Just wondering...

What happened to the key recommendations of the National Knowledge Commission? The Commission’s report on completion of three years in office (June 2005-October 2008) highlights major recommendations in the field of education and wonders why some of them haven’t been followed up by the government in its 11th Plan. For instance, the NKC had suggested that the central legislation on Right to Education (RTE) must include a financial commitment from the Centre.

A Kapli Sibal-led committee even prepared the Central Advisory Board of Education (CABE) draft that earmarked Rs 2,20,643 crore for 2008-1012. But based on later population projections (there will be 6 million less children in 2012 than estimated earlier), this was cut to Rs 1,51,273 crore. This is less than 1 per cent of the GDP, says the commission and wonders why even this is not being pushed through. It also wonders why the Centre reduced its share of funding for the Sarva Siksha Abhiyan from 75 per cent to 50 per cent and fears that this could curtail the prospects of universal school education.

—Dhiman Chattopadhyay