1

17. Education, Sports and Youth Services

709

(Elementary Education, School Education and Higher Education)

nfoš éG¢bršt« fšé xUt‰F

khLmšy k‰iw ait .- ÂU¡FwŸ 400

Learning is wealth none could destroyNothing else is equivalent to this valuableWealth.

- Thirukkural 400

17.1.1 Overview

Education is an important component in the process of human

development. It not only creates a literate society, which is essential for a well

functioning democracy, but improves human capital and promotes growth

and equity. Literacy is one of the crucial parameters of the Human

Development Index. Key indicators of human development, such as infant

mortality, morbidity rate and nutritional status of children, empowerment of

women and family size norm improve with increase in educational attainment

of the people in a country.

Planned efforts have been made from time to time to improve education.

Tamil Nadu, through successive Five Year Plans has made concerted efforts to

bring education within the reach of all, and to build not only a literate society,

but also a skilled and technologically capable labour force. While the literacy

rate of Tamil Nadu was almost comparable to the all-India position in 1941,

the State’s literacy rate surpassed India’s literacy rate in the post-independence

period.

Literacy rate of All India and Tamil Nadu are compared in the table below:

Table 17.1.1

17.1. General Education

710

Both overall literacy and female literacy rates in Tamil Nadu are higher

than the national average. Tamil Nadu is next only to Kerala and Maharashtra

in overall and female literacy among the major states of the country.

While the overall literacy rate has gone up from 62.66 percent in 1991 to

73.47 percent in 2001, the female literacy rate has surged forward faster, and

has gone up more than 13 percent i.e., from 51.33 per cent in 1991 to 64.43

per cent in 2001. The ratio of male to female literacy has come down from 1.4

in 1991 to 1.27 in 2001, revealing the narrowing of gender inequality in literacy

in the State.

The 2001 Census reveals that the literacy rates for the Scheduled Caste

and Scheduled Tribes are 63.19% and 41.53% respectively. The urban rural

divide is also visible in literacy with the urban literacy rate being 82.1% as

against the rural literacy rate of 66.71%. The gender gap in the rural areas is

also unfavourable when compared to the urban areas revealing the continuously

reduced access to education for women in rural areas. In addition to these

visible areas of concern, there are striking disparities across the districts of

the State. The literacy rate in Kanniyakumari is as high as 88.1% whereas

Dharampuri has the lowest literacy rate of 59.2%. Special strategies have

been in place from 2006 in the segments having low literacy so that the battle

against illiteracy can be won in a comprehensive manner.

Financial Review

An outlay of Rs.1500 crore was provided for General Education Sector

during Tenth Plan period. The amount spent was Rs.1591.56 crore. The overall

expenditure was more than the plan outlay. While Secondary Education Sector

(126.23%) and the Elementary Education Sector (88.33%) performed well

during the plan period, the overall performance of the Higher Education Sector

was Rs.26.63 crore, forming only 20.68% of the plan outlay.

711

Table 17.1. 2

17.1.2 Elementary Education

Since independence, the state has had a policy objective of universalelementary education through the enrolment and retention of all children inthe age group of 6-11. With the implementation of a massive nationwideprogramme, the Sarva Shiksha Abiyan, the goal has been expanded to enrolland educate all children in the age group of 6-14 years.

Access to school and regular attendance are the important factors thatdetermine the success of the elementary education programme. The statehas provided an elementary school in every hamlet with a population of morethan 300, within a radius of 1 km. In order to encourage enrolment andattendance, various welfare schemes have been introduced. The mostsignificant of these programmes is the noon meal scheme introduced in theChennai Corporation in 1921 by the Justice Party. This scheme was continuedas the Noon Meal Scheme during the Chief Ministership of Kamarajar and asthe Nutritious Noon Meal Scheme during the tenure of MGR. Under theGovernment headed by Kalaignar, this scheme has been further strengthenedby providing three eggs per week.

The State is committed to achieve the target of quality education for all.Tamil Nadu is a forerunner in implementing schemes and initiatives to providequality universal education. The District Primary Education Programme waslaunched in 4 districts during 1994-95 in the first phase and in 3 additionaldistricts in the 2nd phase during 1997-98. This scheme was implemented forstandards I to V. The programme has achieved commendable results in termsof improving enrolment, retention, completion and reducing the gender gapin primary education. Considering the progress attained by the implementationof this programme, Sarva Shiksha Abiyan (SSA) was launched in all thedistricts, covering classes 1 to VIII, with the main objective of increasing the

712

enrolment and retention of children in the age group of 6-14 to 100% by theend of the decade.

The following table shows the enrolment upto upper primary level,classified by management and level of school:

Table 17.1. 3

713

Both the number of institutions and the enrolment in private schools

have been on the rise in Tamil Nadu. Out of the total enrolment of 104.79

lakh children during 2005-06 upto the upper primary level, 21.42 lakh are

enrolled in private unaided schools and 83.37 lakh in Government, local body

and Aided schools. Thus, though enrolment in private unaided schools is

substantial, Government schools are still taking a major share of the

responsibility up to the upper primary level.

Review of Tenth Five Year Plan- Elementary Education

The table below gives the financial outlay and expenditure under the

Elementary education sector during the Tenth Plan period.

Table 17.1. 4

During the Tenth Plan period, the total outlay for Elementary Education

was fixed at Rs.813.10 crore. The expenditure incurred was Rs.718.23 crore,

resulting in an achievement of 88.33% of the plan outlay. The performance

under State’s share of Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan at Rs.356.31 crore constitute

85% of the outlay originally proposed. The expenditure on welfare schemes

such as Supply of Text Books, Uniforms to students etc., was Rs.334.44 crore.

Construction of buildings and creation of infrastructure facilities etc., have

been undertaken at the cost of Rs.27.48 crore, achieving a performance of

117.24% of the plan outlay. It is significant to note that the State expenditure

under SSA accounted for nearly 50% of the overall plan expenditure on

Elementary Education during this period. Taking into account the Central

714

share under this scheme, it is clear that a major proportion of plan expenditure

under this sector has been under the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan Programme.

Box 17.1. 1

Education Development Index

The Ministry of Human Resource Development, through the National

Institute of Educational Planning & Administration, has developed an Education

Development Index (EDI) to track progress of the States towards Universal

Elementary Education (UEE), for Primary and Upper Primary levels as well as a

composite index for Elementary Education. With regard to composite EDI for

the elementary stage, Kerala tops, Bihar is at 35th rank and Tamil Nadu is at

No.3. Based on the EDI, Tamil Nadu has been ranked as the best state for

retention in primary schools with a retention rate of 100 percent. At the

National level, the retention rate at the primary level is 71 percent. Thus,

Tamil Nadu is already in a comfortable position in terms of education for

children. The positive demographic transition and various welfare measures for

school children in the state have contributed to this progress.

Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan

“Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan” (SSA) is a flagship project which aims to fulfill

the constitutional commitment of giving free and compulsory education to all

up to the age of 14. The SSA programme also provides an opportunity for

improving the capabilities of all children, through provision of community-

based quality education. The key objective of SSA is Universalization of

Elementary Education (UEE) for all children in the age group of 6-14 years.

This is to be achieved through a three pronged strategy of improving access to

education, ensuring retention by reducing dropout rates and improving the

quality of education. The SSA programme addresses the field level deficiencies

observed in the education sector which include inadequate infrastructure and

staff, unsatisfactory levels of motivation, competence and morale among

teachers and low participation and achievement levels of students. The

programme also targets the underserved backward areas to ensure that the

benefits of education are equitably distributed. These initiatives have resulted

in significant improvement of upper primary enrolment leading to a

corresponding demand for the expansion of Secondary Education.

715

The success of the programme in the State has been due to its participatory

‘bottom-up’ Planning with transparency, community ownership and sustained

monitoring. Creation of widespread awareness on education even among the

rural and educationally backward communities coupled with consistent

quantitative and qualitative growth in the domain of elementary education is

the highlights of the State’s achievement under SSA.

Indicators of progress

The following table shows the progress regarding various indicators

pertaining to Elementary Education during the Tenth Plan period:

Table 17.1. 5

A look at the table reveals that all the parameters have shown improvement

at the primary and upper primary level over the Tenth Plan period. The State

also shows relatively high level of gender equity, with performance of girls

matching or surpassing that of the boys in most of the areas. However, a

continued cause of concern remains the variation of educational achievement

across districts. The high literacy districts tend to perform better in parameters

such as dropout rate, completion rate and transition rate, thus compounding

the existing inequality further.

716

Infrastructure and Instructional Facilities

Under SSA, infrastructure facilities such as buildings for 245 Block

Resource Centres, 3,152 Cluster Resource Centres, 342 Primary schools, 922

Upper primary schools, 26,736 classrooms, 11,526 toilets and 8,449 drinking

water facilities have been provided during the Tenth Plan period.

Financial resource provisions viz. a School Grant of Rs.2,000 per year,

Maintenance Grant of Rs.5,000 per year, Teaching Learning Equipment Grant

of Rs.10,000 for every new primary school and Rs.50,000 for every upper

primary school and Teaching Learning Material Grant of Rs.500 per teacher

have ensured efficiency of the delivery system. Community ownership of the

above interventions have been augmented by the involvement of women’s

groups, members of Village Education Committees (VEC) and Panchayat Raj

Institutions which are important agents of social change.

Ensuring Quality in Elementary Education

Imparting quality education to all was a major objective during the Tenth

Plan period itself. Quality dimensions viz. basic infrastructure facilities, teacher

preparation, capacity building of teachers, and monitoring learners’ assessment

have been given special thrust. New strategies have been evolved to guide

classroom practices, which are designed to address multi-grade and multi-

level learning issues. Introduction of computers at the primary school level

itself with appropriate multi media material have also helped to improve

learning quality and make the school more attractive for the student. The

Activity Based Learning Methodology was field tested in the Chennai

Corporation Schools during the Tenth Five Year Plan.

