Ministry of Human Resource Development (India)

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The Ministry of Human Resources Development of the Government of India came into being on September 1985, to provide a common platform for those relevant instruments and agencies which were contributing or reaponsible for the integrated development of citizens of India.

The Ministry is divided into two departments namely

Department of School Education and Literacy and,
Department of Higher Education

The Ministry is headed by a Minister of Cabinet Rank. As of May 2008, the incumbent is Arjun Singh. He is assisted by Mohd. Ali Ashraf Fatmi, Minister of State for School Education & Literacy who looks after the Dept. of School Education and Literacy and Smt. D. Purandeswari, Minister Of State For Higher Education, who controls the Dept. of Higher Education.

[edit] Department of School Education and Literacy

This dept. concerns itself with the provision of primary formal and non-formal education to realise the goal of Universalization of Elementary Education (UEE). The dept. originated as Indian Education Dept. in the 1910 under the British Rule. With Independence, a full fledged Ministry of Education was created in 1947. It was merged with the newly created Ministry of HRD in 1985. The main impetus of the department is to look after the Primary education of the country as well as the massive literacy programs. The Dept aims to meet the following

Universal Access and Enrolment,
Universal Retention of Children up to 14 Years of Age, and
Substantial Improvement in the Quality of Education to Enable All Children to Achieve Essential Levels of Learning.

[edit] Department of Higher Education

Department of Higher Education wields power over all the Secondary and Higher education aspects of the country. Under the secondary education umbrella it has under its administrative control the following autonomous bodies

National Council of Educational Research & Training (NCERT)
Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE)
Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan (KVS)
Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti (NVS)
National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS)
Central Tibetan School Administration (CTSA)
National Foundation for Teachers' Welfare

It also runs special programs for the Girl students

India has one of the largest 'Higher Education System in the world, as such the administration of the various aspects of Higher Education falls on the dept. It also administers the Technical Education in the country. The ministry also has control over various players of the Higher Education sector in India namely:-

University Grants Commission (UGC) is responsible for coordination, determination and maintenance of standards, release of grants.
Professional Councils are responsible for recognition of courses, promotion of professional institutions and providing grants to undergraduate programmes and various awards. The statutory professional councils are: