Constitutional Intervention for Universalisation of Education 

Back to: Education in Contemporary India – Unit 2

Universalization of elementary education refers to the enrollment, retention, and universal access to qualitative education for children up to the age of 14. Elementary education is a Fundamental Right. The provisions included in the Constitution of India emphasize offering elementary education to all children. Attempts by India to universalize elementary education (UEE) dates back to the pre-independence period. This fostered the inclusion of the same under the Indian Constitution’s Directive Principles of State Policy under Article 45 (1950).

Some constitutional interventions for universalization of education are as follows:

The Kothari Commission (1964)

The Kothari Commission was an ad hoc commission formed by the Government of India under the Chairmanship of Daulat Singh Kothari on 14 July 1964 and dissolved on 29 June 1966. He was the chairman of the University Grants Commissions (UGC) when the Kothari Commission was formed. The Commission consisted of twenty members who were experts in the education domain and based out of the UK, USA, Japan, Sweden, and France.

The main objectives of the Kothari Commission (1964-66) were as follows:

1. Provision of guidelines and policies for education development in India.

2. Evolution and finding of a general education pattern in India.

3. Examination of every aspect and domain of the Indian education system.

National Policy of Education (1986)

The main goal of NPE was to universalize elementary education through facilities such as quality education, trained teachers, adequate teaching and learning materials. It also took steps to remove inequality and discrimination based on social criteria.

Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan

Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan is a flagship program started by the government of India in 2001. It was developed to achieve the Universalisation of Elementary Education (UEE). The provision of legal backing for SSA occurred when the Indian Constitution under Article 21 A, made free and compulsory education for the children in the age group of 6-14 a fundamental right in. In a time-bound manner, SSA aims to fulfill the objectives of this fundamental right. It is anchored by The Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD), Government of India (GoI) and has been operational since 2000-2001.

The main objectives of SSA are as follows:

1. To facilitate the opening and construction of new educational institutions in those areas where there are no schooling facilities or a lack of the same.
2. To strengthen and improve the existing infrastructure of the school.
3. To facilitate alternative schooling facilities and opportunities.
4. To provide facilities such as additional classrooms, toilets, drinking water, and more in the schools.
5. To maintain the improvement grants of the school.
6. To provide free learning material such as textbooks, uniforms, and more to the children.
7. To eliminate the shortage of teachers by increasing their strength with the appointment of new teachers.

These are some of the major steps taken by the Indian Constitution for the universalization of education.