Capacity Building of Teachers

In-service training programme for teachers under the aegis of SSA are

programmed in collaboration with the Directorate of Teacher Education,

Research and Training (DTERT). The training programmes are structured to

enable the teachers not only to strengthen their teaching skills but also to

update the knowledge in their respective subjects. The DTERT also coordinates

with SSA to strengthen the classroom process, augment child friendly teaching

methodologies and bring out the inherent talents of students in primary and

upper primary schools.

717

The field level programmes of the DTERT are organized through the

District Institutes of Education and Training (DIETs) which are involved in

training of elementary teachers as well as monitoring and action research of

the SSA programme.

Problems and Constraints

In spite of many significant strides made in the field of Elementary

education, one area that still remains elusive is quality. Universalization of

Elementary Education needs a special thrust on girls’ education as well as

greater rigour in Planning, targeting and implementing the interventions

designed. Statistics reveal that despite our best efforts, disparities persist

especially in rural areas and among disadvantaged groups. The disparity is

more acute in the enrolment of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes,

especially at upper primary level.

Eleventh Five Year Plan – Elementary Education

Objectives

The State has a well-conceived social sector vision focusing on the concern

that all children should be educated and gain equal access to economic and

social opportunities for development. There is a political commitment to attain

the goal of Education for All. It is in this context that the Eleventh Plan for

Elementary Education has been formulated.

The objectives of the Plan for Elementary education are

� to achieve universal enrolment and retention, since education is a

fundamental right and a constitutional mandate

� to ensure education of desirable quality that can be monitored through

specific indicators

� to concentrate on the child’s overall emotional, social and physical

development along with cognitive skills

� to reach the unreached and to ensure social inclusion

� to improve the basic amenities in all schools

� to bridge all gender and social gaps in elementary education

718

Thrust areas

Improving the quality of elementary education is one of the thrust areas

for the Eleventh Plan. Having achieved near universal enrolment and retention

in the primary sector, the challenge lies in making the teaching- learning

process more effective and child friendly. The second thrust area is to “reach

the unreached” like out-of-school children, children with special needs, girl

children and SC/ST children.

A fundamental shift that is required in the approach to improving quality

is to arrive at a clear set of indicators regarding the basic skills to be acquired

by a child at the end of the Class V. This will help to assess the improvement

of the learning process as well as learning outcomes.

The overall objective at the school level is also to achieve the completion

rate of 100% at the primary and 95% at the upper primary stages by the end

of the plan period.

Programmes and Strategies

Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan

Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan or “Anaivarukkum Kalvi Thittam”, is extended

through the Eleventh Plan also upto the year 2009-2010 to continue the

efforts to universalize elementary education within a definite timeframe. During

this period, SSA will concentrate on achieving the Eleventh Plan objectives

through improving quality education, bridging the infrastructure gaps,

attaining inclusive education and implementing innovative schemes for well

rounded educational development of the children.

Quality concerns

The state has been

reasonably successful in enrolling

and retaining children upto the

age of fourteen in primary and

upper primary schools. The major

challenge is to improve the quality

of education so that the expected

learning outcomes are attained.Activity Based Learning (ABL)

719

The strategies for ensuring quality would be to concentrate on classroom

process, to enable the teacher as a facilitator of learning, to empower the

teacher for curriculum development and to link education with life skills.

Based on a successful experiment in Chennai Corporation Primary Schools, a

major initiative which has been introduced to improve the quality of education

is the Activity Based Learning methodology for primary classes.

Infrastructure

Under SSA, infrastructure facilities such as buildings for Block Resource

Centres, Cluster Resource Centres, Primary schools, Upper primary schools,

toilets and drinking water facilities will be provided during the Eleventh Plan

period.

The process of bridging the infrastructure gaps will be done with the

active cooperation of the village community who will be encouraged to

participate in the universalisation of elementary education at the grassroots

level. The district Planning process envisaged in SSA will also ensure that all

available resources are dovetailed to provide the required infrastructure in

the schools thereby accelerating the process of universal provision of quality

education.

Inclusion

SSA ensures that every child with special needs, irrespective of the kind,

category and degree of disability, is provided meaningful and quality education.

Hence, SSA has adopted a zero rejection policy. No child having special needs

should be deprived of the right to education and should be taught in an

environment which is best suited to his/her learning needs. These include

regular schools (with special resource support, with or without pre-integration

programmes), special schools, or even home-based education. Thus, SSA has

adopted a more expansive and a broad-based understanding of the concept of

inclusion, wherein a multi-option model of educating such children is being

implemented. The dual objective of embracing this model is to bring more

children with special needs under the umbrella of SSA and to provide them

720

appropriate need based skills, be it vocational, functional literacy or simply

activities of daily living.

The National Programme for Education of girls at elementary level

(NPEGEL) is being implemented in 37 educationally backward blocks in 11

districts under SSA to

encourage girls education

and bridge the gender

gap. In these areas,

Model Cluster Schools

are being established to

strengthen the weak

links. Additional

infrastructure such as

buildings, teaching

learning equipments and

computers for e-learning

are being provided in the

Model Cluster schools, so

as to improve the quality of the classroom teaching and encourage more girls

to overcome their social and educational obstacles. The Kasturba Gandhi

Balika Vidyalayas (KGBV) have also been set up to provide a conducive

residential environment in which girl children who would otherwise be deprived

of schooling are enabled to complete their education.

A major effort will also be continued to see that children who have dropped

out of school are mopped up and brought back into the educational system.

This will also include children of migrant labourers and other categories who

have no access to a regular school. The strategies which are being adopted

include setting up of residential camps, special coaching and supply of kits

for the dropout children.

Innovation

Innovative measures undertaken during the Tenth Plan period to improve

administration as well as student performance include Educational Satellite

(EDUSAT), School Geographical Information System (GIS), Multiple Intelligence

Programme, Building as a Learning Aid (BaLA Scheme), Innovative Kid’s Wall

Computer Education for School Children

721

Dictionary and radio broadcasts of English language programmes. These

programmes will also form part of the Eleventh Plan strategies.

Outlay for SSA

An outlay of Rs.889.49 crore is proposed as state share for implementation

of Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan and out of which, Rs.177.90 crore is earmarked for

the same under Scheduled Caste Sub-Plan (SCSP) during the Eleventh Plan

period.

Teaching Quality Improvement Fund

Under this scheme, financial assistance has been given to all Government

Panchayat Union Primary and Middle Schools to meet the expenditure for

purchase of chalk pieces, duster, pointer map etc. An amount of Rs.3.50 crore

has been earmarked for the above items in the Teaching Quality Improvement

Fund.

Welfare Schemes

(i) Free Text Books

The scheme of free supply of Text Books to the children from I to VIII Std.

benefited under Noon Meal Programme, was introduced in the year 1985-86.

From 2006-2007 onwards, this scheme has been extended to all the students

of Government, Local body, Aided and Self-financing recognized schools

adopting State syllabus irrespective of enrolment in Noon Meal Programme

with an outlay of Rs.163.30 crore, out of which, a sum of Rs.40 crore is

earmarked under SCSP.

(ii) Free supply of Uniforms

For the welfare of the students studying in Primary and Middle schools,

the State has introduced free supply of uniforms to the students enrolled in

the noon meal scheme from 1985-86 and this scheme will be continued in

Eleventh Five Year Plan period also with a cost of Rs.217.00 crore, of which, a

sum of Rs.43.00 crore is earmarked under SCSP for this programme.

722

(iii) Assistance to the students for distress relief

A sum of Rs.50,000/- per student is provided to students studying in

Government or Aided schools from 1st to 8th Standard, whose earning parent

(either father or mother) is dead or permanently disabled. The amount is

deposited in the name of the student and interest from the above deposit is

utilized to meet the student’s educational expenses. This scheme is extended

to Eleventh Plan with a budget outlay of Rs.2.50 crore.

Administrative Streamlining

In Tamil Nadu 30 District Elementary Educational Offices (DEEO) are

functioning in the district headquarters. Out of them 15 Offices are functioning

in rented buildings. It is proposed to construct buildings for the above offices

in the Eleventh Plan period.

Out of 412 Assistant Elementary Educational Offices (AEEO), 200 Offices

have already been provided with Computers and computer accessories. The

remaining 212 Offices are to be computerised in a phased manner with an

outlay of Rs.1.00 crore during the Eleventh Plan.

An outlay of Rs.10.00 crore is earmarked for the provision of administrative

and infrastructure facilities to the AEEO and DEEO offices in order to improve

the efficiency and carry out the administration in a smooth manner.

All these efforts will streamline the administration of elementary schools

and management of teachers, thereby increasing the overall performance of

this critical sector.

Eleventh Five Year Plan Outlay

The total outlay for the Eleventh Plan for Elementary Education is

Rs.1311.74 crore. The schemewise details are as follows:

723

Table 17.1. 6

17.1.3 Secondary Education

Secondary education serves as a bridge between elementary and tertiary

education. It plays the dual role of preparing students for higher education

while at the same time providing skills and technical training for those planning

to enter the labour market. Demand for access to secondary education is

growing as our state approaches universal elementary education. Due to rapid

technological changes and growth of knowledge based industries, there is a

heightened demand for a skilled labour force which can be provided by quality

secondary education. The main aim of Secondary Education is to inculcate

knowledge, and scientific outlook among students and nurture their talents

and analytical skills to enable them to become socially and economically

productive active citizens.

This can be achieved by equipping schools with all basic amenities,

including qualified and trained teachers, developing appropriate curriculum

and syllabi and improving teaching techniques to reach the desired learning

outcomes. Tamil Nadu has been providing facilities for girls to continue their

S

S

S

11.00

724

education through various Social Welfare schemes. Therefore, the pass

percentage among girl students in higher secondary schools is more than

that of boys. Even in terms of enrolment ratios, the difference between boys

and girls is not high, and thus gender gap in school education has been

largely reduced.

Table 17.1. 7

Out of the total enrolment of 30.17 lakh in high and higher secondary

schools, the proportion of enrolment in the private unaided sector was 9.51

lakh accounting for nearly 30% of the total. If enrolment in private aided

schools is also considered, the total enrolment in the private sector comes to

48.18%, which is very significant. The growing role of the private sector in

secondary education is also seen by the rapid growth of private unaided

(matriculation) schools, from 2907 in 2001-02 to 3538 in 2006-07, a growth

rate of nearly 21.7%.

