Draft Inputs for State Education Policy

Index

No.	Content	P.No.
	General Introduction	3
	1. School Education
1.1.	Introduction	6
1.2.	Guiding Principles	7
1.3.	Policy Proposals
1.3.1.	Access	8
1.3.2.	Inclusion	9
1.3.3.	Curriculum and Pedagogy	10
1.3.4.	Language Policy	11
1.3.5.	Infrastructure and Human Resources	12
1.3.6.	Child Rights	13
1.3.7.	The Rights of the Differently Abled	13
1.4.	Early Childhood Care and Education	15
1.5.	Elementary Education	16
1.5.1.	Primary	16
1.5.2.	Upper Primary	16
1.6.	Secondary and Higher Secondary	17
1.7.	The Teaching	19
1.8.	Assessment of Performance	22
	2. Higher Education
2.1.	Introduction	24
2.2	Guiding Principles	26
2.3.	Policy Proposals
2.3.1.	Access	27
2.3.2.	Inclusion	28
2.3.3.	Curriculum and Pedagogy	29
2.3.4.	Faculty	31
2.3.5.	Assessment of Performance	31
2.3.6.	Governance	33
2.3.7.	Autonomy	34
2.3.8.	Federal Character	34
	3. Technical Education
3.1.	Introduction	35
3.2.	Policy Proposals	36
	4. Medical Education
4.1.	Introduction	38
4.2.	Policy Proposals	39
	5. Miscellaneous
5.1.	Minority Rights	41
5.2.	Service Conditions of the Staff in Self-Financing Institutions	41
5.3.	Prevention of Commercialization	42
5.4.	Budgetary Allocation	43
5.5.	Constitutional Amendment	44
5.6.	State Commission for Education	44
	6. ikakhd rpy ghpe;Jiufs; ;	45

 

 

General Introduction

The goal of education, as the etymology of the word means, is to realize the innate potential of children/students, and mould the character and contribute towards maturity of individuals and the transformation of the society. The tools of learning are mastered in the institutional or formal educational process, while the education itself transcends any institution or formal programme. Education has to be integral in nature, humanistic in spirit, inclusive in practice, sensitive to character formation and to equipping of professional skills. Being only a tool of formation, applied to various circumstances, it has to continue throughout life.

Any meaningful education policy in India has to be suffused by the spirit of humanism, which is a consciousness that everyone is a member of the human family, sharing a common human history, destiny, irrespective of caste, creed and gender. This humanism has to constitute the bulwark against narrow parochialism and communalism of all kind. Religion being a personal subscription of faith and belief of an individual, any schema for education has to transcend the parochial religious beliefs of a particular denomination and be founded on goals, common to all. The human spirit, dignity and collective goals of humanity and its nature of sustenance, are expressed in the value of constitutional secularism.

Integral education implies not only respect for fellow human beings, but also inculcation of love of nature and of life in harmony with nature. The social character of education has to foster a sense of solidarity with fellow human beings in pursuit of common good. Every educational process has to enhance growth in freedom for creativity and not to be based on mechanical uniformity or bureaucratic regimentation. A holistic education can deploy technology in the process of education. Nevertheless, it cannot be substituted by mere technology.

Our Constitutional values of Justice, Equality, Fraternity and Equity, guided by democracy, have to inform and guide our educational policy. For this purpose, our education has to draw from diverse sources of culture, religion, tradition and ideologies. It has to be driven by the societal needs and not by a nationalist chauvinism. Education to be grounded in reality, has to address the challenges and problems of the relevant time and history and cannot be founded on abstracts and mythical glory of the past. The concept of democracy is to be in-built in the process of education.

All these values need to converge upon the object to uplift millions of citizens, who are below the poverty line, the SC/ST/OBC, women, transgender, migrants, refugees and the differently abled. In India, for centuries, education was considered as the privilege of the elite, the twice born, the upper classes and castes, to the exclusion of teeming millions of the subaltern and women. This excluded citizenry has to be provided supportive leverages to pursue education on par with others. This is the basis of affirmative action or reservation or special protection or protective discrimination.

The socio-economic divide and historic discrimination of the past cannot be permitted to impair the noble goals of education. The greatest challenge in India is to attain the social goal of access and equality, while maintaining quality, innovation and excellence. While there is pressure of the market for progressive withdrawal of the State from the field of education, the context of life of the poor and the marginalized, call for greater involvement of the State and higher financial allotment, to ensure access, equity and quality. In the teeth of privatization of education, commercialization and corporatization have to be vigilantly eradicated. In a similar vein, in our pluralistic ethos, the tendency towards social hegemony of a particular belief or ideology, has also to be eradicated.

The realization of rich diversity is not only an object, but it should be reflected in the process of learning, curriculum and pedagogy. In this background, educational process, starting with ECCE up to higher education, has to be holistic, integrated, democratic, human and innovative, based on the Constitutional values of Secularism and Federalism, to achieve justice, equality and freedom. It has to be pluralistic in nature and cannot be a straight-jacket nationalist formula.

In a welfare state, it is the duty of the Government to educate the citizens. The primary funding has to be sourced from the public exchequer, to maintain the character of public education. The role of non-state actors has to be in addition to and supplemental to the contribution of the state and cannot be a substitute for the same. More the education is privatized, lesser the control of the Government and farther from the reach of the poor. It will become a private merchandise commodity and lose the character of ‘public good’.

The state of Tamil Nadu had been practicing a Dravidian ideology for centuries, which translated into a socio-political movement from the time of ‘Justice Party’. It has pioneered the cause of social justice through consistent projects, resulting in progressive development of the SC/ST/BC in the state. In this sociological phenomenon, education played a major role. The Christian community has joined hands with the Government, in taking forward the legacy of social justice, through the vast net work of more than 5000 educational institutions in the state, enlightening millions of people for more than three centuries. Most of the institutions, run by the Christian community, along with the Government institutions, have moulded the concept of education as public good. The cultural dividends of this saga of social justice, spearheaded by the Dravidian ideology and supplemental through the age-old educational institutions of the Government and the non-state actors, have to be consolidated in the contemplated “State Education Policy” (SEP). Thus, the concern of the Christian community, is wider in scope, aiming at common good and not restricted to minority rights of governance. It is to realize the constitutional goals of justice, equality and freedom, through the secular, federal and pluralistic education, for a better humanity.

 

1. School Education

1.1. Introduction

Tamil Nadu, the erstwhile Madras presidency, is a pioneer in ‘public school’ system. While ‘Varnashrama Dharma’ had shut out the BC/SC/ ST/ Women from ‘Gurukuls’, ‘Veda Padasalas’ and ‘Pandara schools’, for centuries, the Christian missionaries started establishing ‘Public Schools’, where anyone can avail educational opportunity, irrespective of caste, creed and gender. In 1826, Sir Thomas Munro established the Board of Public Instruction. The Grant-in-Aid scheme was introduced in 1855. In the year 1852, the Department of Public Instruction (DPI) was established.

But even before that, the Christian missionaries had established the first public school in India, St. George Anglo-Indian School, Chennai, in 1715. There are around 37,211 Government schools and 8403 aided schools in Tamil Nadu. The Catholic Church and the Church of South India have a network of around 5,000 aided schools in the state of Tamil Nadu alone. Along with the Government schools, that followed later, the aided schools, numbering around 45600, constituted the foundational bulwark of public education system in Tamil Nadu.

Having been totally non-commercial and charitable, the educational mission, undertaken by the Christian missionaries, had opened the avenues of modern and secular education, for the SC/ST/BC/women in this country. This is one of the reasons as to why Tamil Nadu, along with Kerala, is ahead of all other states in its Health Index and Human Development Index.

There was a setback to this humanizing educational movement, after 1980 in Tamil Nadu, when the Government indiscriminately allowed mushrooming of the self-financing Matriculation Schools. Till 1980, there were less than 100 English Medium Schools in Tamil Nadu, including Anglo-Indian schools. Due to the unhealthy proliferation of sub-standard matriculation schools, now numbering around 12000, including Matric and Primary and Pre-primary schools, there was a great exodus of children from the Tamil Medium Government and Aided schools. It had three chilling effects on the educational system in Tamil Nadu.

1. The school education became commercial due to the paid schools.
2. Due to the multi-track English Medium Schools, like Matriculation, CBSE, ICSE, the concept of Public School and equal opportunity suffered a body blow.

• The concept of education in mother tongue was irreparably damaged, by a craze for English medium.

While there are around 5.5 million students in Government schools, there are around 3 million students in the aided schools. That apart, another 5 million students are studying in unaided English medium schools in Tamil Nadu. In the process, the elite of the class and the castes have deserted the vernacular public education system. Ultimately, the public schools became the preserve of the poor and came to be perceived as inferior in quality.

Thus, the school educational system is highly fractured and multi-polar, with a separate stream, matching up to every class and caste in the society. There is no common ground, including curriculum, pedagogy, classrooms, playgrounds, wherein all the children become shareholders or partners. This multi-layered and compartmentalized system for every section of the stratified society has to be totally re-structured to create a common level playing field, for all children.

1.2. Guiding Principles

Any State Education Policy has to primarily salvage the status of the ‘Public Schools’ to change the perception that the private English medium schools are superior in quality. The public schools, both Government and Aided, are the bed-rock of access, inclusion, equity and quality education. They impart free education irrespective of economic status, caste, religion, gender and geographical location. That apart, they are the life-line to preserve Tamil language, culture, tradition and history. The Government, in its policy, has a constitutional duty to promote the Government and Aided schools, which constitute the public education system to preserve and to promote Tamil language, culture and legacy, through this network. These schools, if strengthened, have the capacity to redeem the concept of public education, imparting education in mother-tongue, irrespective of the socio-economic background of the students, whether high or low. There is no other viable alternative.

