres in providing basic and comprehensive emergency obstetric and newborn care (BEmONC/ CEmONC) services. Through three inter-linked papers, the dissertation aimed to conduct an evidence-based assessment of this health system strengthening program. “Facility readiness” (structural readiness of public health facilities) was operationalized in terms of infrastructure, essential supplies, and human resources, while “facility performance” was operationalized based on the direct observation of normal vaginal deliveries and newborn care (including management of immediate complications if needed) and infection prevention practices in the labor rooms. The first paper describes the evolution of BTSP, and examines the initial progress made in facility readiness between 2015 and 2016. The second paper: (i) conducts a comparative assessment of facility readiness between 2017 (at end of the first four years of BTSP) and 2019, and describes the continuation of progress or lack thereof; (ii) quantifies facility readiness through a scoring system that reflects the readiness to provide maternal and newborn care (MNC) services; and (3) compares the change in this score over time (2015, 2017 and 2019) across different districts and levels of health facilities in Bihar. Thus, the first and second papers together examine the extent to which Bihar’s public health facilities were structurally strengthened in terms of physical infrastructure, supplies and workforce by utilizing data from all four rounds of CFAs conducted till date. The third paper asks the next logical question in a health system strengthening process – was facility readiness positively and significantly associated with facility performance? This is an important query, as it aims to provide evidence of synergistic progress, as envisioned under BTSP. First, the paper examines whether the facility-level performance changed, by comparing baseline (May-December, 2018) and endline (October-December, 2019) assessment data from the nurse-mentoring program (locally called AMANAT Jyoti). Second, it assesses the association of facility readiness (based on CFA 2019 data) with endline facility performance in providing MNC services. Methods: The first paper utilizes a structured, narrative review of scientific and grey literature to describe evolution of the BTSP since 2014, based on programmatic learnings through prior years (2011-2013) of collaborative vertical interventions. Subsequently, the paper measures the tangible change in select facility-level characteristics, utilizing quantitative data generated through two rounds of CFAs conducted by CARE India in 2015 (n=534 facilities) and 2016 (n=550 facilities). The second paper utilizes quantitative data generated through two rounds of CFAs conducted by CARE India in 2017 (n=550 facilities) and 2019 (n=552 facilities). Each CFAs covered all Level 2 (primary health centers) and Level 3 (higher-level facilities) public health facilities in Bihar that conducted at least 100 deliveries in the preceding year. Subsequently, the paper constructs a “facility-level MNC structural readiness score” – henceforth referred to as facility readiness score, based on a common set of indicators from CFA 2015, 2017 and 2019, to reflect human resources, infrastructure and essential supplies related to delivering MNC services. The paper uses this score to map the change at 2-year intervals, from 2015 to 2019, at both facility and district levels. The third paper utilizes quantitative data generated through two separate assessments conducted by CARE India – the 2019 CFA, and the 2018-2019 assessment of AMANAT Jyoti (nurse-mentoring program), which involved direct observation of normal vaginal deliveries, newborn care, and infection prevention practices in the labor rooms. The paper constructs baseline and endline facility-level MNC performance scores – henceforth referred to as facility performance scores based on data from AMANAT Jyoti assessments, and examines the association between endline facility performance and facility readiness scores. While descriptive statistics was used to present findings from the CFAs and AMANAT Jyoti assessments, paired t tests were used to test the mean change in scores over time and between the different levels of facilities. The association between endline facility performance and facility readiness scores was tested using simple as well as multiple linear and multinomial logistic regression modelling. Results: With a demonstrated intent to improve the ailing public health sector, the Bihar government in 2010 forged a collaboration with Gates Foundation to accelerate progress across RMNCH and nutrition programs. Through the Integrated Family Health Initiative program (IFHI, 2011-2013), outreach-based and facility-based solutions were implemented in eight programmatically-prioritized districts to address the stated goals. However, over this period, it became apparent that long-term success of such initiatives remained critically dependent on strengthening the foundational components of Bihar’s public health system –physical infrastructure, supply chain for drugs, consumables and equipment, and the skilled health workforce. These programmatic learnings motivated a re-think and consequent state-wide launch of the BTSP – characterized by a novel structure of health governance that was deeply embedded within the public health system, and a robust information management system that could generate, analyze and disseminate data on community- and facility-level services to support decision making. The quantitative analyses of CFA data (in first and second papers) provided an assessment of the changes that happened at the level of health facilities, likely supported by the policy-level modifications. There was a clear sense of prioritization