Push for big reforms in edu Team TOI
Aparadigm shift in the education sector is in store if big-ticket reforms promised in the Economic Survey are implemented. For the first time, it says, “There is an urgent need for replacement of bureaucratic controls in education by professional regulators along with private-public partnership to ensure universal primary education. Competition in tertiary and secondary education is also equally essential.”
Instead of complete government control, the Economic Survey talks of rating the quality of educational institutions and education service providers, both private and public. The government’s higher education funds should be focused on promoting scientific and technical education and R&D. There is also a clear direction about the kind of players who can enter the education sector. They range from non-profit registered societies to publically listed education companies, subject to the regulatory framework. The survey also makes it clear that education societies acquiring land at concessional rates should pass on the benefits to students. The survey also talks of streamlining the admission procedure in IITs/IIMs without compromising the quality.
49% hike in defence FDI likely
The Economic Survey has proposed the FDI limit in defence industries be raised to 49% (from the existing 26%) and allow up to 100% FDI on a case-bycase basis, in high technology, strategic defence goods, services and systems. This fits in with the demand of several global armament giants, keen to establish joint ventures in the lucrative Indian market. TNN
Govt for unique IDs in 6 mnths
The Economic Survey has underlined the need for unique identity smart cards to plug leakages in subsidies—especially those aimed at the poor—and issuing the identities (UID) to all in six months. The Survey says: “These IDs will form the base of a multi-application smart cards system that can be used to empower the poor and ensure that they get the full benefits of all programmes such as the NREGA, PDS, public education, health services, social security and fertilizer subsidy.” While setting the target of operationalising the UID Authority in three months and creating an integrated database on beneficiaries of government programmes in one year, the Survey says: “A household ID could be created simultaneously or parallely by linking it to a set of UIDs of individuals constituting the household.” But officials find the target unrealistic, as the government has just appointed Nandan Nilekani, co-founder of Infosys, to head the UID Authority. TNN
Doctor shortage dogs healthcare
An acute shortage of trained medical staff and health centres is hindering India’s health sector, the Economic Survey says. India is short of 28,000 health centres, including 20,855 sub-centres, 4,833 primary health centres and 2,525 community health centres. Almost 34% of the existing health infrastructure is in rented buildings. Poor upkeep and high absenteeism in rural areas are the main problems in the health delivery system in public sector, it said. While there are 1.5 million nurses in the country, doctors in the modern system of medicine number just 84,852. TNN
Over 60% Indians live on Rs 20 a day
The debate over poverty levels found resonance in the survey with the report stating that 60.5% of the population were capable of spending only Rs 20 a day as per the latest National Sample Survey. A wide range of poverty numbers have been floating around from different government agencies with the N C Saxena panel being the latest. The plan panel’s estimate has been the most conservative at 27.5% while the National Commission on Enterprises in the unorganised sector had suggested that 77% of the total population in 2004-05 could spend less than Rs 20 a day per person. TNN
Aparadigm shift in the education sector is in store if big-ticket reforms promised in the Economic Survey are implemented. For the first time, it says, “There is an urgent need for replacement of bureaucratic controls in education by professional regulators along with private-public partnership to ensure universal primary education. Competition in tertiary and secondary education is also equally essential.”
Instead of complete government control, the Economic Survey talks of rating the quality of educational institutions and education service providers, both private and public. The government’s higher education funds should be focused on promoting scientific and technical education and R&D. There is also a clear direction about the kind of players who can enter the education sector. They range from non-profit registered societies to publically listed education companies, subject to the regulatory framework. The survey also makes it clear that education societies acquiring land at concessional rates should pass on the benefits to students. The survey also talks of streamlining the admission procedure in IITs/IIMs without compromising the quality.
49% hike in defence FDI likely
The Economic Survey has proposed the FDI limit in defence industries be raised to 49% (from the existing 26%) and allow up to 100% FDI on a case-bycase basis, in high technology, strategic defence goods, services and systems. This fits in with the demand of several global armament giants, keen to establish joint ventures in the lucrative Indian market. TNN
Govt for unique IDs in 6 mnths
The Economic Survey has underlined the need for unique identity smart cards to plug leakages in subsidies—especially those aimed at the poor—and issuing the identities (UID) to all in six months. The Survey says: “These IDs will form the base of a multi-application smart cards system that can be used to empower the poor and ensure that they get the full benefits of all programmes such as the NREGA, PDS, public education, health services, social security and fertilizer subsidy.” While setting the target of operationalising the UID Authority in three months and creating an integrated database on beneficiaries of government programmes in one year, the Survey says: “A household ID could be created simultaneously or parallely by linking it to a set of UIDs of individuals constituting the household.” But officials find the target unrealistic, as the government has just appointed Nandan Nilekani, co-founder of Infosys, to head the UID Authority. TNN
Doctor shortage dogs healthcare
An acute shortage of trained medical staff and health centres is hindering India’s health sector, the Economic Survey says. India is short of 28,000 health centres, including 20,855 sub-centres, 4,833 primary health centres and 2,525 community health centres. Almost 34% of the existing health infrastructure is in rented buildings. Poor upkeep and high absenteeism in rural areas are the main problems in the health delivery system in public sector, it said. While there are 1.5 million nurses in the country, doctors in the modern system of medicine number just 84,852. TNN
Over 60% Indians live on Rs 20 a day
The debate over poverty levels found resonance in the survey with the report stating that 60.5% of the population were capable of spending only Rs 20 a day as per the latest National Sample Survey. A wide range of poverty numbers have been floating around from different government agencies with the N C Saxena panel being the latest. The plan panel’s estimate has been the most conservative at 27.5% while the National Commission on Enterprises in the unorganised sector had suggested that 77% of the total population in 2004-05 could spend less than Rs 20 a day per person. TNN
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