Financial Review

The Tenth Plan Outlay for Secondary Education including School

Education, Directorate of Teacher Education Research and Training (DTERT)

and Government Examination, was fixed at Rs.511.70 crore. There is no

725

budget allocation for Sarva Shiksha Abiyan (SSA) under Secondary Education

as the entire expenditure on middle school sections in high and higher

secondary schools has been booked under elementary education itself. The

total budget allocation made for this sector was Rs.577.99 crore and the

expenditure incurred was Rs.645.92 crore during the plan period which was

126.23% over the plan outlay.

Table 17.1. 8

The expenditure on welfare schemes like Supply of Text Books, Bicycles,

and Assistance to the students, whose parent died in an accident, etc., reached

132.52% of the plan outlay. The expenditure incurred on Administration &

Infrastructure Development such as creating and strengthening of

infrastructure facilities to existing and new schools, construction of additional

classrooms, laboratories, provision of drinking water facilities, etc. was

Rs. 591.15 crore, forming 204.12% of the plan outlay, indicating the emphasis

given to this sector during the Tenth Plan.

Physical Performance

Opening of New Schools

Unserved and underserved areas had been identified and new High and

Higher Secondary Schools were opened to meet the need. During the plan

period 415 new high schools and 400 higher secondary schools have been

opened.

726

Table 17.1. 9

Infrastructure Development under NABARD

The infrastructure requirement of schools such as construction of

classrooms, laboratories, toilets, provision of drinking water and electrification

to all the needy High and Higher Secondary Schools have been provided during

the plan period using an innovative line of funding with loan assistance from

NABARD under the Rural Infrastructure Development Fund (RIDF). Additional

facilities have been created for 605 High and Higher Secondary Schools in 3

phases at a cost of Rs.182.74 crore, which have been completed successfully.

Totally 15,341 class rooms have been constructed during the plan period.

Under phase IV to VII of this scheme, an amount of Rs.525.25 crore has been

sanctioned for provision of infrastructure in 978 Government High & Higher

Secondary Schools, and the works are under progress.

Free Bicycles

Free bicycles have been distributed to students studying in higher

secondary classes to reach school in time. This scheme which was originally

started as a measure to improve mobility of SC girls, has been gradually been

extended to all categories of students in the higher secondary classes. An

expenditure of Rs.51.85 crore benefiting 2,71,465 students in SC/ST category

and Rs.132.22 crore for students in BC/MBC/DNC category have been

incurred during the Tenth Plan period under the respective budgets. The

provision under General Education for this scheme was Rs.7.23 crore which

has been spent for students belonging to other communities.

Quality Education

With the objective to provide quality secondary education, it was planned

to extend computer education, improve vocational education, and introduce

awards and incentives for SC/ST students and talented students. Computer

education has been introduced in government higher secondary schools in a

727

phased manner with the objective of imparting computer literacy. Computer

education was also extended to 125 Government high schools under the

Information Communication Technology (ICT) scheme at the end of plan period.

Problems and Constraints

It is to be understood that with school coverage becoming almost universal,

the emphasis has to be more on improvement in quality of education. Capacity

building through frequent conduct of need based in service training for teachers

is essential to improve quality of teaching. The curriculum and syllabus have

to be improved and modified according to recent trends. Fluency in languages

especially English is to be developed at the secondary school level itself.

The unserved and needy areas have to be identified and new schools

have to be established. Adequate infrastructure facilities are still lacking in

most of the schools. There are still impediments to access due to the existence

of gender, socio-economic and spatial barriers. The challenge of the Eleventh

Plan will be to break down the barriers and bring about uniform progress in

the Secondary Education sector across the State.

Eleventh Five Year Plan

Objectives

The main objective of the State in respect of secondary education is

universalisation of access to and improvement in quality of secondary

education. Providing high quality education to all adolescent girls and boys is

the urgent need of the hour.

The other objectives envisaged during Eleventh Plan in respect of

Secondary Education are: 1) to increase the availability of secondary schools

in needy areas 2) to increase the enrolment in secondary education, 3) to

bridge the gap arising out of gender, socio-economic, spatial and disability

barriers in secondary and higher secondary enrolment for ensuring inclusive

development, 4) to improve infrastructure facilities in high and higher

secondary schools 5) to enhance the quality of classroom teaching by

conducting refresher courses for teachers and use of Information and

Communication Technology 6) to extend open and distance learning facilities

728

to those deprived of secondary education and 7) to develop language fluency

and communication skills, soft skills and life skills at the secondary level.

Strategies

The strategies to be adopted to achieve the objectives of Secondary

Education are:

� Identifying underserved areas and taking steps to establish new

secondary schools in such areas

� Carrying out special enrolment drives with community participation

to motivate students to get enrolled in secondary education

� Improving need based infrastructure facilities like classrooms, science

laboratories, toilets and water facilities by availing the financial

resources through funding agencies like NABARD

� Using computer aided techniques and e-learning equipment to

improve the quality of the teaching - learning process

� Improving the facilities for pre-service and in-service training of

secondary teachers and developing relevant materials to meet the

expectations of the revised curriculum and syllabus which is being

framed in line with the National curriculum framework, 2005

� Giving special emphasis for the vulnerable sections of the children

viz., girls, Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribe, disabled children,

minorities and children deprived of social justice and expanding welfare

schemes like scholarships and incentives so as to enable them to

pursue secondary education for ensuring inclusive development

� Appointment of teachers in rural schools and in other backward areas

� Establishing the State Institute for Teacher Training at regional level

to equip and enrich teachers with modern techniques, so as to ensure

better classroom transaction

� Making the evaluation system at the secondary level more meaningful

and reliable

� Establishing Model schools in each district to offer quality education

to talented and gifted children

729

Eleventh Plan Proposals

I. Universalization of Secondary Education

The major goal of the State during the Eleventh Five Year Plan period is

the universalization of access to and improvement of quality of secondary

education. The vision of the Universalization of Secondary Education is to

provide high quality education to all girls and boys upto the age of 16 by 2015

and upto the age of 18 by 2020. The Central and State governments are

jointly preparing to Plan and implement the agenda of universal and free

secondary education in the first phase by the year 2015 and then extend it to

the higher secondary education in the second phase by the year 2020. An

outlay of Rs.350.00 crore is earmarked as State share for this scheme during

the plan period.

II. Ongoing Incentive based schemes

The Government of Tamil Nadu prepares standardized text books and

supplies to all children in Government schools at free of cost. Free bicycles

are being distributed to students studying in higher secondary classes as an

incentive to continue their education. An outlay of Rs.106.69 crore is proposed

for these schemes, of which, a sum Rs.24.00 crore is earmarked under

Scheduled Caste Sub-Plan (SCSP) during the Eleventh Plan Period.

III. Quality Improvement

1) Construction of school buildings under NABARD

The infrastructure requirement of schools such as construction of class

rooms, laboratories, toilets, drinking water and electrification to all the needy

high schools and higher secondary schools will continue to be provided under

the NABARD scheme. The outlay provided for this purpose is Rs.600.00 crore

during the plan period, of which, a sum of Rs.100.00 crore is allocated

exclusively under the SCSP.

2) Provision of computers to Higher Secondary schools

Computer education plays an important role in enabling students to

keep pace with scientific advancements and in helping to equip them to use

modern technology. It is proposed to provide a sum of Rs.272.23 crore for

730

establishment of computer laboratories in Higher Secondary schools, of which,

Rs.72.23 crore has been provided under SCSP in the plan period.

3) Improvement of Facilities for Teaching Science

Each high and higher secondary school needs a science laboratory and

the necessary equipments to facilitate the teaching of science. An outlay of

Rs.8.66 crore is proposed to create and improve laboratory facilities and provide

necessary equipments for teaching science, which will help to nurture their

interest and talent in science.

Box 17.1.2

Equitable Standard Education (Samacheer Kalvi)

The Government of Tamil Nadu constituted a nine-member committee on

Equitable Standard Education, headed by S.Muthukumaran, in September 2006

to examine the possibility of bringing in uniform school curriculum among

different streams in the State – State board, matriculation and Anglo-Indian

and also to look into various aspects of education including improving

infrastructure facilities, qualification of teachers and evaluation methods for

examinations for achieving equitable standards in all schools.

The Committee submitted its report to the State Government in July

2007 and outlined steps for total restructuring of school education in the

State by suggesting an integrated model of school education.

Among the key recommendations are the formation of an integrated Tamil

Nadu School Education Board, dividing the State into six zones for effective

school administration, imparting school education in Tamil, Government taking

up primary responsibility for kindergarten/ nursery education, granting

functional autonomy to schools in prescribing textbooks and optional subjects,

strengthening the Sarva Siksha Abhiyan movement and provide mandatory

training for all teachers.

The Government is examining the modalities of implementing the Committee’s

recommendations so that a feasible uniform school system is created, which will

enable quality education for all.

731

4) Development of Library Facilities

Reading is a habit to be formed and a skill to be developed in all students.Reading has to go beyond text books. In order to inculcate the reading habitof the students to enrich their knowledge, it is proposed to develop libraryfacilities in schools with an outlay of Rs.1.90 crore during the Plan period.

5) Supply of Teaching Appliances

A sum of Rs.4.75 crore is allocated for the provision of teaching applianceslike mathematical kits, charts and maps to enhance the quality of teaching inthe classrooms.

6) Establishing Language Teaching Laboratories

The state is adopting a two language formula, i.e. Tamil, the mother tongueand English, the national as well as international link language. Theopportunities for students from Tamil Nadu to get employment in other States,foreign countries and multinational companies have been increasing in therecent years. There is a compelling necessity to learn English well with a viewto increasing employability. Multimedia language laboratories are beinginstalled in schools to develop English speaking skills in students with a focus

on expression and communication. An outlay of Rs.12.50 crore is earmarked

to establish new language laboratories in schools.