of the limited resources – with constant focus on structurally preparing health facilities to deliver basic MNC services, more so at Level 2 (primary health centers). By 2019, at least 99% facilities at either level provided 24x7 delivery services and had designated labor rooms, 97% had designated newborn care corners which were mostly located inside the labor rooms, 70% or more had at least one functional fetal doppler, baby weighing machine, radiant warmer, and AMBU bag with neonatal oxygen masks. The improvement in availability of essential supplies like oxytocin, misoprostol, magnesium sulphate, antibiotics, and reproductive health commodities (condoms, intrauterine contraceptive devices, sanitary napkins, iron-folic acid tablets, contraceptive pills) were particularly notable during the 2017 and 2019 CFAs. However, the supply chain variably faltered for a number of other essential supplies like oral rehydration solutions, functional oxygen cylinders, normal saline and ringer lactate solutions. The data revealed that facility-level inefficiencies in utilizing the electronic inventory management system to accurately reflect actual status of supplies within the facility, likely compromised procurement and distribution. With regards to human resources, while a large number of auxiliary and general nurse midwives were available for service during CFA 2019, the BTSP faced continuing challenges (2015-2019) in recruiting and/or retaining physicians, especially the specialist physician cadres. By CFA 2019, these structural changes were also supported by remarkable improvements in two related services areas –availability of emergency transport, and laboratory services. The comparison of facility readiness scores (second paper) based on CFA 2015, 2017 and 2019 showed that while the mean scores increased sharply for both Level 2 (increase=1.51 (95% confidence interval: 1.39, 1.63)) and Level 3 (1.39 (1.1, 1.69)) facilities between 2015 and 2017, the progress was less pronounced at both levels between 2017 and 2019. 25 of the 38 districts in Bihar demonstrated a continuous increase in mean scores over the 3 CFAs. As for the remaining 13 districts, their 2019 mean scores remained higher than that during 2015. The analysis of AMANAT Jyoti assessment data (third paper) revealed improvements across 36 (80%) of the 45 performance parameters assessed through direct observation of deliveries between the baseline and endline. However, at least 80% compliance was observed for only 11 of 45 (24%) assessed parameters at baseline, and 16 of 45 (36%) at endline. The mean facility performance score increased significantly among both types and levels of facilities – but the increase was higher among Level 3 (mean increase = 1.56, p=0.0005, n=13) and CEmONC (1.82, p=0.0029, n=9) facilities, than among Level 2 (0.32, p =0.0288, n=121) and BEmONC (0.33, p=0.0168, n=125) facilities. The regression analysis failed to identify any linear relationship between facility readiness and performance scores. However, a significant positive association was observed between facility readiness score and the middle tertile of endline facility performance score (vs. lowest tertile as reference) in multiple multinomial logistic regression modeling (n=132 facilities). With increasing facility readiness score, the odds of a facility being in the middle tertile of the endline facility performance score relative to the lowest tertile was 1.68 (95% CI = 1.02, 2.76), after controlling for baseline facility performance score, mean delivery volume, and the facility level. Conclusion: The BTSP can be best described as a diagonal health system strengthening initiative –one that starts with a focus on specific programmatic (RMNCH) outcomes, but strives to achieve these through identifying and addressing bottlenecks across the health system. The efforts made to revamp health governance through creating structures for technical support from the state- to block-levels is particularly laudable, as is the remarkable capacity building in collecting and using facility-level data to inform programs and policies. The dissertation identified that BTSP has made appreciable progress in structurally preparing Bihar’s public health facilities to deliver basic MNC services – with improvements in related infrastructure, essential supplies, and supportive services like referral transport and laboratory facilities, as well as through recruitment of large number of ANM and GNM nurses. However, the process encountered a number of challenges, and it may be worthwhile to adopt a targeted approach to address some of these concerns. For example, it is important that the BTSP works to equip all facilities with electronic inventory management systems, while simultaneously training the personnel using such systems. To circumvent the chronic shortage of specialist physicians, a “task shifting” approach may help maximize utilization of existing health workforce to strengthen service delivery capacity. Further, the overall level of facility performance of MNC service delivery remained low at endline despite improvement from the baseline scores, and there was limited evidence of a significant positive association between facility readiness and performance scores. As these scores reflect the minimum essential requirements for a MNC service delivery setting, the BTSP clearly has challenges ahead. They must continue to address the persistent challenges in facility readiness and facility performance so that these two facility-level interventions will complement each other and influence outcomes. As the onus of this diagonal health system strengthening program incrementally shifts from development partners to the government, it will be important to recognize the significance and complexity of this effort.

Geographic Areas

  • India--Bihar
  • Public health
  • Medical sciences
  • Health facilities
  • Hospitals--Maternity services
  • Food relief
  • Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

thumnail for JHA_cumc.columbia_0054E_10076.pdf

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'How will you become IAS officer if schools...': Prashant Kishor says education system reduced to 'giving meals and degrees' in Bihar

Kishor accused the governments led by lalu prasad yadav's congress and nitish kumar's bjp, stating that these administrations, which have held power for the past 32 years, have intentionally damaged the education system..

Business Today Desk

  • Updated Jun 18, 2024, 3:44 PM IST

education system in bihar essay

Kishor accused the governments led by Lalu Prasad Yadav's Congress and Nitish Kumar's BJP, stating that these administrations, which have held power for the past 32 years, have intentionally damaged the education system. He suggested that this was done to keep people uneducated and ensnared in the traps of caste, creed, and religion, ensuring their continued political support.

Need for Land Reforms in Bihar

Kishor pointed out the dire need for land reforms in Bihar. Citing statistics, he revealed that 60 percent of the population is landless, surviving by cultivating the land of others. Among those who do own land, 35 percent possess only two acres, while a mere five percent hold the majority of the land. He criticised the so-called socialist governments for not implementing land reform laws, leading to the current inequality. "The biggest problem here is migration," Kishor noted.

Plans for Employment and Migration by Jan Suraaj

Kishor promised that if Jan Suraaj forms the government in Bihar, all Biharis living outside the state would be called back and provided with employment within a year. "Migration from Bihar will end, and everyone will be provided with jobs," he vowed. 

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education system in bihar essay

Bihar College Faces Backlash After Students Take BA Test On Rooftop

Curated By : Education and Careers Desk

Local News Desk

Last Updated: June 29, 2024, 16:26 IST

Delhi, India

The candidates from the college themselves created the video.

The candidates from the college themselves created the video.

Once again pictures of the poor education system have come to light from Arra in Bihar. Students were writing the BA 2nd semester sitting on the ground.

Ever wondered about taking your college exam sitting on the college ground or balcony? Recently, Bihar’s Arra saw this kind of situation in one of its colleges. The video of Bihar’s education system has been surfaced in the internet. Students were observed taking the BA semester 2 exam while seated on the ground, balcony and also on the rooftop. Even five students were seen giving exam seating in the area designated for two students to sit. Students were spotted writing the exam wherever they found free space.

This video was shared by the HD Jain College of Veer Kunwar Singh University of the Bihar educational system. In the video by Local 18, it can be seen that students are sitting for the exam in different ways. It shows them sitting in the hallway outside the classroom and answering questions on the ground. The education department undoubtedly took all the necessary measures to make sure that the system’s dire state remained hidden, even though it did not fully prepare for the test. The students taking the exam took these images of the deplorable condition on their phones and provided them to the journalist, despite the college’s rigorous policy on media entry.

The candidates from the college themselves created the video, which they provided to the Local 18 journalist. The candidates stated, “Although we have been coming here for the last four days to take the exam, there are no amenities listed. As per the candidates, the classroom fan is set up to sound like it is simply shaking, students are also told to bring their copies for the exam.” They further added, “ When we ask the teachers in the room to assign seats, we are instructed to take the exam and sit wherever you get a place to sit.”

Anwar Imam, the examination controller at Veer Kunwar Singh University, spoke with Local 18 over the phone regarding this matter. ‘I’m not aware of this,’ he said. He added, “At Jain College, such anarchy is not to be expected. I’m gathering information regarding the entire situation by speaking with the college principal.” Veer Kumar also said that everything that is missing from the student arrangements will be replaced. Furthermore, the college principal Narendra Kumar said, “Here, around thousands of students can sit in one sitting, whereas this time 1,100 people showed up for this exam, which caused some issues. But from now the issue will be solved.” He also mentioned that more students are taking the exam than the available university places.

Stay ahead with all the exam results updates on News18 Website .

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NEET-UG 2024: Bihar police finds 68 questions matching original exam paper

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COMMENTS

  1. Education in Bihar

    The education system in Bihar faces numerous challenges including gender disparities, limited funding, poverty, lack of resources, and socio-cultural expectations. The cycle of poverty will persist unless there is a call to action to change the way that the government educates its citizens and provides resources to its education system.

  2. PDF Bihar's Education System in Shambles: Building History with the Rubbles

    inquisitiveness; writing 'papers' of 'dubious academic relevance'; 'teaching' my students because I felt speaking was necessary to keep me going on and so on. If this experience makes me fit to write on the education system in Bihar, one may lend one' s attention to this essay . Otherwise, I am so used to

  3. The Education System in Bihar: Challenges and Opportunities

    The education system plays a vital role in shaping the future of any society. In Bihar, a state located in eastern India, the education sector has faced numerous challenges over the years. However…

  4. PDF Status of School Education in Bihar: An Analysis of UDISE + 2020-21

    Historically school education in Bihar is dominated by the Department of Education, and the percentage of such schools always remained above 80 percent all through the period 201213 to - 2020-21. However, the percentage was as high as 96.88 percent in 201213, during which not a -

  5. Essay on Indian Education System for Students

    FAQs on Indian Education System. Q.1 What problems does the Indian Education System face? A.1 Indian education is very old and outdated. It judges students on the basis of marks and grades ignoring the overall performance of the student. It focuses on academics side-lining arts and sports.

  6. Education in Bihar: Still a long road ahead

    The state of education in Bihar. Using data from District Information System for Education (DISE), we find that starting in 2006-2007 the enrolment rate at the primary level in Bihar - has been increasing and is now higher than the median of the 20 large states.

  7. PDF Status of Secondary Education in Bihar: An Overview

    Education Indicators for students in Bihar's secondary schools, such as Gender Parity Index, Gross Enrolment, Net Enrolment, Retention, Transition, and Drop-out Rates,

  8. Education System in Bihar

    Education System in Bihar. Home to one of the earliest universities in the world - Nalanda (500 A.D.) and Vikramshila (800-900 A.D.) - Bihar, however, lagged behind in higher education after Independence with state government over the decades unable to mobilise either funds or committed persons to build institutions of higher learning in this state.

  9. www.essaywale.com

    www.essaywale.com

  10. PDF Development of Education in Bihar During Ancient Period

    Probably the Gurukula System of education could be a contribution of Bihar to the Vedic system. 2 Hindu s astras recommend that the student should begin to live under the supervision of his teacher (in Gurukula) after his Upanayana. The Gurukula system which necessitated the stay of student away from his home at the house of a ...

  11. Challenges of Education Beyond Literacy in Bihar

    M F 2001 P M F 2011 P fDiwakar 57 Challenges of Education Beyond Literacy in Bihar In case of Bihar, total literacy rate for corresponding period increased from 22 per cent to 61.8 per cent. Male literacy rate increased from 35.2 to 71.2 and female literacy from 8.2 to 51.5 percent.

  12. History of education in the Indian subcontinent

    A Gurukul, a Traditional form of Primary education in India. A near identical system was observed, described, and enumerated in Adam's 1836 report on vernacular education in Bengal and Bihar; of village schools offering respectable boys between 5-6 years and 10-12 years of age, instruction under a respectable guru, in or near his home, for ...

  13. Education Department

    Vision. The strength of the state is not only the revenue it generates, but also the education and the character of the people it maintains. Hence, Department of Education , Bihar has been functioning hard with the ultimate goals to regain its past glory in the field of education so that the state can retain the meaning of Bihar, i.e. walk ahead with confidence and prosperity spreading the ...

