M.P. Institute of Social Science Research (MPISSR), an Autonomous Institute of ICSSR, Ministry of Human Resource Development, Govt. of India, based at Ujjain, India announces that a national Seminar is being conducted with the support of Indian Council of Social Science Research, New Delhi. Seminar is on the most important subject of our nation and it is “Implementation of Right to Education and Mid-Day-Meal Programme: Promises and Challenges” . The present National Seminar is a two-day event to be held on 25th and 26th of March, 2015.
It is known fact the education plays a pivotal role in creation of the personality as well as the career of an individual. Education certainly reflects a good society. Future development of nation mainly relied on young and educated people, who may become the future leaders of the nation. When it comes to individual aspects, education provides a good understanding to the children on which is right and which is wrong. Due to poverty many of the families take their children to the factories for daily wages along with them for their livelihood. Government took measures by formulating many educational schemes to bring up the literacy rate to some extent, but these schemes of the Government not given the adequate results due to various factors. Many children in the country are not even reaching the school compounds in their childhood despite these government schemes as their main factor poverty still remains as an obstacle even today in many of the families in our country.
The other aspect of the seminar would be on another major issue which is the availability of food to the children which is the basic need for every individual survival. Lack of food is almost directly related the economic conditions of the individual. Many of the families in India are still struggling for earning food to have at least one time per day.
To improve the conditions in both aspects as discussed above, government has designed Right to Education and Mid-day-meal scheme under Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA ) to give proper education and sufficient food to the children.
The reason behind organizing the seminar is the inclusion of Article 21-A in our constitution (86th amendment) Act which states to provide free and compulsory education from 6 years to 14 years children as their fundamental right. Therefore, The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act, 2009 enacted under Article 21-A. This Act promises to the weaker section of the people to receive formal education in schools free of charge and get good jobs by which they could improve the economic status of the family. At the same time, Act also emphasized the implementation of mid-day meal scheme in primary and middle schools. Other important aspects of the Act are methods of teachers recruitment and training, reservation of 25% of the seats for weaker and disadvantageous people in private aided schools, for which the full amount of tuition fee to be waived off by the private schools, which is to be considered as a revolutionary tool in the field of education.
At this outset, MPISSR organizing the said seminar in the national level to discussion at length on various issues involved in Implementation of Right to Education and Mid-Day-Meal Programme and ways to implement the schemes effectively.
Sub Themes
- Implementation of RTE in Various States
- Constitutional Status – its Positives and Negatives
- Legal Barrier in Implementation (eg. Not conducting exams in 5-8 classes, CCE, ABL, etc.)
- Health Issues (Students who have got enrolled in private schools do not get mid-day-meal under 25 percent category)
- Migrating Community and RTE
- NGOs participation in the implementation of RTE
- Issues of Transportation of ration and vegetables from PDS outlet to schools
- Training of Teachers
- State Perception about RTE
- Nutritional aspect of children in respect of mid-day-meal distribution in schools
- Implementation of mid-day-meal schemes in elementary schools
Research paper with the abstract should not exceed more than 600 words to be sent on or before March 10, 2015. Accommodation provided for invited paper presenters by the institute during seminar period.
Venue:
M.P. Institute of Social Science Research, 6, Professor Ram Sakha Gautam Marg, Bharatpuri Administrative Zone, UJJAIN – 456 010 Phone: 0734-2510978, Fax: 0734- 2512450, E-mail: mpissr@yahoo.co.in, Web: www.mpissr.org
Professor Sandeep Joshi – Seminar Convener; E-Mail: sandeep.joshi@mpissr.org
Dr. Manu Gautam, Associate Professor – Seminar Coordinator; E-mail: gautam.ujjain@gmail.com
by Anitha Gutti