IV. Improving Teaching Competency

1) Training progamme for Teachers

As the vision of Secondary Education in providing high quality education

to all girls and boys is to be achieved only by the effective and total involvement

of the teachers in the classroom, it is highly essential to train the teachers to

enhance their performance and commitment. The outlay earmarked for teacher

training programmes during the plan period is Rs.2.50 crore.

2) State Institute for Teacher Training

A State Institute for Teacher Training is proposed to be set up at the state

level with the aim of imparting training to graduate and post-graduate teachers.

A network of regional institutes would be set up in a phased manner. A sum

of Rs.5.00 crore is proposed for setting up of the State level Teacher Training

Institute for High and Higher Secondary School teachers during the Eleventh

Plan period.

732

V. Ensuring equity and encourage talents

1) Improving school Performance in Educationally Backward Districts

Educationally backward districts have been identified based upon their

performance in the Government Examinations. Dharmapuri, Villupuram,

Erode, Perambalur, Salem, Vellore, Tiruvannamalai and Cuddalore are

identified as the districts with low pass percentage. These districts need special

attention in the form of teacher training, special coaching and counselling for

students to improve their performance. An outlay of Rs.4.00 crore is allocated

for the implementation of this scheme.

2) Model Schools

It is proposed to set up model schools across the State which will set

standards of excellence for other schools in the area. The model school scheme,

which will be implemented in a phased manner with Central Assistance would

encourage and enable poor, rural students to achieve the same standards as

their richer urban counterparts. A sum of Rs.5.00 crore is earmarked as state

share for implementing this scheme.

VI. Improving E-governance

E-governance in Districts and State offices

Efficient administration and monitoring of the school education

department depends largely on the management of data. It is essential that

this data is collected in a timely and efficient manner. Computerization of the

entire office administration is essential to streamline the process of collection,

compilation and processing of data for effective decision making.

Necessary equipments will be installed in the state and district offices in

the first phase and will be extended to educational districts and also upgraded

periodically. The outlay earmarked for this scheme is Rs.10.00 crore during

the plan period.

VII. Schemes for Government Examinations

An outlay of Rs.9.11 crore is earmarked for various schemes for

strengthening the administration of Government Examinations such as

733

construction of office buildings, stationery godown, computerization etc., during

the Eleventh Plan period. These schemes will help to strengthen, update and

upgrade the evaluation system.

Eleventh Five Year Plan Outlay

The total outlay for the Eleventh Plan for Secondary Education is

Rs.1626.70 crore. The schemewise details are as follows:

Table 17.1. 10

4.00

734

17.1.4 Higher Education

Tamil Nadu is one of the most advanced States in the country in the field

of higher education. The endeavour of the Government is to make higher

education more accessible to the economically weaker sections and rural

students and to create a skilled labour force. There are 670 Arts and Science

and other specific subject colleges in the State, out of which 132 are meant

exclusively for women. There are 37 universities and institutions deemed as

universities in the State, out of which, 15 universities function under the

aegis of the State Government, while the remaining are under the Central

Government or in the Private sector. There are three technical universities in

the State to which most of the 251 engineering colleges and 242 polytechnic

colleges are affiliated. There are 7 Law Colleges with a Law University, 21

S

SS

735

medical colleges with one Medical University and 13 Agricultural colleges

attached to an Agriculture University. The aim of the State is to increase the

gross enrolment ratio in higher education from the present level of 11.73% to

25% by 2020.

Higher education institutions in the fields of medicine and agriculture

function under the respective departments as such, the general higher

education and technical education institutions function under the department

of higher education.

The following table shows the number of government, aided, and self-

financing colleges and strength of students in Tamil Nadu in the year

2006-07.

Table 17.1. 11

The State Government encourages educational trusts and societies to

open new self-financing colleges. While permitting these colleges, efforts are

taken to ensure that the colleges are widely spread across the state making

higher education accessible to all.

Review of Tenth Five Year Plan - Higher Education

The main objective of the Tenth Plan was to increase the access to higher

education without compromising the quality of education. The other objectives

envisaged for the Plan were (i) to introduce innovative teaching programmes

as well as revising of curricula and syllabi periodically, (ii) to form clusters of

colleges in order to share their human resources and infrastructure, (iii) to

provide continuous Refresher-cum-Teaching Programmes for teachers, (iv) to

introduce examination reforms, (v) to strengthen research infrastructure in

higher education institutions and (vi) to publish reference books

particularly text books in Tamil for UG courses.

Financial Review

The Tenth Plan outlay for Higher Education was Rs.128.77 crore

which includes Collegiate Education, University Education, Tamil Nadu

Council for Higher Education and Legal Education, while the achievement

during the above plan period was Rs.26.63 crore. The details of financial

performance are as follows:

Table17.1. 12 Tenth Plan Outlay and Expenditure

Sectors Tenth Plan Total Outlay Expenditure (Rs. in crore)

Collegiate Education 81.00 17.09 University Education 33.30 3.45 Tamil Nadu State Council 6.05 -- for Higher Education Legal Education 8.42 6.09 Total – Higher Education 128.77 26.63

The percentage of expenditure over plan outlay was very low at

20.68% only. However, the higher education sector has received funds from

University Grants Commission (UGC) and other sources including private

entrepreneurs and corporate sector, which has contributed to its

development.

Physical performance

During the Tenth Plan period, 192 Self-financing Arts & Science

colleges were additionally started which has resulted in 7% of eligible youth

gaining access to Higher Education. Besides, additional classrooms in the

Government colleges were constructed and provided with furniture. Seven

new University constituent Colleges were also started and libraries in ten

Government Colleges were digitized. Quality Improvement Programmes were

conducted for the lecturers in Arts & Science subjects to update their

knowledge. Job-oriented new under-graduate and Post graduate courses

had also been started on self-financing basis; the tuition fees were lower for

students from socially and educationally backward communities. The

Government gave a thrust to the networking of Higher Education

institutions, which facilitated speedy exchange of data among various

institutions and administrative offices.

736

737

The State converted all self-financing courses in Government engineering,

arts and science colleges from the year 2006-07 into regular courses. All

constituent colleges of all universities have been converted into Government

colleges.

Problems and Constraints

Even though there is a quantitative expansion of higher education, main

focus has to be given for the improvement of the quality of education by

periodically updating the syllabi to suit the modern trend and requirement of

the employers and industry. Efforts have to be made to make higher education

accessible and affordable to all those who would like to pursue higher education

after secondary education.

Eleventh Five Year Plan Objectives - Higher Education

The following objectives are envisaged during the Eleventh Five Year Plan

as detailed below:

� To increase accessibility to Education - Higher Education should be

accessible not only to the elite, but to the students of the poor and

disadvantaged sections of the society. During the Eleventh Plan

period, the accessibility ratio is proposed to be increased from 11.23%

to 20%.

� To improve the quality of education - The quality of Higher Education

should be improved by upgrading the quality of teaching as well as

by modifying and updating the curriculum so as to make the students

employable. There is a need to bridge the gap between academic

input and industry requirements. The important objective during

the Eleventh Plan is to provide good quality education to a maximum

number of students at affordable cost.

� To Improve the employability - In the context of globalization, it

has become imperative to equip our students with good

communication and other soft skills.

� To encourage autonomy in educational institutions - Autonomy provides

an opportunity to be more innovative and creative and to raise

738

academic standards. Under autonomy, the colleges are empowered

to have their own syllabus and authorized to conduct examinations

and evaluate the students. The State is keen to take appropriate

steps to grant autonomy to more colleges in the State during this

plan period.

Strategies

The objectives of the higher education during the Eleventh Five Year

Plan period are to be achieved by adopting the following strategies:

� Creating new institutions, introducing new courses and increasing

intake capacity in the existing courses for encouraging access to

higher education.

� Developing new practical and updated curriculum frameworks for all

the major disciplines to address the issues of standardization and

quality of higher education

� Introducing vocational stream and project reports in undergraduate

courses to increase the employability of students.

� Providing better infrastructure facilities like laboratories and libraries

to improve quality of education and encouraging higher enrolment

in basic sciences.

� Creating Centres of Excellence in higher educational Institutions for

research in fundamental and applied aspects of sciences, social

sciences and humanities.

� Establishing language laboratories in colleges for imparting the much

needed language skills to students.

� Revamping the admission and examination including evaluation

system for undergraduate courses in degree colleges so as to make

it, effective and transparent.

� Revamping of placement-cum-counseling cells to regularly conduct

campus recruitment programmes in all the colleges to improve

employability.

739

� Establishing electronic networking of higher educational institutions,

academic professional bodies and government departments so as to

facilitate e-governance and to facilitate public access to information

on higher education.

Eleventh Five Year Plan Proposals - Higher Education

I) Increasing access

1) Opening of new colleges

In order to increase access to education to all sections of the people, it is

proposed to establish two new colleges at a cost of Rs.10.00 crore at Kulithalai

in Trichy district and at Surandai in Tirunelveli district during the plan period.

2) EVR Nagammai Scheme

Under EVR Nagammai scheme, free education is given to Post-graduate

girl students studying in Arts and Science colleges and belonging to poor and

middle class families irrespective of the community, whose parent's annual

income is less than Rs.50,000. The proposed outlay for the scheme is Rs.3.25

crore during the plan period.

II) Strengthening and provision for Infrastructure facilities

In order to increase enrolment in higher education without compromising

on quality, the basic infrastructure in the colleges has to be improved. It is

planned to construct additional classrooms and laboratories in 60 Government

colleges at a total cost of Rs.33 crore and additional buildings at a cost of

Rs. 61.43 crore.

Basic infrastructure facilities such as toilets and approach roads will be

provided, along with investment for the multifaceted development of the

students such as sports facilities and construction of auditoriums etc. A sum

of Rs.10 crore is provided for this purpose in the Eleventh Plan.

It is also proposed to construct a building for the Directorate of Collegiate

Education at a total cost of Rs.4 crore.