  14. PDF Higher Education in Bihar: Issues and Challenges

    higher education system to accommodate and provide enough facilities to educate large number of students that will be exiting the schools, Bihar will fail to use the potential of the human resources.

  15. Primary Education System in Bihar (India)

    In this paper we examine the primary education system in Bihar. Education has been one of the most fundamental and common mode of intervention aimed at promoting human development since ages. Primary Education is the most important stage in school education for being the most formative period of a child's life. ... ISSN:2349-5162, Vol.5 ...

  16. Education in India

    Literacy rate in India as per Census 2011: 74%. Literacy rate: Male: 82.1%; Female: 65.5%. Kerala tops the rankings, followed by Delhi, Maharashtra, and Tamil Nadu. Bihar is the lowest among states, followed by Arunachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, Jharkhand, etc., however, they are improving their position.

  17. Essay on Bihar in English for Students

    Bihar is a state located in the eastern part of India. The state is surrounded by West Bengal in the east, Nepal in the north, Uttar Pradesh in the west and Jharkhand in the south. The capital of Bihar is Patna. The name Bihar comes from the word Vihara, which means abode. It is a composition of thirty-eight districts and holds the eleventh ...

  18. 100 Words Essay on Bihar

    250 Words Essay on Bihar Introduction. Bihar, located in the eastern part of India, is a state rich in history and culture. Known for its ancient universities and religious sites, Bihar has been a significant center of learning, culture, and power in ancient and classical India. Historical Significance. Bihar's historical significance is ...

  19. Write an essay on the problems of present education system in bihar

    National institutes of learning such as IIT, IIM and AIIMS, IISER, NISER have had a good representation from Bihar. Bihar, with female literacy at 53.3%, is striving to climb as the government has established educational institutions. At the time of independence, women's literacy in Bihar was 4.22%. Out-of-school rate in the age group 6-14 was ...

  20. Health system strengthening in Bihar, India: three papers examining the

    Introduction: Bihar ranks among the most socio-economically disadvantaged states in India, and its public health system had long suffered from structural deficiencies which contributed to poor health outcomes. In November 2013, the Bihar government, with funding from Gates Foundation and technical support from CARE India, launched the state-wide Bihar Technical Support Program (BTSP ...

  21. Education system in bihar in english essay

    The craving for higher education among the general population of Bihar has led to a migration of the student community from the state. This has led to a "flooding" of students to seek educational opportunities in other states, such as New Delhi and Karnataka, even for graduation level college education.

  22. 'How will you become IAS officer if schools...': Prashant Kishor says

    Political Strategist Prashant Kishor, while taking a jibe at the Nitish Kumar-led government, said that Bihar's education system has been deliberately ruined. Addressing workers in a review ...

  23. Education system in bihar in english essay

    Education system in bihar in english essay Get the answers you need, now! dhairya2734 dhairya2734 31.08.2018 English Secondary School ... This includes inadequate funding allocated to education, a lack of teacher training programmed, subpar infrastructure, and a shortage of clean restrooms, particularly for female teachers.

  24. Bihar College Faces Backlash After Students Take BA Test On ...

    The video of Bihar's education system has been surfaced in the internet. Students were observed taking the BA semester 2 exam while seated on the ground, balcony and also on the rooftop. Even five students were seen giving exam seating in the area designated for two students to sit. Students were spotted writing the exam wherever they found ...

  25. NEET-UG 2024: Bihar police finds 68 questions matching original exam

    The Bihar government has informed the Centre that its investigation indicates a potential paper leak in the NEET-UG 2024 exam, according to a report by The Indian Express. Bihar's Economic Offences Unit (EOU) has compared 68 questions recovered from a burnt copy of the question paper with the ...

  26. NEET 'Paper Leak': Multiple Arrests, Lutan Mukhiya Gang's Role, High

    Multiple arrests have been made and several people under scanner over irregularities in the NEET-UG 2024 exam have been questioned over alleged paper leak in the examination was held on May 5 and ...

  27. 2024 Call for High School Projects

    The system will close after this time, and no further submissions will be possible. We are using OpenReview to manage submissions. Papers should be submitted here. When registering for a new OpenReview profile, you can type in the name of your high school as the institution and "high school student" as the role. Submission will open June 1st.