In this context, Tamil Nadu, through school education has to inculcate the Constitutional values, in the tender age, such as equality, liberty and freedom, enshrined in the Preamble, Fundamental Rights and the Directive Principles that have to constitute the basic structure and foundation for education, to foster better citizenry. The school education has to be embedded in universal humanism, through experience of love, compassion and respect for the neighbours, which will constitute the embryo for the fraternity and a cultured society. The personal etiquette, ethical values, love for all forms of life, including that for the mother earth, the universe and the environment have to be cultivated through the educational process. The object of school education is not only to impart knowledge, but to mould the character of the students into contributive citizens of the country as part of humanity.

1.3.Policy Proposals

To achieve the above sublime goals in school education, we propose the following:

1.3.1. Access

1. School education consists of three phases: early childhood care and education up to 6 years. Primary and Upper Primary level between 6 and 14 years and Secondary and Higher Secondary level beyond 14 up to 18 years.
2. The Right of the Child for Free and Compulsory Education is constitutional. The State has the duty to educate every child, without burdening the parents, irrespective of their economic or social background, through the concept of neighbourhood schools. The right

of education from age 4 to 18, till the completion of school education has to be ensured by the State.

3. It is the duty of the State to ensure 100% Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER), by providing sufficient Government and Aided schools, throughout the State.
4. The concept of neighborhood school has to cover the children from different strata of the society, irrespective of their socio-economic background, to achieve equity as a workable proposition.
5. The screening process, for the purpose of admission of a child at any level, has to be eradicated, except for the age-suitability and subject/intake availability.
6. The institutions have to disclose the admission policy, before commencing the process, to bring about transparency and to root out discrimination of any kind.
7. The welfare schemes, including noon-meal scheme, have to be extended up to XII Std., in all the Government and Aided schools. The scheme of breakfast has to cover also the aided schools, till XII Std.
8. The new education policy has to create an educational system, that is common to the rich and the poor, to the rural and to the urban, so as to close the great divide in the educational system. This will be a small step to realize the constitutional equality. The tendency to move away from the State Board to any other streams like CBSE, ICSE, Cambridge, International, etc., has to be discouraged and the common school system of public education has to be strengthened.

1.3.2. Inclusion

9. The understanding of the child is based on its capacity to grasp the ideas and events. This will highly depend on their family background, heredity, environment and the physical and mental well-being. At times, an infirmity, in any one of these elements, will result in slow learning. The child cannot be blamed for the same. Under such circumstances, specially evolved pedagogy and personal concern may be required, to raise the level of understanding on par with others.
10. The scholarships and social schemes, to enable the children of SC/ST/ BC/MBC/Minorities/Differently Abled/Girl Children/ Transgender have to be ensured to eradicate unequal opportunities and to achieve equity in education.
11. The vertical reservation cannot be confused with the categories of horizontal reservation for the other disadvantaged groups such as women, differently abled etc.
12. A special scheme to cover the children of migrant parents, especially Sri Lankan Tamil ethnicity, has to be evolved by the Government, through the Departments of Education and Child welfare.

1.3.3. Curriculum and Pedagogy

13. The present system of 5+5+2 in school education can be 2+5+5+2, including pre-school education (ECCE).
14. The school education has to transmit universal human values common to all humanity and inter-generational ethical standards specific to Tamil culture and legacy.
15. The sensitivity towards the environment, wildlife and global warming has to be inculcated, through the curricular and extra-curricular framework.
16. Instead of rote learning, developing a critical mind has to be the guiding principle of education at all levels.
17. Instead of reliability on NCERT, the curriculum framework and pedagogy in Tamil Nadu have to be evolved and monitored by SCERT or the respective state organs, with a view to focus on the Tamil culture, tradition, history, values and legacy. The same will apply also to the co-curricular and extra-curricular area and phenomenon.
18. The students have to be exposed to a healthy cross-cultural diversity process, enriching social harmony and religious fraternity in their curricular and extra-curricular framework.
19. The said education has to be regular and not informal or Open and Distance Learning (ODL), which has to be supplementary and not supplanting the educational process.
20. The coaching or tuition culture has to be abolished in the realm of education. The school educational framework has to impart holistic education, without requiring extra-fittings. However, remedial coaching to slow learners has to be part of the pedagogy in the institutions itself.
21. Homework has to be minimal in the school education.

1.3.4. Language Policy

22. The reorganization of states in 1956 was based on languages. Tamil Nadu was organized as a state, based on Tamil language, culture and tradition. Tamil is the mother tongue of the majority of the people in the region. The language of inter-state communication for all purposes has been English, as provided in the Constitution. Tamil Nadu has a chequered history of resistance against imposition of Hindi or Sanskrit, under the pretext of official or classical language. Tamil is the mother of languages of the Dravidian stock. Though the government of Tamil Nadu is following two language policy, Tamil and English, in recent times, the educational system in Tamil Nadu is ineffective to transmit a thorough knowledge of Tamil, either spoken or written, to the younger generation of Tamils. This serious educational infirmity, in the curriculum and pedagogy, has to be rectified for any meaningful State Education Policy.
23. The medium of instruction has to be mandatorily Tamil or mother tongue, in the state of Tamil Nadu, whatever be the stream of education under the domain of the state.
24. The role of Tamil language and culture, as mother of Dravidian stock, have to be imbibed through the curricular and extra-curricular activities, like competitions, oratory, arts and skills including sports.
25. English has to be imparted as a language, only after the completion of primary education. Otherwise, the pupil are confused between learning a language and acquiring knowledge. The medium of instruction has to be the same as medium of expression of the child.

1.3.5. Infrastructure and Human Resources

26. The standardization of infrastructure, curriculum and pedagogy has to be common for different layers of the schools, within the state, whether state-owned, aided or unaided, to achieve the common goal of ‘public schools’.
27. The Government policy has to financially support the aided institutions for infrastructure and maintenance, without abdicating its constitutional duty.
28. In order to build a healthy generation, physical education and sports infrastructure, has to be strengthened, taking into account the local context. The availability of minimum playground has to be a condition precedent for granting recognition for any school.
29. In order to instill the habit of reading, the educational scheme has to provide for quality library and to supplement the curriculum, corresponding to the different age groups, from primary to the higher secondary, across the spectrum.
30. As of now, there are high profile schools with star facilities, depending on financial capacity of the paying parents, while there are Government schools, without even basic necessities and with only two teachers for all the five Standards. With such disparity in the infrastructure and human resources, the question of common assessment or accreditation either at the national level or at the state level, either for the institution or for the students, become a cruel joke. The state has to eradicate such disparity among schools.

1.3.6. Child Rights

31. The child has to be the center of educational process, the teaching and learning, and not the teacher or the guru in ‘Gurukul’. The entire educational scheme has to focus on the child, rather than on the institution or the other individuals. The Child Protection System has to be evolved with the help of the stakeholders and constantly monitored by the competent authorities. It has to take into account also a Grievance Redressal Mechanism.
32. As stipulated under RTE Act, physical or mental harassment has to be entirely eradicated from the educational process. On the other hand, child-friendly pedagogy for the curriculum and discipline has to be innovated.
33. The constitutional right of the children to profess, practice and propagate his/her religion has to be protected. The accepted cultural identities and practices of the students and the staff of all communities have to be protected.
34. The practice of social or caste/class discrimination and untouchability have to be sternly dealt with in the educational institutions. Eradication of untouchability has to be a noble object of education.
35. Isolation of children in all respects, based on their capacity and faculty, have to be eradicated.

1.3.7. The Rights of the Differently Abled

36. The differently abled children need age-appropriate special provision and protection, on every count, such as infrastructure, curriculum, pedagogy, including sports and extra-curricular activities.
37. The right of the differently abled children has to be integrated in the educational system, starting with infrastructure, curriculum and pedagogy. This rightist approach will enable the children to attain fraternal sense of inclusive equality.
38. The entire educational system has to be conscientized, imbibing the spirit of understanding and recognition of the inherent human dignity of each child. The staff, students and the other stakeholders have to be conscientized, leading to integration of the differently abled in the mainstream of education in the long-run.
39. A healthy and inclusive educational system has to be integrated, providing both in ordinary language and sign language for the speech and hearing impaired.
40. All the curriculum has to be available also in Braille, so that the visually impaired need not be segregated from the mainstream of education.
41. As the differently abled children are in need of special attention, more time and explanation to make them understand the subjects, special infrastructure like teaching tools (Brailee, Maternal Reflective method, Auditory training), have to be adequately provided. If need be, special institutions can also be helpful in educating the differently abled children.
42. In the institutions, established for the differently abled, sufficient teachers according to the ratio, have to be provided.
43. Appropriate teacher education institutions for the differently abled, to teach and guide the differently abled have to be adequately established.
44. The teachers and the administrators, of the institutions for the differently abled, have to be encouraged to visit their families and to understand the family background and challenges, enabling the teachers to pay individual care and concern.
45. As the teachers in the institutions for the differently abled need more energy and innovation in dealing with the differently abled children, they have to be encouraged by ensuring that their pay and allowances are at least on par with the other teachers in the regular schools. Enough non-teaching staff has to be appointed with decent salary paid by the government.

1.4. Early Childhood Care and Education

The children from 3 to 5 years have a right to access development programs and inculcate school preparedness, to achieve a healthy

physical, mental, emotional and social development. In view of achieving these goals, the following proposals are necessary for ECCE:

1. The Government has to ensure the pre-school educational process, to all children of 4 to 5 years, by expanding the ambit of the Government schools and aided schools to pre-primary, within the neighbourhood of

the child.

2. The child appropriate infrastructure like ‘child education park’ and

tools of pedagogy, have to be sufficiently provided.