740

III) Strengthening of Basic Sciences

The enrolment of students in basic sciences has substantially declined

in the recent years due to the phenomenal growth of enrolment in courses

such as Information Technology and other Engineering disciplines. Basically,

the students at the U.G. level should be motivated to take up further

programmes study and research in every discipline.

Efforts have to be taken to strengthen the research facilities by

restructuring of undergraduate programmes in basic and social sciences,

strengthening of social science education to shape the students towards

competitive exams, providing fellowships and financial assistance to the

students for research in basic and social sciences and earmarking state level

institutions for excellence in basic and social sciences etc. The total outlay

earmarked for these schemes is Rs.5 crore during the plan period.

IV) Quality Improvement Measures

It is proposed to give training in language skills to the students by setting

up language laboratories in Government colleges with an outlay of Rs.15 crore

during this plan period.

As part of the initiatives for improving quality, Rs.1.05 crore is provided

for the establishment of a digital library, digitisation and preservation of rare

books and subscription of e-journals for the use of research studies.

For improving class room teaching, audio visual facilities will be established

in all Government colleges with a total outlay of Rs.4.50 crore.

Other Quality upgradation measures such as revision of curriculum and

syllabus, accreditation of Government colleges, training for developing

communication skills for increasing employability, creation of database on

higher education e-management are also proposed to be implemented during

the Eleventh Plan with an outlay of Rs.2 crore.

V) Legal Education

1) Infrastructure facilities in Law colleges and Directorate

In order to provide infrastructure facilities and to increase wider

accessibility to legal education, various schemes will be taken up for

741

implementation during the Plan period. An outlay of Rs.5 crore is proposed

for the provision of basic infrastructure facilities like construction of hostels,

provision of furniture, and construction of examination halls, etc., and Rs.0.30

crore for the construction of additional building for the Directorate of Legal

Education.

2) Improving the quality of Legal education

It is proposed to improve the quality of legal education by improving

practical training in Clinical Legal Education with the help of part-time lecturers

and senior lawyers. Further, the development of soft skills is essential for law

graduates. In order to enable law graduate to present their argument effectively

in the courts, it is essential to upgrade their skills in speech, writing and

advocacy. Further future lawyers should be imparted training in computer

and internet skills so that they can develop their knowledge using information

technology.

Therefore an outlay of Rs.1 crore is provided for the above mentioned

schemes during the Eleventh Plan period.

VI) University Education

A total outlay of Rs.40 crore has been proposed for University Education

during the Eleventh Five Year Plan, with Rs. 25 crore for the construction and

development of Thiruvalluvar University and Rs. 15 crore for the construction

of buildings in other Universities with the objective of improving the

infrastructure facilities.

Eleventh Five Year Plan Outlay - Higher Education

The total outlay for the Eleventh Five Year Plan for Higher Education is

Rs.203.30 crore. The scheme-wise details are as follows:

742

Table 17.1. 13

743

Eleventh Five Year Plan Outlay

The total outlay for this General Education sector as a whole is

Rs.3149 crore. The details are as follows:

Table 17.1. 14

744

17.2. Technical Education

The science of today is the technology oftomorrow.

- Edward Teller

17.2.1 Overview

The economic growth of a country depends directly on human resource

development, of which, technical education is an important component. The

availability of technical labour force in the state attracts more investment in

manufacturing, IT and other sectors and creates employment opportunities.

There has been phenomenal growth in the field of technical education during

the previous plan periods. Tamil Nadu has always been in the forefront in

Technical Education and was the first State to start degree level engineering

courses in the country. It also stands first in terms of producing the maximum

number of engineering graduates every year. After allowing the opening of

self-financing engineering colleges in 1984, there has been an exponential

growth in the total number of engineering and polytechnic colleges with a

present strength of 251 and 242 respectively.

The details of the number of Engineering colleges with sanctioned intake

and students admitted as on 2006-07 are given below:

Table 17.2. 1

In Tamil Nadu, the average number of persons studying engineering

courses is 162 per one lakh population against 50 at the national level.

745

After enactment of Anna University Amendment Act 2001, all the

Engineering colleges in the State were affiliated to the Anna University. As it

was logistically difficult for the Anna University to handle all the academic

and administrative matters relating to the large number of engineering colleges

across the State in 2006-07, the State has initially formed two Technical

Universities at Coimbatore and Trichirappalli followed by one more at Tirunelveli

in 2007-08. This will help to streamline the administration and improve the

quality of engineering education in the State.

17.2.2 Review of Tenth Five Year Plan

The important objectives of this sector during Tenth Plan were to improvethe infrastructure facilities by providing additional buildings like class rooms,laboratories, hostels etc., to introduce new courses and establish centres ofexcellence in the emerging technical fields, to revise the curriculum and syllabiaccording to the emerging trends and to improve the teaching and researchfacilities in the government technical institutions.

Financial Review

The outlay for Tenth Five Year Plan was fixed at Rs.49 crore, againstwhich the expenditure incurred was Rs.112.21 crore during the plan period.

The following table shows the outlay, allotment and expenditure detailsof the Tenth Plan.

Table 17.2. 2

Q

Q

(Rs. in crore)

746

Technical Education Quality Improvement Programme (TEQUIP), an

Externally Aided Project has been launched in Tamil Nadu in 2004 to improve

the quality of technical education in the degree and diploma level Engineering

Institutions. The areas taken up for funding include modernization of

laboratories and workshops, faculty and staff development, curricular

improvement, and development of centres of excellence. Out of a project cost

of Rs.96.12 crore, Rs.88.66 crore has been spent during the Tenth Plan period.

Due to the implementation of TEQUIP, the plan expenditure has exceeded

twice the outlay, even though the plan expenditure for Anna University was

largely met from the University’s own funds.

Physical performance

The growth in the number of technical institutions and sanctioned

intake of students at the beginning and end of the Tenth Plan period are as

follows:

Table 17.2. 3

During the plan period, the main focus was given to strengthening the

infrastructure facilities in Government Engineering and Polytechnic colleges

such as construction of class rooms, workshops, laboratories, libraries, hostels,

etc. Initiatives have been taken to upgrade the quality of education, teaching

and faculty development, networking, e-governance and research facilities.

Problems and Constraints

The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) estimates that 13 to 15 million

new jobs will be created by 2015 with employment opportunities in

Information Technology, Information Technology Enabled Services (ITES),

textiles, leather, light engineering, and construction sectors. In order to meet

the demand, it is necessary to make the technical institutions dynamic, demand

747

driven, quality conscious and responsive to rapid technological developments

at national and international level.

It is necessary to make modifications to the curriculum to expose the

students to the latest technological innovations so as to suit the needs of the

industry. Imparting language proficiency to students through training in

communication skills is essential. A large number of engineering degree

holders from Tamil Nadu are getting employment opportunities in the

Information Technology sector. This sector is expected to grow exponentially

in the next five years, hence the Technical Education sector will contribute

significantly to additional job opportunities to students of the State both in

India and in other parts of the world. Since this sector is a guaranteed provider

of employment, an increase of outlay exclusively for this sector is considered

absolutely necessary.

17.2.3 Eleventh Five Year Plan Objectives

The objectives envisaged during the Eleventh Five Year Plan are as

follows:

� Quality improvement - To improve the quality of technical education

by providing world class teaching facilities and fully trained faculty

members, upgrading libraries, laboratories workshops etc., linking

laboratories with centres of excellence and networking of institutions

with leading industrial houses as well as Research and Development

Laboratories.

� Infrastructure Development - To provide infrastructure facilities like

additional class rooms, laboratories, hostels, etc., and land for future

development of Engineering and Polytechnic Colleges

� Administrative Reforms - To obtain Autonomous Status and

accreditation for important courses for Engineering and Polytechnic

Colleges as well as to implement total E-Governance in the

administration.

� Linkage with Industry - To facilitate institution-industry linkage for

inculcating entrepreneurial culture and encouraging research and

development

748

� Research Activities - To encourage research in emerging areas like

nanotechnology, bio-informatics, robotics, medical electronics, etc.

Strategies

The strategies to be followed for achieving the objectives of the Eleventh

Five Year Plan are through

� Modernisation of laboratories and workshops

� Development of teaching faculty

� Improvement of curricula

� Creation of centres of excellence

� Development of communication skills and

� Networking of institutions.

Proposals for Eleventh Five Year Plan

Technical Education Quality Improvement Programme (TEQUIP)

The Externally Aided and World Bank assisted project of Technical

Education Quality Improvement Programme (TEQUIP) continues in the

Eleventh Plan upto 2007. In this programme, improvements in class room

facilities, training of faculty and staff, curriculum improvement, interaction

with industry, research and development along with provision of soft skills to

students and networking of institutions are taken up as the measures for

enhancing quality of technical education. The outlay proposed for this project

is Rs.7.37 crore.

Infrastructure Development Schemes

Due to increase of intake capacity in the existing branches and newly

started courses in engineering and polytechnic colleges, it is proposed to

spend Rs.20 crore for provision of additional infrastructure facilities such as

class rooms, drawing halls, workshops, laboratories, digital libraries, seminar

halls with state of art facilities and hostels for students.

It is also proposed to undertake other infrastructure development of the

engineering and polytechnic colleges such as land development, development

749

of inner roads in institutions, improvement of water and drainage facilities,

improvement of recreational facilities, such as indoor stadium, outdoor playing

fields etc. with an outlay of Rs.10 crore.

Schemes for Administrative Improvement

An outlay of Rs.2 crore is proposed for administrative improvement of the

colleges by introducing measures such as office automation, computerization

and implementation of e-governance during the plan period.

Schemes for Quality Improvement

It is proposed to modernize the laboratories and libraries in the colleges

and a sum of Rs.10 crore is earmarked for the plan period.

With the objective of improving the quality of education and promoting

academic independence, it is proposed to obtain autonomy for the Engineering

and Polytechnic Colleges and accreditation for the undergraduate and post-

graduate courses in the Colleges. An outlay of Rs.2 crore is earmarked for

upgradation of facilities in the institutions to obtain such accreditation and

autonomous status.

