This article throws light upon the nine important provisions of state policy and education in India. The provisions are: 1. Free and Compulsory Education 2. Place of Mother Tongue 3. Women’s Education 4. Official Language of the Union 5. Education of Minorities 6. Education for Weaker Sections 7. Language Safeguards 8. Equality in Educational Institutions 9. Higher Education and Research.
Provisions of State Policy and Education in India:
- Free and Compulsory Education
- Place of Mother Tongue
- Women’s Education
- Official Language of the Union
- Education of Minorities
- Education for Weaker Sections
- Language Safeguards
- Equality in Educational Institutions
- Higher Education and Research
State Policy and Education: Provision # 1.
Free and Compulsory Education:
Article 45, of the Indian constitution reads:
“The state shall endeavor to provide within a period of ten years from the commencement of this constitution for free and compulsory education for all children until they complete the age of fourteen years”. The provision of Universal, Free and compulsory education becomes the joint responsibility of the centre and the states.
State Policy and Education: Provision # 2.
Place of Mother Tongue:
Article 350 (A) declares:
“It shall be the endeavor of every state and every local authorities within the state to provide adequate facilities for instruction in the mother tongue at the primary stage of education to children belonging to linguistic minorities groups and the president may issue such direction to any state as he considers necessary for proper securing the provisions of such facilities”.
State Policy and Education: Provision # 3.
Article 15 of the Indian constitution provides:
“The state shall not discriminate any citizen on the grounds only of sex”.
Article 15 (3) reads:
“Nothing in this article shall prevent the state from making any special provision for women and children”.
State Policy and Education: Provision # 4.
Official Language of the Union:
Article 343 of the Indian constitution provides:
Hindi in Devanagari script would be the official language of the union. It was however, considered essential to continue English until 1965 for all official purposes of the Union. Article 351 declares, “It shall be the duty of the union to promote the spread of the Hindi language, to develop it so that it may serve as a medium of expression of all the elements of the composite culture of India”.
State Policy and Education: Provision # 5.
Education of Minorities:
The constitution of India provides certain provisions to safeguard the interests of the minority groups. Article 30 provides that, “All minorities whether based on religion or language shall have the right to establish and administer educational institutions of their choice.
It further adds, “The state shall not, in granting aid to educational institutions, discriminate against any educational institution on the ground that it is under the management of a minority, whether based on religion or language.”
State Policy and Education: Provision # 6.
Education for Weaker Sections:
In this regard Article 15 states:
“Nothing in this article or in clause (2) of Article 29 shall prevent the state from making any special provision for the advancement of any socially and educationally backward classes of citizens or for the scheduled castes and Scheduled Tribes”.
Article 46 of the constitution declares:
The federal government is responsible for the economic and educational development of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.
State Policy and Education: Provision # 7.
Article 29 (1) states:
“Any section of the citizen, residing in the territory of India or any part thereof having a distinct language, script or culture of its own, shall have the right to conserve the same”.
State Policy and Education: Provision # 8.
Equality in Educational Institutions:
Article 29 (1) states:
“No citizen shall be denied admission into any educational institutions maintained by the state or receiving aid out of State Funds, on grounds only of religion, race, caste, language or any of them”.
Article 30 (1) also states:
All minorities whether based on religion, class, caste, language shall have the right to establish and administer educational institutions of their choice.
State Policy and Education: Provision # 9.
Higher Education and Research:
Provisions for higher education and research are mentioned in Art, 246, The Seventh Schedule, List-1 Union List, and Entries-63, 64, 65 and 66.