3. The child friendly education on hygiene, social etiquette, love for nature and other forms of life and fellow human beings has to be imparted through a joyful learning by ‘play-way method’ without text

books.

4. The current Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS) provisions need to be upgraded by an informed method to provide for nutrition,

stimulation, early interaction including support for parents.

5. The developmental stage has to eradicate the risk of delay and deficiency, through early interventions by the local Primary Health Center (PHC)/ICDS and proper agencies.
6. The level of formation of tender children has to integrate the involvement of parents and guardians, in the educational process by

proper methods and counseling.

7. The network of professionals and institutions have to be activated, to involve pediatricians, ECCE teachers, social workers, psychologists, special educators, public health professionals, sports masters and Civil Society Organizations (CSOS), writers and artists, resident in the locality, for achieving the holistic development of the child.

1.5. Elementary Education

The elementary education comprising standards I to VIII, of the 6 to 14 years, will be divided into primary, from I to V Stds., and upper primary, from VI to VIII Stds. The mandatory requirements in respect of schools, infrastructure and human resources, as stipulated under RTE, have to be strictly complied with.  

1.5.1. Primary

1. The Government has to provide sufficient and permanent and regular teachers, as per the ratio, prescribed under RTE Act.
2. The primary will concentrate on the literacy and numeracy curriculum, as aptly defined as ‘vz;Zk; vOj;Jk; fz;nzdj; jFk;’ in Tamil tradition.
3. In this period, the value literature in Tamil, like ePjpE}y;fs;> Mj;jpr; #b> nfhd;iw Nte;jd;> jpUf;Fws;> , can be introduced to inculcate Tamil

ethical standards of life and learning.

4. The ability of reading with proper diction of Tamil alphabets and the ability of writing and calligraphy have to be developed.
5. The Activity Based Learning (ABL) or any other appropriate pedagogy can be deployed, to ensure universal and effective literary and numeracy in Tamil Nadu.
6. The creative writing of the children has to be developed through innovative programmes.

1.5.2. Upper Primary

7. It is the period of upper primary, VI to VIII Stds., wherein subjects like Mathematics, Science, Social Science and Languages like English, have to be introduced. The appropriate pedagogy for the same has to be deployed by the Government.
8. As per the RTE Act, the subject teachers are essential, apart from the ratio. It has to be sufficiently provided by the Government.
9. The upper primary education has to focus on the basic cognitive skills of every child. For this purpose, the curriculum and pedagogy have to be adopted in a child specific manner, involving basic psychology.
10. The history, geography, pluralistic demography and rich cross-cultural legacy of Tamil Nadu have to be imparted to every child at this impressionable age.
11. The upper primary education, catering to the age of 11 to 14 years, is an impressionable age, in which talents of the child in language, music, art, sports and culture have to be moulded. To bring out the best of every child, appropriate opportunities, programmes and competitions have to be organized in the co-curricular and extracurricular framework.

1.6. Secondary and Higher Secondary

The secondary and higher secondary education of the age 14 to 18 years of Stds. IX to XII, is the crucial adolescent period for the students. That is also the age of character and habit formation and building of purposive citizenry. Unless the educational system is robust, it will lead to dropouts, due to mobility of the students and child labor, which is prohibited under law. The future prospects of the students are streamlined and moulded in this age. Therefore, the curriculum and pedagogy have to be inter-connected by age-appropriate counseling and career guidance.

1. The standards IX and X, is the stage wherein the benefits of school education, such as understanding, language skills, cognitive acumen and subject knowledge are consolidated, establishing a common level playing field, before opting for a particular stream. This common knowledge pool applies to all the children and becomes the bedrock of focused learning of specialization later, at the higher secondary level. A healthy and organic pedagogy has to be deployed, so as to elicit interest in pursuit of knowledge at this stage, before exploring the various disciplines.
2. At the Higher Secondary level, the students have to opt for some stream of specialization. Appropriate guidance, based on their talents and interest may be required, along with parental guidance. Instead of imposing a particular stream on a child, the interest of the child, with futuristic options, has to be the defining factors for creative options in education.
3. At this stage, the choice of the students will broadly outline the contours of their future career and advancement. The education, the curriculum and pedagogy have to consider not only the market needs, but take a holistic vision of human and social development of the particular student at this stage. Capacity building for matured decision making, especially when the parents/guardians are at a backward/disadvantaged position, is highly crucial.
4. The students, at the Higher Secondary level, have to be provided with enriching exposure programs, regarding curriculum, discipline, innovation and problem-solving skills, to bring about a holistic personality development.
5. The aim of public education is to inculcate social transformation by enabling upper mobility and to out-grow the status-quo. The trend in vocationalization, diverting students for easily available low-skilled avocation has to be resisted with due guidance, especially among the subaltern classes. Otherwise, it will easily lead to their traditional craftsmanship (Fyf; fy;tp) under the pretext of vocationalization.
6. A regular and robust formal education alone will enrich the students, through one to one educational and formative interaction. The online/ODL Secondary/Higher Secondary education has to be blended with regular education and not considered a stand-alone system.
7. At the level of Secondary and Higher Secondary education, gender sensitization, respect for personality and privacy of companions, especially towards the opposite sex, have to be inculcated by innovative and formative programs.
8. The formation of the character has to be enhanced by experience under NCC, NSS, or other cadets, for discipline and service.

1.7. The Teaching

The traditional method of teaching in India was ‘Gurukul’ or ‘Teachercentric’. A particular teacher may be an expert in a particular subject. The other subjects are alien to him/her. In a pre-modern-society, such kind of truncated education would not suffice. The modern educational process has undergone a sea-change. It is neither a one-to-one transaction, nor a Guru centered process. It is based on a complex pedagogy of group interaction, field studies, individual projects, methods of collaboration, team-work, experiential learning, through child specific pedagogy. In a public education of children from multiple backgrounds, castes, class, religions, cultures, abilities, etc., the teachers need to develop a critical acumen and understanding of pedagogical skills, psychology of learners and subject knowledge.

The teacher education has to take into consideration the subject demands and the sociological challenges and the pedagogical innovations, considering the ground reality in Tamil Nadu. It is ahead of many states in respect of GER, access and inclusion. However, the complex challenges arising out of the modern teaching, if properly addressed, will have positive and far-reaching impact over the educational process, leading to the progress of the state.

The current malaise in the field of education has compromised the nobility of teaching profession. There is a tendency to treat teachers on par with skilled or semi-skilled labourers. In the private sector, even well qualified teachers are under paid. In the Government and Aided schools, many regular posts are still vacant and remain unfilled. There is a tendency to downgrade the permanent postings into ‘tenured postings’ on consolidated basis. The bureaucrats are calling the shots in deciding educational questions. The involvement of educationists and relevant experts has to guide the system.

The filling of posts with sufficient teachers is crucial for excellence of education. The potential of permanent teachers for transformation of education system cannot be undermined. The bureaucratic control over the teaching community has to be substituted by a value-based orientation, to develop a dialogical and democratic atmosphere of knowledge. The role of teachers as partners in the sublime educational mission has to be recognized by the Government and the non-state actors.  In this background, we propose the following policy, in respect of teaching:

1. The bond between the teachers and the students is critical for integrated and personality development, in education. They have to play the role of mentors, guides and facilitators.
2. The teaching method has to be child specific and standardization of merits has to be carefully dealt with. The tendency to collectivize has to be eradicated.
3. The teacher education cannot be a stand-alone programme. It has to be imparted through a multi-disciplinary institution. There have to be stringent norms, for standardizing such institutions and close down the sub-standard ones. The pedagogy has to be networked with other educational institutions, with a major role for practical.
4. The teacher education has to integrate research and innovation, by critical methods.
5. Instead of stipulating a stereotyped Teacher Eligibility Test (TET), a broad-based skill assessment for teaching can be stipulated.
6. The teacher education has to be followed up, by continuing formation with periodicity, to enable them through various capacity building programs.
7. All teacher education has to be through regular courses and on-line and ODL teacher education has to be abolished.
8. The incentives for acquiring additional qualification or updating course certificates are to be treated differently, from regular promotions and increments. The performance has to be cumulatively evaluated, not only by the Government and the Management, but also by the parents and the students.
9. As medical professional, who are working in the rural areas, are given a special treatment and reservation in higher studies, the teachers working in rural and tribal areas in difficult terrains and among the socially, economically backward citizens, have to be assessed on a different scale for the purpose of promotion and incentives.
10. The performance appraisal has to take into consideration the local context and the challenges, with special focus on rural and sociological disadvantages in different areas.
11. The State has to provide sufficient number of teachers, as per the ratio. In this regard, in order to ensure permanence, stability, respectability and quality of education, teachers have to be ‘permanently’ appointed in regular vacancies, instead of temporary teachers. It is the duty of the Government to cultivate confidence and commitment among the teachers, by ensuring stability and respectability in their profession.
12. The appointment to teachers has to be on a regular basis on a timescale and not on ad-hoc basis, like contract workers, which will result in degeneration of quality education.
13. Teachers have to desist from private tuition and coaching. Rather, the teachers have to be encouraged to spend maximum time in the school, with the children, rendering personal and specific care and guidance to the students.
14. Adequate number of administrative and non-teaching staff have to be sanctioned, as per the student strength, to support the teaching faculty and reduce their administrative burden.
15. The school education has to develop the preparedness to face the life challenges of the students. Appropriate world vision, psychological and emotional maturity and life skills have to be imbibed. Through proper counseling methods, depression and suicidal tendencies have to be totally eradicated.
16. To oversee the implementation of social welfare programmes in the school, separate staff from the said department can be deputed, so that the school staff can concentrate on education of the students and administration of the school.

1.8. Assessment of Performance

1. There cannot be a nation-wide evaluation for the students at any level, starting from ECCE up to Higher Education, because there is no levelplaying field, either in respect of different layers/streams/ infrastructure and kinds of institutions. Even the curriculum and the pedagogy differ. There are sections of society, who are discriminated due to the caste hierarchy, economic strata and patriarchy. Unequals cannot be treated equally. That will only end up discriminating the disadvantaged, as against the elite privileged class.
2. Any assessment has to take into account the various contextual advantages and disadvantages, based on the social, educational indicators. The assessment has to take into account the social output, team-based activities, practical applications and research components of the students and the level of commitment for a public cause. Otherwise, it will generate self-centered intelligentsia, resulting in segregated elitism.
3. The assessment has to focus on the holistic formation of the child, contributive to common good. Instead of driving the students into a competitive mode, assessment has to be based on the levels of cooperation and contribution to the team in mutual interaction.
4. Abolition of public exams at the level of X Std. will be a booster for the pursuit of Higher Secondary, doing away with a filtering point. Otherwise, the parents and the students are given a notion that higher secondary is an option and an accomplishment of the privileged of the society. In the absence of a public examination, they will automatically move to the Higher Secondary.
5. The public exams are conducted at the level of XII Std. It has to be totally revamped to assess the critical ability of the students and their span of knowledge, rather than a summative and mechanical evaluation of the curriculum.
6. The assessment of secondary education can be formative, converted into 4 semesters, enabling a Comprehensive and Continuous Evaluation (CCE). Other Board exams up to X Std. have to be abolished. It has to be replaced by CCE method.

 

 

2. Higher Education

2.1. Introduction

Higher education is indispensable for the progress of individuals and nations. As history shows, without higher education and research in different fields, there is no advancement in the society, but only stagnation. Higher education gives opportunity to students to specialize in areas and disciplines to which they are inclined and to which they could make a contribution. Higher education needs to be so pursued that the students are endowed with knowledge and skills required for research and employment for their profession or entrepreneurship.  It needs to take place in an environment of freedom for the students to grow and become

creative.

The fact that public education system is the basis of a vibrant democratic society, will apply not only to school education, but also to higher education. Though Article 21 (A) of free and compulsory education may not directly apply to the realm of higher education, unless the free education net-work is robust, the poor and the marginalized cannot access higher education, due to their disadvantages. It requires that public institutions of higher education have to be backed by adequate public funding. However higher education in India is massively privatized on a self-financed basis, that leads to commercialization, ravaging the dreams of the poor students. Any growth in higher education has to come from the socio- economically disadvantaged in the society.

The Christian community has entered into the realm of higher education at the earliest, in the last three centuries. Madras Christian college was established in 1837; St. Joseph’s college, Trichy in 1844; St. John’s college, Palayamkottai in 1878; American College, Madurai in 1881, followed by many other colleges for both boys and girls. These colleges have been funded by the Government, building a robust foundation of public system in higher education. This development suffered a setback, when the Government slowly abdicated its duty of public funding in higher education. As a result, higher education stands privatised in a big way in the last 30 years.

There are 2,610 colleges in Tamil Nadu, out of which 2002 are selffinanced and only 251 are Government or aided colleges. Out of the total strength of 22,75,290 students, studying in these colleges, 13,29,622 are studying in self- finance colleges, whereas only 4,82,160 students find a place in Government or aided colleges. Thus, only around 20% students are supported by the Government in higher education. In the context of globalization, higher education tends to be commercialized with serious consequences. As of now, there are institutions, which are fully selffinanced.

The so-called aided institutions have parallel running unaided programmes. It has resulted in a situation, wherein every institution, the faculty and the students are vertically divided into aided and unaided. It is not a fact that all the aided students are poor or the unaided students are well to do. Many a times, it is the other way about. This higher education system, in the process of privatization, has moved beyond the reach of the poor. The Government is on a withdrawal syndrome from its social commitment to public education, jeopardizing the goals of access and equity of the poor in higher education. All these indicate the urgent need to study closely the higher education system in our country, and to reform and restructure it, so that it could become innovative.

The current scenario of higher education is structured into affiliated colleges, deemed Universities and unitary and multidisciplinary Universities. That apart, there are Central Universities and Institutions of national importance. The modern higher education is developing its branches in various specialisations. Unless they enjoy academic freedom and administrative liberty, the diverse educational needs of the various disciplines cannot be addressed. This diversity arises not only from disciplines, but also from demography, culture, minority needs and needs of the subaltern.

2.2. Guiding principles

The purpose of higher education is to build and develop the cognitive skill acquired in school education and integrate the same with the psychological, analytical, critical and reasoning skills, to felicitate the students to take informed decision for the larger benefit of the society and mankind. For this reason, the students have to develop their capacity to apply the knowledge and skills for generating new ideas for the betterment of humanity and environment.

Specifically, the higher education has to address the problems faced by the people in various walks of life, as it is part of the struggle to transform the society, which is oppressive in its values, beliefs, behavioural pattern, and hierarchical structure. Thus, the process of higher education will be an integrated human development, while at the same time leading to social transformation. The higher education is a product of heterogeneous society, accommodating the various layers of life and therefore, it needs to be diversified and democratized.

The higher education cannot be considered or poised as a breeding ground for the market labour. On the contrary, its object has to be that of reaching heights of excellence in every field, through rigor, discipline and research. Each of the branches of discipline will require a special ambience, methodology and scholarship. Therefore, the approach towards each discipline has to be distinct in character. Stereotyped approaches will be detrimental to the pursuit of knowledge and research. Thus, higher education has to be basically a society driven pursuit of knowledge and skills and not defined by mere skills or concepts. Critical thinking and interactive dialogical process have to constitute the pedagogy of higher education.

The scholars and educationists have to necessarily lead, monitor and guide the path of higher education. As it is possible only in dialogical process of innovation, the bureaucrats can only assist and not decide the ambience and governance in higher education. In this context, the understanding of the complexity of the society, with culture-specific diversity, requires a democratic praxis among the staff and the students, with critical perspective on the issues concerning the wider society.  Mutual appreciation of diversity is possible only in a context of crosscultural experience. Our system of higher education has to aspire towards this goal.

2.3.            Policy Proposals

In the above said context, we propose the following proposals to achieve the goal:

2.3.1. Access

1. The access to higher education cannot be denied to the poor in the name of merits, assessed by Common Entrance Tests, tilting in favour of the elite society, in a highly stratified socio-economic hierarchy, patriarchy and gender inequality.
2. The Higher Education has to be made accessible, inclusive and affordable in Tamil Nadu. The vast network of Government and Aided Colleges/ Universities has to be strengthened, in terms of number of Government colleges, resources (finance and facility) including human resources (faculty and staff). These institutions, built at the cost of the public exchequer, are the backbone of research and specialization, preserving the concept of public education. Any Policy has to remove the hurdles on the way of the poor and the marginalized, from accessing any stream of their choice in higher education.
3. The Government of Tamil Nadu has to expand the reach of Government/ Aided higher education institutions to cover a minimum of 50% of the student population.
4. In a highly unequal school education system with multi-tracks and privileged class education, any Competitive Entrance Examination for higher studies will be a gross injustice to the disadvantaged groups in Tamil Nadu. The NEET or JEE based on CBSE curriculum, is highly discriminatory towards the majority of students under the different State Boards across the country.
5. The filtering points, against the poor and the marginalized SC/ST/OBC, such as NEET, CUET, JEE, have to be abolished. On the contrary, admission to higher education has to be based on the assessment of continuous and integrated performance in Secondary and Higher Secondary Education.
6. The national level entrance tests for admission will affect the access to education, by the poor, the SC/ST/OBC communities. In any event, the right of admission of the institutions cannot be deprived under the pretext of entrance tests.
7. While the National Education Policy has fixed a target of 50% GER in higher education before 2035, Tamil Nadu has already achieved 51.4% GER, as against the national average of 27.1.%. This rich legacy of access can be further built and enriched only by charting an independent course by the state, without being restrained by the national bodies and barriers, to be treated on par with the backward states.

2.3.2. Inclusion

8. The reservation in higher education for the SC/ST/OBC has to be strictly adhered to, by all the institutions, subject to the constitutional and statutory provisions.
9. The students who hail from marginalized backgrounds, including from SC/ST/OBC categories, have to be provided with bridge courses in all the institutions, as and when necessary, to reach the level of the other peer groups, coming from different backgrounds.
10. The higher education has to greatly open up to the involvement of women at all levels, such as enrollment of students, appointment of faculty and staff members, to bring about gender equality and to channelize the rich gender diversity, for nation building.