Capital Programmes for Anna University

With a view to ensure better and effective monitoring of the Engineering

colleges, 3 Technical universities have been started at Coimbatore, Tiruchi

and Tirunelveli. Buildings and infrastructure are yet to be provided in these

Universities. An outlay of Rs.90 crore is earmarked for the construction of

new buildings and provision of infrastructure at Coimbatore, Tiruchi and

Tirunelveli Anna Universities, during the plan period. An outlay of Rs.100

crore is also proposed for provision of infrastructure development for Anna

University at Chennai. While the outlay for the new universities will be largely

met from State funds, the Chennai Anna University would be able to raise a

substantial portion of the resources required for the capital investment.

Eleventh Five Year Plan Outlay

The total outlay for the Eleventh Five Year Plan for Technical Education is

Rs. 241.60 crore. The schemewise details are as follows:

750

Table 17.2.4

751

17.3 Science & Technology

Development of technologies and theirconvergence have significant influence on thesociety in terms of providing knowledge,health care, governance and economicdevelopment established throughconnectivities among them.

- A.P.J. Abdul Kalam

17.3.1 Introduction

Scientific research and technological developments are crucial factors for

the development of a nation. Science and Technology is not merely a tool for

economic development, but a major agent of socio-cultural change. The

effective use of technological advances is viewed as the key to sustainable

development. The twenty first century marks the beginning of the knowledge-

based production. Major scientific discoveries in quick succession, new

technologies arising out of these discoveries, a range of products and services

based on these technologies, a technology driven economy across the world,

are the notable characteristics of this knowledge era. In a developing country

like India, Science and Technology has to be supported in recognition of its

central role in raising the quality of life of the people of the country, particularly

of the disadvantaged sections of society, in creating wealth for all, in making

India globally competitive, in utilizing natural resources in a sustainable

manner and ensuring national security. Tamil Nadu is a leading State in

India for harnessing the potential of Science and Technology development.

There are three main major autonomous bodies functioning for the

development of Science and Technology in the state. The Tamil Nadu State

Council for Science and Technology, Science City and Tamil Nadu Science

and Technology Centre have been undertaking various activities to promote

science and technology at State level by initiating, supporting and coordinating

fundamental and applied research programmes in universities, other scientific

bodies and non-governmental organizations and creating awareness among

public, students and researchers in the field of industry, agriculture, health,

environment, energy and other sectors. Due to the implementation of various

Science and Technology programmes, they popularize science, inculcate

scientific temper among the public and help to make them into scientifically

literate. The infrastructure, facilities and available expertise and experience

752

of resource persons working with these institutions have been utilized for

successful implementation of the above schemes.

Tamil Nadu State Council for Science and Technology

The Tamil Nadu State Council for Science and Technology has been

undertaking various activities to create scientific temper among the students

and encourage research activities by implementing Science and Technology

Projects, Student Project scheme, Assistance for Seminar/ Symposium/

Workshops, Travel Grant for Young Scientists, Young Scientists Fellowship

Scheme, Tamil Nadu Scientists Award, etc. The Council also implements

joint science and technology programmes with support from the Department

of Science and Technology of the Government of India.

Tamil Nadu Science and Technology Centre

Tamil Nadu Science and Technology Centre has been popularizing Science

and Technology among the common people in general and students in

particular. Its activities include organizing science and technology based

temporary exhibitions, conducting workshops, seminars, lectures, short-term

courses in astronomy and astronomy camps and competitions like quiz, essay,

elocution, drawing, maths talent search contest, etc. Sky observation camps

are also conducted during special astronomical events as well as on a regular

basis for the public to observe the night sky through the telescopes in the

B.M. Birla Planetarium maintained by the centre. A Mobile Science Exhibition

unit, comprising 24 built-in participatory exhibits and mini-Planetarium has

been in continuous operation to popularize science and technology among

the rural public and the student community.

Science City

The entire Guindy, Taramani institutional belt consisting of about 60

educational and research institutions like IIT, Anna University, Central Leather

Research Institute, M.S.Swaminathan Research Foundation, Institute of

Mathematical Sciences, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, National

Institute of Fashion Technology etc., belonging both to Central and State

Governments has been declared as Science City. It is implementing various

programs connected to the development of Science and Technology such as

setting up of Information System, networking of libraries within Science City,

popularisation of science, creating awareness about the latest developments

in science and technology among Science City scientists and students by

753

organizing awareness programmes, creating a database of scientists, research

scholars and research facilities in the Science City area etc. Science City has

also instituted Lifetime achievement awards, Young women scientists award

and IT Professional award for women scientists to recognize respect and promote

distinguished work in the field of Science and Technology.

17.3.2 Review of Tenth Five Year Plan

The State has recognized the critical role of Science and Technology in

promoting economic growth and social progress. With a view to bridge the

widening gap between the technological advances and their applications, the

main focus of the objectives of the State during the Tenth Plan was Knowledge,

Science & Technology for Development. The important goals of the state

were: 1) Inter-disciplinary research with respect to poverty alleviation, tribal

and women empowerment, 2) Promotion of linkage with industry, national

laboratories and R&D institutions, 3) Promotion of technologies with socio-

economic implications. 4) Promotion of Clean Energy technologies, 5)

Technology Incubation, Dissemination, Commercialization and Utilization and

6) Popularization of Science & Technology.

Financial Performance

During Tenth Plan, Tamil Nadu State Council for Science and Technology,

Science City and Tamil Nadu Science and Technology Centre have implemented

various science and technology programmes with total expenditure of Rs.11.79

crore, against a plan outlay of Rs.47.35 crore. The expenditure was less than

Plan outlay due to the availability of more avenues for financial resources

from other sources like Government of India.

The financial outlay, budget allotment and expenditure of Tenth Plan are

given below:

Table 17.3. 1

754

The above institutions have undertaken various programmes to promote

research on location specific problems that require science and technology

interventions, popularization of science and technology among the public by

way of organizing awareness programmes, training programmes, exhibitions,

seminars and lectures and created a strong scientific temper among masses

and student community. The establishment of District Science Centre at

Vellore, construction of Hall of Science at Anna Science Centre, Tiruchirappalli,

and purchase of scientific instruments for Periyar Science and Technology

centre and B.M Birla Planetarium, Chennai, establishment and modernization

of galleries, strengthening of science park, traffic park and eco park were

some of the important activities taken up during the Tenth Plan period.

Problems and Constraints

Science and Technology sector is vibrant and growing in Tamil Nadu.

The opportunities for the development of newer technologies, products and

processes are vast and at the same time the older ones become obsolete and

need to be replaced by modern ones. But it is very difficult to create awareness

and inculcate scientific temper among different sections of the people and

make them to adapt to the new technological changes which enable socio-

economic development by effective and optimal utilization of resources.

Moreover, research and development work has to be initiated, promoted and

effectively deployed in all development sectors by coordinating through the

existing excellent infrastructure expertise and facilities already available in

the State in the form of State and Central Government Research Institutes,

higher education institutes and non-governmental organizations. Hence, the

expenditure for this sector needs to be stepped up, effectively dovetailing

available resources, so that the fast changing requirements are met and

competitiveness can be ensured in vital areas such as agriculture, fisheries,

energy, health, environment etc.

17.3.3 Eleventh Five Year Plan Objectives

Science and Technology have a major role to play in development of

Planned society. The success of the Plan depends on the efficient use of

available resources both financial and physical. The ultimate objective is the

effective and optimal utilization of these resources to enable socio- economic

development. S&T should be able to permeate and serve every sector of the

economy and become an essential and integral part of the development process.

755

Furthermore, the prevailing condition of unemployment, especially of

the educated can be addressed by increasing their earning capacity through

application of science and technology.

The success of the S&T Planning process largely depends upon an efficient

system of collection & dissemination of information. There is the need to

evolve an integrated institutional framework for identifying technological

innovation and dissemination of this information in every development sector.

The objectives envisaged for the Eleventh Five Year Plan are:

� To propagate and popularize science and technology to foster strong

scientific temper among the people so as to enhance Science literacy

in the State.

� To develop Science and Technology manpower and foster promising

research, particularly in new frontier cutting edge technology areas

such as bio-technology, information technology and nano technology.

� To promote application of science and technology in those areas of

socio-economic and environmental development for better standard

of living of people

� To encourage scientific collaboration and technical co-operation

among the institutions

� To cater to the needs of school students in science learning, through

hands-on science models, exhibits and scientific teaching aids for

furtherance of Science Education

Strategies

The strategies to be adopted for implementation of Science & Technology

schemes to achieve the above objectives are as follows:

� Utilizing the existing excellent infrastructure, expertise and facilities

available already in the state in the form of State and Central

Government research institutes, higher educational institutes and

NGOs

� Promoting effective co-ordination among the centres of scientific

and technological research, Government agencies, farms and

756

industries in areas identified to be specially suitable for the

application of Science and Technology;

� Promoting the popularization of Science and Technology among

the public by way of organizing Awareness Programmes, Training

Programmes, Exhibitions, Seminars and Lectures including

Audio Visual Presentation and such other activities independently

and through voluntary agencies.

� Establishing Science Centres in various parts of the State and adding

exhibits in the galleries of existing Science and Technology Centres

for providing information on modern science and new technologies

Eleventh FiveYear Plan Proposals

Schemes for Tamil Nadu State Council for Science and Technology

The Tamil Nadu State Council for Science and Technology will continue

its role as the apex body which initiates, supports and coordinates fundamental

and applied research programmes in universities, other scientific bodies and

non-government organizations. The programmes and the associated activities

of the Council will be oriented towards providing science and technology

solutions to location specific problems in development sectors, scientific

manpower development and instilling scientific temperament in the common

masses. An outlay of Rs.3.25 crore is proposed for the continuance of ongoing

schemes of the Council.

New schemes

1) Popularization of Science Activities

The objective of this scheme is to popularize the benefits of Science and

Technology, among school children, farmers, and the general public. Under

this scheme financial support will be provided to Schools, Colleges, Universities,

voluntary Organizations and others, to conduct Science Exhibitions, Teacher

Training Programmes, Popular Lecturers, Video/Slide Shows, Quiz

competitions on various aspects of Science and Technology. An outlay of Rs.2

crore is proposed for implementation of popularization of science during the

Eleventh Plan period, for which the National Council for Science and

Technology Communication, an agency of the Central Government has given

a matching grant.

