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India: Uttama Nag Kristin Perry Marlene Seda
India: Uttama Nag Kristin Perry Marlene Seda
INDIA...an overview
7th largest nation by geographical area. India has an area of 3.1 million square kilometers (1.2 million square miles). 2nd most populous nation. India has a population of 1.1 billion (UN, 2005). Constitution defines India as a sovereign, socialist, secular, democratic republic. Gained independence from British rule in 1947 when India and Pakistan were created. Has a history extending 5000 years dating back to Harappan and Indus Valley Civilization. Pluralistic, multilingual and multi-ethnic society. Indian constitution recognizes 23 official languages. English and Hindi are the official languages for government. India has GDP of US $ 4.042 trillion which is 4th largest and had a GDP growth rate of 9.2% in 2006. Per capita income is $3700 per year and the wealth distribution is very uneven with top 10% income groups earning 33% of the income. 46% of the Indian children suffered from malnutrition. India has a literacy rate of 64.8% (53.7% for females and 75.3% for males). The literacy rate was 12.2% in 1947.
EDUCATION IN INDIA
Long history of organized education. The Gurukul system of education is among the oldest educational systems. Gurukuls were traditional residential schools of learning. Nalanda which at its peak housed 10000 students is considered the oldest established university. The current system of education with its western style and content was introduced and founded by the British in the 20th century. India is faced with challenges in primary education in order to achieve 100% literacy rate. Universal Compulsory Primary Education has been a challenge with its goal of keeping poor children in schools and also maintaining quality of education. Children from poor and economically disadvantaged backgrounds are forced to drop-out of the school system due to economic reasons. All levels of education from primary to higher education are overseen by the Department of School Education and Literacy and the Department of Higher Education. India has a large formal education system with a target group (6-24 years of age) of 411 million in 2003 (40% of Indian population) that is ever growing. The total number of enrolment in educational institutions was 224 million, with about 6.2 million teachers. The formal system is augmented by the private educational institutes and non-formal education system that includes adult and distance education. The Department of Higher Education has established various Colleges and Universities. Some of the institutes of higher learning have worldwide reputation like the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) etc. In India over 130000 students graduate in Engineering and another 65000 with MBAs every year. The global software industry depends heavily on software outsourcing to India with huge percentage of large and medium sized corporations having operations in India.
Global influence and support for universalization was strengthened by the 1990 International Conference on Education for All EFA in Jomtien, Thailand.
The 73rd and 74th Amendments to the Constitution in 1992 mandated decentralized management in elementary education through local selfgovernment. The Supreme Court in 1993 came forth with a landmark judgement that education was a fundamental right of every child up to 14 years of age.
Multiethnicity and Language Education The Other India India as a Model for the World
"In finding the solution to our problem, we shall have helped to solve the world problem as well....If India can offer to the world her solution, it will be a contribution to humanity." Rabindrinath Tagore Novel Laureate on Nationalism, 1917