2.3.3. Curriculum and Pedagogy

11. The present system of 3+2 in Higher Studies can be continued. There is no valid reason to alter the system.
12. The evolving and choosing of curriculum and the pedagogy in higher education has to be done by the state and cannot be left to the national policy, by the NCERT, NCTE, AICTE, MCI or BCI. It has to be made clear that these national bodies are not governing bodies, but can only monitor the maintenance of quality in higher education.
13. The object of higher education institutions has to be to enforce academic rigour in research and innovation in every programme.
14. The higher education has to be holistic, in promoting studies of technology and humanities and not lopsided, only to create technicians.
15. The higher education has to provide extension/outreach programmes for the students, to understand the rich diversity of culture and knowledge, along with their specialization in different subjects.
16. The higher education has to specialize in being grounded in diversity of Tamil culture, archaeology, history, through its research machinery, without leaving the same to the contingencies of national fluctuations. The recent archaeological excavations like Keeladi or Athichanallur have to be integrated with the institution of academic research of Tamil Nadu.
17. The students of higher education have to enjoy a holistic and overall development, involving sports, extra-curricular activities and community programmes, inspiring transformative commitment.
18. The dual degrees, can lead to superficial pursuit of knowledge, only for the purpose of addition to the profile of the candidate. As far as possible, such pursuit can be discouraged. Rather, multi-disciplinary research can be encouraged.
19. The higher education, in the name of vocationalization, has to avoid multiple exits, which work against the upper mobility of the subaltern. Hence, it is not a viable proposition.
20. Promotion of Sanskrit, not only as a language, but as a knowledge system, will lead to indoctrination of the students, ultimately leading to the upholding Sanskritic and Brahminical hegemony, over the SC/ST/BC’s, without eradicating the unconstitutional patriarchy and caste prejudices entrenched in the society.
21. The learning research and innovation in higher education has to be driven, that makes an impact on society and peoples, rather than by a nationalist ideology, that will lead to national chauvinism and jingoism.
22. The regular education should be the rule and the Open Distance Learning (ODL) has to be an exemption and not the other way about. The ODL has to be minimized and deployed only as add-on/extra credit courses. The proliferation of online courses and ODL, especially after the pandemic situation of Covid 19, has empowered the multinational IT Companies, to play a dominant role in the pedagogy of any learning. The institutions have to be warned not to fall a prey to these global capital and technology, compromising the humanistic, contextual and personal interaction, for a holistic development in education.
23. The higher education has to introduce subject specific Skill Enhancement Center in every institution. It will be different from mere vocationalization and will serve as a leverage for skill upgradation and specialization. The said skill enhancement can be implemented by the institution in nexus with the respective industrial units.
24. While introducing any programme or skill development, the imprint of the said technology over environment has to be an integrated study of the same, to develop a continuous consciousness among the student community, the industries and the society.
25. Under the pretext of permitting foreign universities, the liberty of deciding the curriculum and the pedagogy, suitable to the local challenges, cannot be surrendered to foreign bodies. Rather healthy exchange programmes can be encouraged, rooted in our culture, indigenous literature and tradition.

2.3.4. Faculty

26. A robust higher education requires a well-qualified teaching, nonteaching/administrative faculty, permanently committed for the pursuit of knowledge and research. This cannot be achieved through ‘Guest Lecturers’ who are under-paid and suffer from professional uncertainty. The faculty cannot be a ‘Tenured Faculty’, for a particular period, that generates disinterested careerism.
27. The Government has a duty to fill up all the vacancies in a stipulated time frame, in the Government and Aided institutions to maintain standards and educational well-being. In the same vein, the Government has to enhance the Grant-in-Aid streams of various departments, to build on the ‘Public Good’ of education.
28. The grants for fellowship and research have to be provided to the students and the faculty for special projects, for the benefit of common good.
29. The Government has to invest more in human resources on the faculty and the students, without yielding to the easy inclination of investing in IT/online and technical upgradation.

2.3.5. Assessment of Performance

30. The assessment and outcome of the higher education studies have to be done at the state level, taking into account the special social background and circumstances of Tamil Nadu. A good system of assessment has to be internal to sub-serve the overall goals and the objectives of education, to reach the levels of expertise and mastery.
31. While there are lot of disparities in the infrastructure, curriculum and pedagogy, among the institutions of higher education under various categories, any attempt for National Ranking and

Accreditation will be a farce and unjust. As a result, the institutions, which are catering to the poor and the disadvantaged, especially in remote rural areas and those that suffer from financial paucity, stand discredited in the ranking. The social disadvantages and financial restrictions and the level of participation of the poor and the marginalized are material to any assessment. Therefore, as long as institutions are not in the equal footing, the National Ranking and Accreditation has to be rejected.

32. The assessment of the institution can be on a continuous basis, through different monitoring bodies at various levels, instead of onetime vertical assessment.
33. The Outcome Based Education (OBE), catering to the market, cannot decide higher education. Therefore, a time-tested Choice Based Credit System (CBSC), which has been followed in Tamil Nadu, can be continued.
34. The Academic Bank of Credits for assessment, that too from different institutions, with impersonal interaction, may lead to mechanical process of education. The institutions in the long run may not be able to contribute to holistic formation, which is an object of educational process.
35. The higher education institutions have to be assessed and ranked not only on their academic outputs, but necessarily on their contribution to social justice. In this regard, the reach of the institution to the subaltern section of the society has to be the basis of assessment and not the visibility in the media or in the market. For this purpose, a social justice indicia has to be evolved in the State Education Policy.

 

2.3.6. Governance

36. The tendency to centralize higher education from Delhi, is unconstitutional. The Central Government can only provide a broad frame-work. The State Government is within its right, to adopt the same, as per the local context.
37. The higher education needs to be decentralized to accommodate the diverse reality of this country. This process demands a dialogical discourse and a bottom-up approach involving all the stakeholders.
38. The governance of higher education, starting with establishment, regulation of the institution, standard setting and accreditation, funding and restructuring needs coordinated autonomous bodies, with due respect to their space of operations. A mindless centralization will not only be counter- productive but militate against innovation and interaction.
39. The higher education institutions have to develop a democratic culture in governance, involving stakeholders, encouraging the freedom of expression and diversity.
40. The governance of higher education has to be democratized by regulations and guidelines involving the experts in a dialogical process and not to be mechanically controlled by bureaucrats.
41. The private higher education institutions have to be strictly prohibited from profiteering and capitation fee, to eradicate commercialization in education. The said object can be achieved only by a vigilant civil society, supported by competent mechanism.
42. The commercial institutions of higher education are resorting to wide advertisement, through the electronic and print media, to build their markets. Education is not a merchandise. It has to follow certain ethical standards. Therefore, all kinds of advertisements of the private institutions have to be abolished, except for normal hosting of the prospectus/courses in their websites/portals. It will be pertinent to mention that no Government or Aided institution resorts to advertisements. It is an offshoot of commercialization by selffinancing institutions.

2.3.7. Autonomy

43. The higher education institutions have to be encouraged to pursue not only diverse streams of learning, but also to pursue different pedagogy for the learning and research on experimental basis.
44. The admission process has to be left to the institution, with appropriate guidelines by the state government, taking into account the local and specific challenges faced by the students, rather than at the national level entrance tests.
45. The creation of cluster of colleges, in the name of multi-disciplinary studies, will be incompatible with the diversity of the society and discriminate the colleges, located in backward regions, ultimately leading to their closure.

2.3.8. Federal Character

46. The interference of the Central Government, under Entry 25 of the List III read with Entry 66 of List I, is only for the purpose of coordination and determination of standards of higher education. On the other hand, Entry 32 of List II, is a special provision and an exclusive subject for establishment and governance of universities by the state. That apart, the budgetary allocation of the state for the educational institutions, both schools and colleges, far exceed the marginal allocation by the centre. Therefore, the State Education Policy has to assert the right of the state in federal form of governance, to control the avenues of higher education. Otherwise, the vast network of institutions, established at the cost of the people of Tamil Nadu, can be virtually taken over by the Central Government, destroying federal governance. That will be amounting to breach of separation of powers and the basic structure of the constitution.

 

3. Technical Education

3.1. Introduction

The technical education is imparted through ITI, Polytechnic and Engineering colleges, including Institutes of Technology. It is at the level of Diploma, U.G. and P.G. courses. While the DTE is the monitoring body at the state level, the NCVT operates at the national level, regarding ITIs and Polytechnic colleges. The AICTE is the regulatory authority for the Engineering Colleges, in respect of U.G. and P.G. programmes. The Supreme Court has held that the management courses like BBA, MBA are beyond the ambit of AICTE Act. All the technical courses are inherently connected to the industry and the market. Hence, all the technical courses and the managerial programmes, go along with technical

specialization, industry and commerce.

Due to mushrooming of engineering colleges after 2010, the capacity for intake has bloated beyond the demand. While the intake of Engineering U.G. courses has increased from 6.5 lakhs to 17 lakhs, the P.G. intake has increased 10 times from 23,000 to 2.12. lakhs, between the period from 2006 to 2015, at the national level. The admission to diploma

courses, offered by the engineering colleges, has increased from 6 lakhs to 12.6 lakhs in the same period. In Tamil Nadu, there are 573 Engineering and Architecture colleges (11 Government colleges and 3 aided colleges and 20 Anna University colleges), 495 Polytechnic colleges (51 Government colleges and 34 aided colleges) and 14 Hotel Management

and Catering Institutions.

This abnormal growth of the technical sector, has victimized lakhs of students, who are unemployed. The industry or the IT sector, are exploiting the situation by engaging technical professionals for substandard salary.

 

3.2. Policy Proposals

In this background, the following policy is proposed for technical education:

1. The recognition and affiliation to the institutions of technical education has to raise the bar on their standardization, to match the needs of domestic as well as global industries. This will eradicate the substandard and commercial institutions from the realm of education.
2. To encourage innovation and entrepreneurship, need based research has to be supported by fellowships for innovative applications.
3. The engineering education has to be integrated with managerial sciences, humanities and social sciences, in order to make it a holistic education.
4. Technical education has to be regular education as it is ‘hand on experience’ and more practical and therefore, online mode programmes have to be abolished.
5. The management studies among the business schools have to inculcate local specific and culture specific principles, practices and sensibilities.
6. A research faculty has to be mandatory at appropriate levels in all the technical institutes, for addressing local challenges, based on indigenous knowledge.
7. The curriculum and pedagogy of the technical education has to be periodically revised, to meet out the latest technology and advancements in science and industry.
8. Substantial inputs from industry have to be considered for upgradation of curriculum to match global standards.
9. As ITI and Polytechnic immediately cater to the needs of the lower strata of the society, they have to be continued with an eligibility criterion commencing from X Std.
10. The multiple exits from any other technical courses have to be abolished, as it will lead to high drop-outs among the poor, who mostly access ITIs and Polytechnics. Financial liability for the institutions, to pay the staff and the exit cost, should be paid by the government.
11. The Government and Aided institutes of technical education have to be financially supported by the Government, to subsidize the education of the poor, irrespective of the fact that whether NCVT or SCVT. The time for phasing out SCVT and switch over to NCVT has to be sufficient without depriving grant in aid.
12. Instead of providing part grant to the Aided ITIs and Polytechnics, the Government can consider dispersing regular grant, on par with aided schools, so that the poor students are spared from financial burden.
13. The condition to learn third language in ITI courses has to be dispensed, enabling the students to address the other curricular requirements.
14. The technical education has to build on the necessity to operate as a team, than on individual merits, for the purpose of executing and completing projects on time.
15. The AICTE regulation of a separate campus for management education is restrictive and segregational, in respect of academic and skill education, which are to be integrated.
16. Computer Based Test (CBT) has to be abolished and the previous method of written pattern should be restored.