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2) Creation of Scientific Awareness

The objective of this programme is to create scientific awareness among

the rural school students, rural farmers and Self-Help Groups. The latest

developments, scientific techniques and technological innovations of relevance

have to be imparted to the students and rural people. The findings of the

research work carried out in the research institutions and Universities should

be transferred to the concerned people so that they can be applied for their

economic upliftment. The programme will be implemented through NGOs in

all the 31 districts of Tamil Nadu. The scientific awareness will be imparted in

the form of Awareness Programmes, Science Exhibitions, Special Lectures

and Training programmes.

An outlay of Rs.0.25 crore is proposed for this scheme during the plan

period.

Schemes for Science City

Ongoing Schemes

An outlay of Rs.2.34 crore is proposed for the implementation of various

ongoing schemes of Science City which will continue its thrust towards

interlinking the major scientific and educational institutions in order to

popularize science.

New Schemes

1) Popularisation of Science

The basic concept of Popularization of Science is to promote Science &Technology, take it to the masses, and to induce scientific essence andknowledge among children.

In addition to the existing activities such as science camps, web quiz,etc., Science City also plans to organize Inter-City and Intra-City ScienceExhibition, Science Festival and Science Talent Contest. It has also beenproposed to set up a Children’ Science Academy in collaboration with theDepartment of Science and Technology to popularise the importance andapplication of Science among school children. An outlay of Rs.2.40 crore isproposed for the implementation of Popularization of Science by Science Cityduring the Eleventh Five Year Plan.

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2) Massive Awareness Campaign in Frontier Technologies

Frontier Technologies like Nanotechnology, Genetic Engineering and

Communication Technology have played a major role in the development of

the State. This programme will aim at catching the young minds at a very

early stage by organising massive awareness campaigns in schools in and

around Chennai utilizing the expertise available within the Science City Area.

The awareness campaign which will be organized once a quarter, will be held

for a period of seven days for each discipline, where the participants will be

exposed to the various aspects of each field. A sum of Rs.0.30 crore is earmarked

for this scheme during the plan period.

3) Awareness Camp on an insight into the world of Science for the students of

Corporation Schools in Chennai

The Science City proposes to conduct Science awareness camps exclusively

for the less privileged students of the Corporation, government and government-

aided schools in and around Chennai. It is proposed to conduct one camp

each month thereby organizing 12 camps in a year. The camp paves the way

for the students to acquire knowledge from lectures delivered from eminent

Scientists, thereby kindling them to take up careers in Science and Technology.

The students will be taken on visits to the research institutions and industries

in the Science City area to encourage them and keep them informed about

their prospects in Science and Technology. An outlay of Rs.0.25 crore is

proposed for this scheme during the plan period.

4) Science Festival

Various developments in Science and Technology are taking place in

laboratories across the country which is not known to the common man. To

bridge this gap, invitations will be sent to all top laboratories across the country

to exhibit their developments and explain the same to the general public and

the student community. A brilliant set of top notch scientists will also be

invited to interact and give special talks and shows with the visitors of the

exhibition viz,, students, researchers, parents and general public. The Science

Festival will comprise almost all aspects of Science and Technology.

An outlay of Rs.0.50 crore is proposed for Science Festival during theplan period.

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Schemes for Tamil Nadu Science and Technology Centre

1) Improvement of Periyar Science & Technology Centre and Modernisation of

Galleries

The Science and Technology Centre continues to concentrate on

programmes for conducting various educational and extension activities for

the benefit of the general public and student community. The Centre proposes

to create an Evolution Park on the model of such parks in Delhi, Mumbai,

Kolkatta and Tirupathi created by National Council of Science Museums. Life

like models starting from single cellular organisms to human development

will be fabricated and displayed in order to attract the public and kindle interest

in the young minds. It is also proposed to establish a 3D theatre with

modernized and sophisticated system with digital sound system. A mock-up

coal mine is to be developed through working models, creating the same

atmosphere as a coal mine, so as to enable the public to experience the thrill

of going underground.

The centre also proposes to develop a Bio-technology Gallery in the existing

Life Science Gallery to inculcate an awareness among the general public and

educate student community on the application of this technology in various

fields. The centre will undertake modernization of various Galleries such as

Transport, Energy Material, Science, Life Science Innovation, Electronics and

Communication, Urban development and Information Technology by creating

new sections with group of exhibits and upgrading them so as to enable the

public to interact and keep abreast with latest scientific and technological

trends.

The B.M. Birla Planetarium will be strengthened with modern equipments

for having very high quality of Audio Visual effects inside the Planetarium sky

theatre. Galleries on Health and Hygiene, Popular Science, and an Industry

and Traffic Park at Anna Science Centre Planetarium, Trichy are proposed to

be established.

An outlay of Rs.6.30 crore is earmarked for various ongoing schemes and

Rs 2.50 crore has been provided as outlay for Improvement of the Science and

Technology Centre and Modernisation of Galleries at Chennai and Tiruchi. Asum of Rs.5.00 crore is proposed for Establishment of Regional Science Centrewith Planetarium at Coimbatore during the plan period.

760

Eleventh Five Year Plan Outlay

An outlay of Rs.25.80 crore has been proposed for the Science and

Technology sector for the Eleventh Five Year Plan and the details are as follows:

Table 17.3. 2

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17.4 Sports and Youth Services

Games lubricate the body and the mind.- Benjamin Franklin

17.4.1 Introduction

The youth form the most vibrant section of the society. They play a

pivotal role in socio-economic changes and development of the society. The

prosperity of the state depends on channelising the energy of youth into

constructive work. Welfare of youth and development of sports are essential

components of human resources development that help to promote good health,

discipline, value of team work and fair play which have a positive impact on

the holistic development of their personality.

Sports have been traditionally associated with physical fitness,

competitive spirit, a quality of sportsmanship and community participation.

Further, excellence in sports and related activities also enhances the sense of

achievement, national pride and patriotism.

Over the years, Tamil Nadu has been in the forefront in sports and games

at the national and international level both in individual and team events.

This is largely due to the availability of excellent infrastructure and coaching

facilities offered and frequent conduct of tournaments. It is the endeavour of

the state to implement in Tamil Nadu various schemes for the youth in order

to bring the state to a prime position in sports and youth affairs in the

country through the organizations like Sports Development Authority of Tamil

Nadu (SDAT), National Cadet Corps (NCC), National Service Scheme (NSS),

Tamil Nadu Bharat Scouts and Guides etc. The State has been promoting

sports activities in villages, districts and at the state levels and in educational

institutions. Sports infrastructure facilities of national and international

standards have been established to nurture and develop outstanding

sportspersons in the state. Further, efforts are being taken to develop talent

hunt programmes, establish sports clubs and in general to popularize sports

especially rural sports.

Sports Development Authority of Tamil Nadu and Infrastructure

The Sports Development Authority of Tamil Nadu, is the apex body which

implements all the policy decisions on sports and youth welfare activities of

the State.

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Sports infrastructure plays a crucial role in the development of sports

talent by identifying and developing basic skills of the youth and training

them. Tamil Nadu has given top priority to ensure that adequate infrastructure

facilities are made available for all levels of talent.

The State has international standard sports infrastructure facilities such

as the Jawaharlal Nehru stadium with a seating capacity of 40,000 persons

and a football field, a 400m eight lane synthetic athletic track, a hall for

chess, a weightlifting hall and a hall for Table Tennis, the Multi-purpose

Indoor stadium at Chennai with a seating capacity of 8000 with centralized

air-conditioning and facilities for Volley ball, Basket ball, Table Tennis,

Badminton, Boxing etc. The Hockey stadium with a mega turf synthetic hockey

surface, the Aquatic complex with a Racing pool, a Diving pool and a Warm up

pool, the Tennis stadium with flood light facilities, the Squash Court at the

State Sports Complex, with eight Squash Courts all in Chennai have all

contributed to the development and emergence of world class talent for these

sports in the state. Synthetic Athletic Tracks have also been set up in Madurai

and Coimbatore and Synthetic Hockey surfaces at the YMCA College of

Physical Education in Chennai. Synthetic Athletic Tracks have also been set

up in Madurai and Coimbatore and Synthetic Hockey surfaces have been

developed at the Anna stadium at Palayamkottai and at YMCA College of

Physical Education in Chennai.

The State has been implementing various schemes and undertaking

activities for the promotion of sports and youth welfare. The “World Beater’s

Talent Spotting Scheme” aims to identify youngsters with potential in

individual or team sports and develop their talent to world-class standards.

Under this scheme, every school will run a prescribed set of tests for children

studying in classes VI, VII and VIII, aimed at determining a child’s potential to

participate in a certain sport. Each school prints the set of results in the form

of a report card which is handed out to each student. The talented children

are being brought under a State level database for future talent development.

This scheme is being implemented in all schools. Competitions are conducted

at the Education District level throughout Tamil Nadu in various events to

identify sports talents. Subsequently, competitions for the first two place

winners at Educational District level in the above events have been conducted

at Regional level for talent identification. This effort is taken up every year to

identify the most talented children at the local levels and encourage them to

763

undergo further training in the sport that they excel. The Champions

Development scheme is a unique one that identifies sports persons, with

exceptional talent and potential to win international medals and inducts them

into the scheme so as to compete successfully at international levels.

Specialized Sports Academies in various disciplines have been

established to cater the needs of the underprivileged but talented students.

Sports schools and hostels are functioning in various parts of the State to

achieve the same purpose.

National Cadet Corps

National Cadet Corps (NCC) aims at developing qualities and ideals of

selfless service and provides leadership in all walks of life among the youth to

make them useful citizens. NCC activities include institutional training,

community development, social service activities, youth exchange programmes,

sports and adventure. The motto of NCC is Unity and Discipline.

