'11th Plan has placed high priority on education'

The Eleventh Plan (2007-2012) has placed a high priority on education as a central instrument to achieve rapid and inclusive growth with specific emphasis on education, excellence and equity.

"The share in the total plan will accordingly increase from 7.7 per cent to 20 per cent, representing a credible progress towards the target of 6 per cent of the GDP," Planning Commission Member Dr Kirit Parikh said today.

This was reflected in the proposed allocation of Rs three trillion, a five fold increase over the Tenth Plan, he said.

The need for institutions of higher learning with state-of-the-art facilities was now recognised, he said.

In the light of the recommendations of the Knowledge Commission, the Centre had initiated setting up of institutions of excellence, including seven new Indian Institute of Technology, Indian Institutes of Management, National Institute of Science, Education and Research, National Institute of Design and National Institute of Fashion Technology, he said.

Stating significant policy initiatives had been put in place at the national level to revitalise the education sector, Parikh said, "we need a large expansion of technical education in the (North East) Region.

"For new quality institutions to come up here, we must open up the education sector for massive private participation".

IITs have substantially contributed to ushering in an era of knowledge economy in the world and thereby brought about a change in the central government's economic policies, he said.

"The IITs have contributed substantially to the country's development. Their contribution has significance in the context of a paradigm shift in the economic development policy of the government, which now requires that we face global competition," Parikh said speaking as the chief guest at the 11th Convocation of IIT-Guwahati.