         

4. Medical Education

4.1. Introduction

The medical education is multi-faceted, as it has various disciplines such as Ayurveda, Yoga, Unani, Sidha and Homeopathy (AYUSH). There are medical colleges governed by MCI, while nursing colleges and institutes are governed by Indian Nursing Council (INC). While the medical colleges are running UG, PG and research programs, the nursing institutions are imparting Diploma, UG, PG and Ph.D. programs. Unlike engineering colleges, there is a huge demand in the realm of medical education. There are only 400 colleges with an intake of 57,000 UG seats and 26000 P.G. seats throughout the country. There are 69 medical colleges with an intake of 10725 UG seats in Tamil Nadu. The Medical Council of India has stringent norms, that make it difficult for any state or non-state actor to establish a college, with multi billion capital investment. As a result, the private colleges are highly profiteering and indulge in capitation fee. By a conservative estimate, India is in further need of 5 lakhs doctors and one million nurses, along with para-medical and rural health workers. Unless the medical/health education is expanded or strengthened to meet the rising demand, the health index of the country will be the causality.

 

Tamil Nadu is in the forefront of providing a robust network of health care, starting with Primary Health Centre (PHC) up to the expansive system of General Hospitals with medical colleges almost in every district. The Government has hugely invested in these hospitals and medical

educational institutions. Naturally, the state should have the final word, regarding the admission policy in these medical institutions. It cannot be

compared with the other states which have highly backward

infrastructure. However, the reality is otherwise. The Central Government and its agencies exercise their power, to control the medical infrastructure of Tamil Nadu, to decide the eligibility for admissions and governance of these institutions, though the national performance or contribution is at the minimal level.

4.2. Policy Proposals

In this background, our proposals for the state policy for medical education are as follows:

1. The admissions to medical education have to be purely based on the marks, scored in XII Std. public exam. The NEET examination or any other national eligibility entrance test has to be abolished.
2. The admission to medical colleges has to be monitored by the Directorate of Medical Education of Tamil Nadu and not by NMC.
3. The NMC/INC has to play only the role of a monitoring body and not a governing body.
4. The reservation for SC/ST/OBC has to be strictly complied with in Government, Aided and Private Colleges, subject to the constitutional and statutory provisions.
5. Ethical practices have to be made part and parcel of medical education at all levels, through medical curriculum and pedagogy. In this regard, an inevitable environmental consciousness has to form part of the curriculum and pedagogy, viz., the application of technology, the application of pharmacy/prescriptions, the disposal of bio-medical waste, etc.
6. As medical education decides the cost of medical care, the affordability and accessibility by the lower strata of the society, has to be ensured in medical education, leading to medical services.
7. The additional incentive score of 30% in P.G. admissions, provided to the Doctors, working in rural Government establishments, has to be extended to the medical personnel, working in the non-profit private rural hospitals and medical network.
8. As GNM is the backbone of the clinical support, compared with B.Sc. and M.Sc. nursing graduates, the said programme has to be strengthened and cannot be abolished. Secondly, the said General Nursing Management is frequently availed by the poor.
9. The faculty serving the medical education institutions, especially in nursing and paramedical sectors, have to be ensured a decent salary, commensurate with their qualification, work, cadre and experience. The policy cannot leave it to the sweet will and fancy of the private institutions.
10. The nursing education has to be within the control of the state government, enabling admissions, irrespective of state level entrance examinations.
11. The financial allocation for medical education/para-medical and medical services in India falls below 1% of the GDP, compared with 3% in China and 8% in U.K. In order to build a robust health system, the budgetary allocation for medical education and services has to be enhanced. Tamil Nadu being a pioneering state in medical education and medical services, it has to be a model in budgetary allocation.
12. The governance of the medial/paramedical courses has to be under the state domain.

         

5. Miscellaneous

5.1. Minority Rights

The Indian constitution has provided for special protection to the religious and linguistic minorities, to establish and administer educational institutions of their choice. This right has been further enunciated by the Supreme Court, by its various decisions. However, in course of time, the various statutes and executive orders have abridged and diluted those constitutional rights. As a result, many a times, the minority institutions are facing an uphill task in running their institutions.

The well-being of the minority community has an inbuilt nexus with the liberty, as provided under the constitution, to deal with its educational institutions. Those institutions have the potential to empower the minorities for a meaningful participation in a pluralistic democracy, for contributing towards common good and nation building. This object has to percolate any meaningful State Education Policy, in respect of governance and control.

That apart, the miniscule Christian community has massively contributed for the nation building and modernization of the land and the people, through its vast network of educational institutions, at various levels, school education, higher education, special education, technical education and medical education. This is all the more crucial in the history of Tamil Nadu, wherein Christians are involved in public and secular education for the last 300 years. But for the intervention of Christians in education, the subaltern classes, would not have availed the opportunity of education and knowledge in this country. This historical role has to be recognized and recorded in the State Education Policy.

5.2. Service Conditions of the Staff in Self-Financing Institutions

Of the total 2610 colleges in Tamil Nadu, around 2000 are unaided. That apart, there are around 10,000 unaided schools/pre-schools. There are lakhs of teaching staff/faculty and non-teaching staff who are receiving a meagre salary, totally incompatible with their qualification and nobility of profession. There is no law to regulate the salary and other service conditions of these persons, involved in educational service. As privatization has become an inevitable reality, there is a need and urgency to regulate the service conditions of those working in the self-financing private institutions. Even if the self-financing private institutions cannot match the salary paid to the Government staff, there has to be a decent salary, to be decided in respect of every cadre of the teaching and nonteaching staff, uniformly throughout the state. The fixation of salary cannot be left at the liberty of the particular institution.

That apart, the service conditions of the said staff have to be statutorily regulated, with service protection, service benefits, such as leave facilities and other applicable statutory benefits. Otherwise, educational system cannot meet the minimum standards of social justice.

In the context of millions of teaching and non-teaching faculty involved in the self-financing private institutions, the Government can create a statutory board to monitor their service benefits with specific welfare schemes for the said faculty, involving contributions from the faculty, the institutions and the Government.

5.3. Prevention of Commercialization

Commercialization, Profiteering and Corporatization of education have to be totally eradicated in the state of Tamil Nadu, in order to establish the fact that education is not a ‘private commodity’, but a ‘public good/service’. For this purpose, while respecting the financial autonomy of the self-financed institutions, the fee-structure has to be rationalized and regulated.

All the coaching centers, commercializing on education have to be legally banned under the new policy. The coaching, if needed has to form part of the co-curricular activities of the institution. It can be monitored by the competent authorities. The mushrooming of the coaching centers, lead to the alienation of the poor and the disadvantaged, and more specifically of the rural population, from the main stream of educational process. It renders the years of formation in the school education and higher education irrelevant for any purpose.

5.4. Budgetary Allocation

Without sufficient budgetary allocation, by the State and the Union Government, the proposals in the educational policy cannot be materialized. ‘The Kothari Commission (1968)’ recommended an allocation of 6% of the GDP for educational sector. It is approximately equivalent of 20% of the annual expenditure of the Union and the State respectively. No Government after independence has realized this financial target. At an average, the UPA Government of Dr. Manmohan Singh had allocated 4.14% of GDP for education which is approximately 10% of the Annual Expenditure of the Government. The NDA Modi Government has brought it down to 3.2%. As a result, many of the progressive educational projects become a paper tiger.

The Government of Tamil Nadu, that has pioneered a Dravidian model, in every aspect of governance, unless enhances the budgetary allocation for education, it cannot make any headway. In this context, the recommendation of Kothari Commission, reaffirmed by subsequent commissions has to be seriously implemented by Tamil Nadu.

Unless the said budgetary allocation is sufficient to finance the plan outlay for education, it will jeopardize the access and inclusion, quality and excellence in the educational project. The poor and the marginalized will be hardly hit due to financial disadvantage. It will lead to further privatization, commercialization and corporatization of education beyond the reach of common citizen.

The class based English medium education is massively funded by the non-state actors and corporate interests. These agencies are not interested or involved in Tamil medium education or development of Tamil language and culture. Any meaningful State Education Policy to restore the primary role of education in mother tongue (Tamil), has to strengthen the Government and Government aided network of Tamil medium schools and institutions of higher education. This requires massive funding by the Government. The State Education Policy has to make appropriate financial proposal in this regard.

5.5. Constitutional Amendment

The State legislature and the Government, in consultation with the different political parties, can do the needful to amend the Constitution to restore Education again to the domain of the State, removing from the Concurrent List so that Tamil Nadu can mould its educational policy and implementation, without any repugnancy with the Central laws. It will strengthen the federal governance and pluralist ethos in this diverse cultural context.