National Service Scheme

National Service Scheme (NSS) is primarily focusing on the development

of personality of students through community service. The activities and

campaigns organized by NSS include constructive work in adopted villages

and slums, blood donations, adult and non-formal education, health,

nutrition, family welfare, AIDS awareness campaign, tree Plantation,

eradication of child labour etc. This scheme is implemented in universities,

colleges, polytechnics, industrial training institutes and higher secondary

schools.

Tamil Nadu Bharat Scouts and Guides

Tamil Nadu Bharat Scouts and Guides is a value based education

movement which aims to develop good citizenship among boys and girls by

forming their character and inculcating in them a spirit of patriotism, sympathy

for others and social service.

17.4.2 Review of Tenth Five Year Plan

The objectives of the state in respect of Sports and Youth services during

Tenth Five Year Plan were to expand the facilities for promoting the physical

764

fitness, sports, physical education and talent identification, developing sports

infrastructure, development of excellence among talented sports persons,

developing competition culture, involving corporate sector in the development

of sports and youth activities, provision of coaching to sports persons and

development of coaching centres, and promotion of sports and physical

education among disabled .

Financial Performance

An outlay of Rs.102.85 crore was provided in the Tenth Five Year Plan for

Sports and Youth Affairs. Of this allotment, Rs.80.35 crore were spent during

the Plan period covering the schemes of Sports and National Service Schemes.

The scheme-wise outlay, allotment and expenditure during the Tenth

Five Year Plan period is furnished below:

Table 17.4. 1

A sum of Rs. 61.94 crore was spent for Sports Development out of the

planned outlay of Rs.70.59 crore during the Tenth Plan period. In the case of

NSS, an expenditure of Rs. 18.41 crore was made out of the proposed outlay

of Rs 23.29 crore.

During the Tenth Five Year Plan, the physical performance against

various schemes and progress in development of various sports infrastructure

is given in the table below:

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Table 17.4. 2

Under the National Service Scheme, the universities and colleges including

polytechnics and higher secondary schools had 3,05,800 volunteers at the

end of the Tenth Plan as against 1,87,000 volunteers before the Tenth Plan

period. The cadet strength of NCC including the junior and senior divisions

and wings at the beginning of the Plan period was about 93,300 which

increased to 96,500 in number by the end of the plan period.

Problems and Constraints

The importance of the Sports Sector in the development of the state

through building the confidence and skills of the citizens especially the youth,

cannot be underrated. Hence a new thrust has to be given to this sector in the

ensuing Eleventh Five Year Plan.

The main focus will continue to be on further development of

infrastructure, identification and training of talent through establishment of

academies, spreading culture of physical fitness among the general public

and promoting sports among girls and the physically challenged. Making the

talented youth internationally competitive in select sports in the years to

come will form the major thrust of the plan.

766

17.4.3 Eleventh Five Year Plan

Objectives

The objectives of the State in respect of Sports and Youth Services during

the Eleventh Plan are: 1) to identify talented sports persons, provide them

training, financial assistance, awards and other incentives so as to enable

them to participate successfully in national and international competitions,

2) to establish infrastructure facilities of international standard at State

headquarters and basic sports infrastructure in district headquarters and

select educational institutions, 3) to create opportunities for individuals in

rural areas and small towns to participate in sports and games so as to

develop competitive spirit and communal harmony and 4) to give a special

thrust for motivating girls, differently abled persons and other vulnerable groups

to participate and excel in sports and games.

Strategies to achieve Excellence in Sports

The long-term strategy proposed for the State is to adopt a pyramidal

hierarchy of sports activity that would have five different levels. The pyramidal

model has a broad base, which is gradually tapering to the top. The lowest

skill level would be termed as Level-1 and the pyramid tapers to the peak at

Level-5 as illustrated below:

Level.1 - Mass and community participation - It would be the foundation

and form the base of the pyramid. Broad basing physical fitness will be the

focus of this level. This will include talent identification efforts with a special

orientation towards identification of young persons having the requisite

qualities and minimum skill development to learn the game/discipline

correctly with available sports infrastructure. Competitions that encourage

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mass participation, community involvement and of a localized nature would

fall in this stratum.

Level-2 - District level programme – It is to harness the best sports talent

available in the district. Coaching programme at the District Sports

Complexes forms an important factor together with utilizing the services of

National Institute of Sports qualified Coaches and others to develop

recognized talent in different parts of the district.

Level-3 - State Level Excellence – Moving up the pyramidal hierarchy, this

level comprises an orientation designed to State level excellence. Sports

infrastructure across the state that would qualify for State level events and

competitions would be identified as part of the networking effort and given

due publicity. Boys and girls who have the potential to develop into State level

champions will be the subject of attention for talent development. Specialized

Academies, Sports Schools and Sports Hostels and other talent development

programmes would be encouraged and promoted throughout the State to

provide training facilities for the talented youngsters.

Level-4 - National Level Performances – The orientation at this level would

sharply focus on national level performances. Organized efforts to train and

develop national level champions would be encouraged. Coaches will have

their skills upgraded on a constant basis to enable appropriate training for

those who break into the national scene. Sports infrastructure that would be

suitable for national level events will be surveyed and promoted. The State

will encourage national events being held in Tamil Nadu in order to provide

motivation and challenge to sports-loving persons and young sportspersons.

Level-5 - International achievements – This level is at the apex of the

pyramid and is entirely dependent on the levels below being properly

organized and strengthened. International achievements will become the

order of the day as a natural outflow of the effectiveness of other four levels.

To encourage such talent, financial assistance for competitions abroad in

select Olympic disciplines as well as assistance for coaches to train in

institutions abroad will be given attention.

768

Eleventh Five Year Plan Proposals

Ongoing Schemes

1. Grants to SDAT for the Development of Sports

During the Eleventh Five Year Plan, it is proposed to continue the schemes

for talent identification and talent development, special coaching schemes, as

well as scholarship, awards and incentives, so as to encourage sports persons

for achieving outstanding performance in National and International

Tournaments.

In addition, schemes for provision of infrastructure in Chennai and district

headquarters will be continued. The sports infrastructure available in all

districts such as swimming pools, stadia etc. will be put to full use by

conducting coaching camps at the district level. Specialized training on squash

and badminton will be conducted. Yoga instruction will be continued in all

districts. The promotion of sports among communities involved in water sports

as well as the establishment of one village level development centre in each

district for developing sports popular to that area will also be continued during

the Eleventh Plan period. The outlay proposed for all these ongoing schemes

is Rs.33.69 crore.

2. Grants to SDAT for conduct of State Games at Panchayat Union Level,

District Level and State Level

As per the objective to create an opportunity for the rural folk to participate

in sports and games and to develop the competitive spirit among them, the

scheme to conduct games at Panchayat Union Level, and District Level and

State Level will be continued with special focus during the Eleventh Five Year

Plan. An amount of Rs.4.00 crore is proposed to conduct the competitions for

men and women in disciplines such as 1. Athletics, 2. Basketball, 3. Football,

4. Hockey, 5. Kabaddi, 6. Swimming and 7. Volleyball. The three level

competitions would be conducted during October, November and January.

Prizes will be presented to the first and second place winners.

3. Grants to SDAT for provision of Sports Kits

Sports persons who win gold medal in the national competitions every

year are being provided with sports kits such as track suit, shorts, t-shirts,

warm-up shoes & socks etc., to encourage and motivate the medal winners

769

belonging to the State in these competitions. The scheme will be continued

with an amount of Rs.5 crore.

4. Schemes for Tamil Nadu Physical Education and Sports University

The Tamil Nadu Physical Education and Sports University established in

2005 serves as an institution of higher learning in physical education and

sports education. It offers M.Phil programme in Physical Education, Diploma

in Yoga through the leading Yoga centres and free yoga and meditation training

to the students of schools and colleges in the state. For the continuation of

ongoing programmes of the University, a provision of Rs.9.31 crore is proposed

in the plan.

5. National Service Scheme

At present there are 3058 National Service Scheme units functioning in

Higher Secondary Schools, Colleges, Technical Institutions and Universities.

The outlay for the scheme is shared by the Centre and the State in the ratio of

7:5. The proposed expenditure during the Plan period is Rs.27 crore, of which

Rs.13.21 crore is allocated to Higher Secondary schools and Rs.28.50 crore to

Universities and colleges.

New Schemes

1. Grants to SDAT for establishment of Sports Infrastructure Facilities

With the objective of further improving the sports infrastructure across

the State which plays a crucial role in the development of inherent sports

talent and the promotion of excellence in sports, an outlay of Rs.20 crore has

been proposed as grant to SDAT. Activities proposed to be taken up under the

grant include construction of new swimming pools in district headquarters,

improvement and renovation works in the indoor stadiums, construction of

sports hostels with all facilities, as well as hosting of national and international

championships utilizing the available improved infrastructure.

2. Grants to SDAT for the improvement of Sports Facilities for girls,

differently abled and village people

The thrust areas identified under the Eleventh Plan include encouraging

participation of girls and differently abled in physical activities and sports.

Identification of talent among girls will be given focus and a day boarder scheme

770

will be implemented to encourage their abilities. Special programmes will be

launched for the differently abled to recognize and encourage their talent.

To cater to the needs of large number of sports persons, a full-fledged

sports medicine centre in one of the medical colleges with facilities of dope

testing, sports physiology, injury care, psychological care etc. will be

established.

High Attitude Training centres at Yercaud and Kodaikanal would be

established for sports training similar to facilities available at Udhagamandalam

now.

For providing a basic play field of around an acre with facilities such as

running track, a miscellaneous field and a jumping pit at village level, funds

are being provided under Yuva Khel Abhiyan of Ministry of Youth Affairs and

Sports and Rural Development Department of Tamil Nadu. The SDAT will

encourage rural sports by arranging sports competition at village level using

their infrastructure. A sum of Rs.10.00 crore is proposed for these priority

schemes during the plan period.

Eleventh Five Year Plan Outlay

The total outlay for the Eleventh plan for Sports and Youth Services is

Rs.123.71 crore. The schemewise details are as follows:

Table 17.4. 3