5.6. State Commission for Education

In order to continuously monitor and implement the multiple programmes at various layers, upgrade, update and review them, the Tamil Nadu State Commission for Education can be statutorily constituted, which can continue despite the change of the Government at any point of time.

 

jkpoff; fy;tpf; nfhs;if cs;sPLfs; ikakhd rpy ghpe;Jiufs;

1. ,e;jpa murpay; rhrdj;jpd; mbg;gilfshd (Basic Structure) rkar;rhh;gpd;ik> rdehafk;> rkj;Jtk;> ePjp> Rje;jpuk;> rNfhjuj;Jtk;> r%f ey;ypzf;fk;> gd;Kfj;jdi; k> ,tw;wpd; mbg;gilfisf; nfhz;Nl jkpoff; fy;tpf; nfhs;if mika Ntz;Lk;. ,k;kjpg;gPLfs; midj;Jk; gd;dhl;lstpy; Vw;Wf;nfhss; g;gl;l> kdpj chpikfs;> kdpj khz;G> $l;L kdepiy> ehfhpfk; ,tw;wpd; mbnahl;bait. khwhf> ,dthjk;> kjthjk;> Njrpathjk; ,it Nghd;w FWfpa jsq;fspy; fy;tp Nth;nfhs;s ,ayhJ.
2. ehnlq;Fk; fy;tp tpiue;Jk;> gue;Jk; jdpahh;kakhfp tUtjhy;> mJ Kw;wpYk; tzpfkakhFk; epiy Vw;gl;Ls;sJ. ,r;#oypy;> nghJf;fy;tp

Kiw (Public Education) vd;w fll; zkpy;yhf; fy;tp mikg;ig kPl;nlLf;fTk; tYg;gLj;jTk; Ntz;baNj murpd; flikahFk;. muRg; gs;spfs;/fy;Y}hpfs ; ,tw;Wld; muR cjtp ngWk; gs;spfs;/fy;Y}hpfs>; ,ize;jpl;l nghJf;fy;tp mikg;Ng (Public

Education)> jkpofj;jpd; fy;tpf; fll; ikg;Gf;F KJnfYk;gha; mike;Jss; J. ,e;j ,ytr kw;Wk; nghJf;fy;tp mikg;ig typikg;gLj;jhky;> ve;jf; fy;tpAk; jkpofj;jpy; nrOik ngw ,ayhJ@ r%f khw;wj;jpw;Fk; topNfhyhJ. Vio> vspa> ml;ltizr; rhjpfs>; goq;Fbapdh; kw;Wk; gpw;gLj;jg;gl;Nlhh; KOikahd fy;tp ngw> muRf; fy;tp epWtdq;fSld;> muR cjtp ngWk; fy;tp epWtdq;fis tYg;gLj;jg;gl Ntz;Lk;. mJNt fy;tpapd; r%fePjpg; ghpkhzj;ijr; nrOikg;gLj;Jk;.

3. jw;NghJ gs;spfs ; kw;Wk; cah ; fy;tp epWtdq;fSf;F kj;jpapy;> vj;jifa nghJikj; jd;ikiAk; ,y;iy. cl;fl;likg;gpYk; rhp> ghlj;jpl;lk;> Nghjdh Kiw midj;jpYk; ghuJ}ukhd NtWghLfs; css; d. trjp gilj;NjhUf;fhd Ie;J el;rj;jpuf; fy;tp epWtdq;fs; xU gf;fk; css; d. mNjNtisapy;> Fiwe;jgl;r trjpfSk; ,y;yhky; tWikg;gl;l fy;tp epWtdq;fSk; css; d. ghlj;jpl;lq;fSk; khWgLfpd;wd. vdNt> khzthf; Sf;Fr; rktha;g;G ,y;iy. ,j;jifa #oypy;> cah ; fy;tp ngWtjw;F khzth;fSf;fhd xUgbj;jhd Nghlb; j; Njh;Tfs; elj;jg; ngWtJ tprpj;jpukhdJ. ,g;Nghl;bfs; tha;g;Gg; ngw;Nwhh;f;Fk; tha;g;G kWf;fg;glN; lhUf;Fk; ,ilapyhd rkdw;w Nghlb; ahFk;. vdNt> me;jej; f; fy;tp epiyapy; khzth;fs ; ngw;w kjpg;ngz; mbg;gilapy; kl;LNk cah; fy;tpf;fhd khzth; Nrh;f;if eilngw Ntz;Lk;. vj;jifa $Ljy; EioTj; Njh;Tk; jtph;ff; g;gl Ntz;Lk;. mit tpspk;Gepiy kf;fSf;Fk; r%fePjpf;Fk; vjpuhdit.
4. fy;tp midtiuAk; nrd;wila Ntz;Lnkdpy;> r%f tho;tpYk;> fy;tpapYk; gpd;jq;fpa ml;ltizr; rhjpfs>; goq;Fbfs ; kw;Wk; gpw;gLj;jg;gl;Nlhiu> fy;tp nrd;wila Ntz;Lk;. vdNt> cah ; fy;tp epWtdq;fspd; khzth; Nrh;f;ifapy; ,j;jifa gphptpdUf;fhd ,lxJf;flP ;L Kiw njhlu Ntz;Lk;. mjpy; vj;jifa rkurKk; ,Uf;ff; $lhJ.
5. gs;spf; fy;tpapYk; rhp> cah; fy;tpapYk; rhp> Vio> vspa khzth;fNs fy;tpiag; ghjpapy; tpl;LtpLk; #oy; epyTfpwJ. vdNt> njhopy; jpwd; vd;w ngahpy;> miuFiwg; gl;laq;fs; kw;Wk; gl;lq;fSld;> mth;fs; ntspNaWk; thry;fis (Multiple Exits) milff; Ntz;Lk;. ,y;yhtpby;> KOikahd fy;tp ngwhky;> r%f tsh;r;rpapy; mth;fs; nghpJk; gpd;jq;f NehpLk;. mJ Fyf;fy;tpia kPz;Lk; caph;g;gpf;Fk;.
6. njhiyJ}uf; fy;tp kw;Wk; ,izatopf; fy;tp vd;w ngahpy;> Kiwahd fy;tpia khzth;fs ; ,oe;Jtplf; $lhJ. mJ KOikahd tsh;r;rpiaAk; MSik tsh;r;rpiaAk; ntFthfg; ghjpf;Fk;. ,izatopf; fy;tp> Kiwrhh;e;j fy;tpAld; xU $Ljy; jpl;lkhf kl;LNk mika KbAk;. jdpg;gl;lf; fy;tp Kiwahf mJ mika tha;g;gpy;iy.
7. Ntiytha;g;Gf;fhd Nghl;bj; Njh;Tfs; jtpu> midj;J epiyfspYk; jdpahh; gapw;rp epiyaq;fs; jilnra;ag;gl Ntz;Lk;. mJNt Kiwahd fy;tp mikg;ig newpg;gLj;j cjTk;. ViofSf;F vl;lhj ,g;gapw;rp ikaq;fisj; jil nra;ahky;> fy;tp tzpfkakhjiyj; jLf;f ,ayhJ.
8. muRf; fy;tp epWtdq;fNsh> muR cjtp ngWk; epWtdq;fNsh vj;jifa tpsk;guq;fisAk; Nkw;nfhst; jpy;iy. Mdhy; jdpahh; Raepjpf; fy;tp epWtdq;fs; kw;Wk; gapw;rp epWtdq;dfspy; tpsk;guj;jpw;Ff; Fiwtpy;iy. mJ tzpfkakhjypd; FwpaPL. ,e;epiyapy; jdpahh; gs;spfs;> cah ; fy;tp epWtdq;fs; kw;Wk; jdpahh; gapw;rp epWtdq;fs; midj;Jk; fy;tpf;F tpsk;guk; nra;tij muR jil nra;a Ntz;Lk;. fy;tp vd;gJ tpsk;guj;jpw;fhd filr; ruff; y;y. mJ r%fepjp/r%f tpLjiyf;fhd jsk; vd;w GhpjYf;Ff; fy;tpf; nfhs;if topnra;a Ntz;Lk;.

gs;spf; fy;tp

9. Foe;ijfspd; Kdg; Utf; fy;tp> njhlf;ff; fy;tpapd; xU gFjpahfNt mika Ntz;Lk;. mf;fy;tp 4 tajpy; njhlq;FtJ nghUj;jkhf mikAk;. Foe;ijapd; 4 Kjy; 18 taJ tiuapyhd ,ytr kw;Wk; fll; haf; fy;tpf;F muNr KOg;nghWg;G Vw;f Ntz;Lk;.
10. jkpo;> Mq;fpyk; vd;w jkpof murpd; ,Unkhopf; nfhs;if fy;tpapy; gpd;gw;wg;gl Ntz;Lk;. gs;spf; fy;tpapd; gapw;Wnkhopahfj; jha;j; jkpNo mika Ntz;Lk;. Mq;fpyk; xU nkhopg; ghlkhf> Mwhk; tFg;G Kjy; fw;gpff; g;glyhk;. ,y;yhtpby;> jha;j; jkpo;f; fy;tpiaf; fhg;ghw;w ,ayhJ. jkpoh;jk; tuyhW> kuGfs;> gz;ghL> fyhrr; huk; ,tw;iw tsh;j;jplj; jha;j; jkpo;f; fy;tpiaj; jtpu NtW topapy;iy.
11. ePjp E}y;fs;> Mj;jpr ; #b> nfhd;iw Nte;jd>; jpUf;Fws; Nghd;wit Rl;Lk;> jkpoh;jk; kuGfs;> tpOkpaq;fs; mbg;gilapy; njhlf;ff; fy;tp mika Ntz;Lk;. mwpit kl;Lky;yhJ> xOf;fj;ijAk;> $l;L tho;itAk;> r%ff; flikfisAk; gapw;Wtpf;Fk; fy;tp Kiw mika Ntz;Lk;.
12. Foe;ijfs; jkpiog; gbg;gNjhL my;yhky;> gpioapd;wp vOjTk;> mofhf vOJk; Kiwfisg; gapw;Wtpf;fTk; Ntz;Lk;. jkpior; rhpahf cr;rhpg;gijAk;> NgRtijAk; fy;tp Kiw cWjp nra;a Ntz;Lk;.
13. gs;sp tshfk; (School Complex) vd;w ngahpy;> rpW-rpW gs;spfspd; milahsj;ij mopj;J tplhky;> mz;ilg; gs;spfs; nghJg; gs;spfs; vd;w eilKiwf;F fy;tpf; nfhs;if topNfhy Ntz;Lk;.
14. %d;whk; tFg;gpw;Fg; gpwNf ghlE}y;fs ; mwpKfk; nra;ag;gl Ntz;Lk;. mJtiu ghly;fs>; fijfs;> tpLfijfs;> tpisahl;Lfs; vd>

“FJ}fyf; fy;tp” (Joyful Learning) Kiwahy;> jkpoh;jk; gz;ghl;L tho;tpay; kjpg;gPLfSk;> $l;L tho;Tk; Nghjpf;fg;gl Ntz;Lk;.

15. khzth;fspd; jpwidr; Nrhjpg;gjw;F> vOj;Jj; Njh;T kl;Lky;yhJ> gd;Kfj; jpwikfis kjpg;gpLk; topKiwfisf; fy;tp cUthf;f Ntz;Lk;. gue;Jgl;l kw;Wk; njhlh;r;rpahd kjpg;gPl;L Kiw (CCE) nfhz;Ltug;gl Ntz;Lk;.
16. midj;Jg ; gs;spfspYk; Kiwahd kw;Wk; epue;jukhd Mrphpah;fs; kw;Wk; gzpahshf; is epakdk; nra;jy; Ntz;Lk;. Mrphpag; gzpf;F

‘fhytuk;G epakdk;’ (tenured teachers)> ‘xg;ge;jg; gzpahsh;fs;’ (contract teachers) epakdk; Nghd;w epakdq;fs; jtph;ff; g;gl Ntz;Lk;. Mrphpag; gzpia khpahijf;Fhpa gzpahf khw;w Ntz;Lk;. mJNt fy;tpapd; juj;ij cah;j;j VJthFk;.

17. khw;Wj;jpwd; nfhz;l khzth;fspd; Njitfis mwpe;J> mth;fspd; fy;tpf;fhd rpwg;Gj; jpl;lq;fs; jPl;lg;gl Ntz;Lk;. xtn; thU khw;Wj;jpwd; khztUf;Fk; muNr nghWg;Ngw;f Ntz;Lk;.
18. gj;jhk; tFg;gpw;Fg; nghJj; Njh;T elj;jhky;> gs;spj; Njh;T kl;Lk; elj;jp> Nkdpiyf; fy;tpf;F kl;Lk; nghJj; Njh;T elj;jpdhy;> ,ilepw;wypd;wp mjpf khzth;fs ; Nkdpiyf; fy;tpia Kbf;f tha;g;Gz;L. cah; fy;tp
19. cah ; fy;tpiaj; jug;gLj;Jk; Nehff; py; gue;Jgl;l rpy newpkiwfis kl;LNk kj;jpa muR toq;fyhk; vd;gNj murpay; rl;lkhFk;. mjidj; jtph;j;J epWTjy;> eph;thfk; nra;jy;> ghlj;jpl;lk; ,Wjp nra;jy;> kjpg;gPL nra;jy; Mfpa midj;ijAk; khepy muNr Nkw;nfhs;s Ntz;Lk;. kj;jpapy; mjpfhuf; Ftpg;gpd ; midj;J topfisAk; milj;J> khepyf; $l;lhl;rpj; jj;Jtj;ijf; fy;tpapy; cWjp nra;a Ntz;Lk;.
20. me;epa ehl;Lg; gy;fiyf; fofq;fs; ,e;jpahtpy; fil tphpg;gijj; jtph;ff; Ntz;Lk;. khwhf> me;epa epWtdq;fNshL ,q;Fs;s cah ; fy;tp epWtdq;fs;> Njit mbg;gilapy; kl;Lk; fy;tpg; ghpth;j;jidj; jpl;lq;fis (Exchange Programmes) Nkw;nfhss; yhk;.
21. cah ; fy;tpapy; gl;lg; gbg;gpw;Fj; jw;nghOJss; 3+2 vd;w KiwNa njhluyhk;. mjid 4 Mz;Lfshf khw;Wtjw;F Vw;Gila fhuzq;fs; VJkpy;iy.
22. kUj;Jtf; fy;tp cs;spl;l jkpofj;jpd; midj;J cah ; fy;tp epWtdq;fspYk; khzth; Nrh;f;if khepyj;jpd; flL; g;ghl;by ; mika Ntz;Lk;. mjpy; kj;jpa murpd; jiyaPL ,Uf;ff; $lhJ.
23. ghypnlf;dpf;> ITI Nghd;w njhopy;El;gf; fy;tpf;fhd gl;lag; gbg;GfSfF; chpa khdpaj;ij muR xJf;f Ntz;Lk;. muR cjtp ngWk; ,j;jifa njhopy;El;g epWtdq;fspd; vz;zpf;ifia muR mjpfg;gLj;j Ntz;Lk;. mjdhy; Vio khzthf; s; mjpfk; gad; ngWth;.
24. nrtpypah; gapw;rpapy; nghJg; gl;lag; gbg;G (GNM) tphpTgLj;jg;gl Ntz;Lk;. mJNt kUj;Jtr; Nritf ; fl;likg;ig tYg;gLj;Jk;. ntWk; gl;lg; gbg;ghf kl;Lk; nrtpypah; gapw;rpia khw;wptplf; $lhJ. mJ kUj;Jtr; Nritiag; ghjpf;Fk;.

rpWghd;ikf; fy;tp epWtdq;fs;

25. rkak; kw;Wk; nkhop topg;gl;l rpWghd;ikapdh;> jhq;fs; tpUk;Gk; fy;tp epWtdq;fis epWtTk;> eph;tfpf;fTk; ,e;jpa murpay; rhrdk; mbg;gil chpik toq;fpAs;sJ. ,e;j chpikfspd; jd;ikfs; kw;Wk; tuk;Gfs; cr;r ePjpkd;w kw;Wk; cah ; ePjpkd;wj; jPh;g;Gfspy; tbtk; ngw;Ws;sd. MapDk;> ,r;rpWghd;ikf; fy;tp epWtdq;fspd; chpikfisf; fUj;jpy; nfhs;shky;> rl;lq;fs; ,aw;wg;gLtJk;> eph;thf cj;juT gpwg;gpg;gJk; gy;NtW Jiwfspy; njhlh;fpwJ. rdehaf mikg;gpy;> ngUk;ghd;ikr; r%fk; vz;zpf;ifahy; typik ngWfpwJ. Mdhy;> rpWghd;ikr; r%fj;jpd; milahsj;jpw;Fk;> gz;ghl;bw;Fk;> tho;Thpikf;Fk;> murpay; rhrdKk;> mjd; topg;gl;l rl;lq;fSNk ghJfhg;G mspff; KbAk;. rpWghd;ikf; fy;tp epWtdq;fspd; chpikfs; ghJfhff; g;gl Ntz;Lk;. rpWghd;ikr; r%fj;jpd; ghJfhg;G czh;Tk;> tsh;r;rpAk; xU ehfhPf r%fj;jpd; milahskhFk;. mtw;iw eilKiwg;gLj;Jtij muR ftdj;jpy; nfhs;Sk;gb fy;tpf; nfhs;if typAWj;Jjy; rpwg;ghFk;.
26. jkpofj;jpd; tuyhw;wpy; jkpofk; KOtJk; fpwpj;jtr; r%fj;jhy; Vwj;jho 5000 fy;tp epWtdq;fs; elj;jg;gLfpd;wd. ,tw;wpy; 500 kl;LNk Mq;fpyj;ijg; gapw;W nkhopahff; nfhz;Ls;sd. kw;w midj;Jk; jha;j; jkpo;f; fy;tp epWtdq;fNs. ,tw;wpy; gy epWtdq;fs; E}w;whz;LfSf;F Kd; njhlq;fg;gl;lit. rhjpag; ghFghll; hy;> fy;tp kWf;fg;gl;l gpw;gLj;jg;gl;l_/jho;j;jg;gl;l kf;fs;> ,g;gs;spfspd; ClhfNt> fy;tpia vl;l Kbe;jJ. muRg; gs;spfs; kw;Wk; muR cjtp ngWk; ,j;jkpo;g; gs;spfspd; cWjpahd fll; ikg;Ng> fle;j 300 Mz;Lfsha;> jkpofj;jpd; filf;Nfhb fpuhkk; tiu> ‘jpuhtpl khly;’ nfhs;iff;Ff; fy;tpj; jsj;jpy; cWJiz Ghpe;Js;sJ. ,j;jifa gq;fspg;igr; nra;a vkf;F muR toq;fpa mhpa tha;g;gpw;fha; ehq;fs; tuyhw;wpy; nghpJk; flikg;gl;Ls;Nshk;. rpWghd;ikf; fpwpj;jtr; r%fj;jpd; fy;tpf;fhd ,e;j tuyhw;Wg; gq;fspg;ig> jkpofj;jpd; fy;tpf; nfhs;ifia tiuaWf;Fk; #oypy;> jhq;fs; gjpT nra;a Ntz;Lk; vd;gJk; vk; vspa Ntz;LNfhs;.