The Government is committed to provide equitable access to quality education to all sections of the society. Having nearly reached the goals/targets of universalizing elementary education, and making substantial gains in expanding access to secondary and higher education, the focus is on improving the quality of education at all levels so as to realize India’s human resource potential to its fullest. Presently, the Government is in the process of formulating a New Education Policy to meet the changing dynamics of the population’s requirement with regard to quality education, innovation and research, aiming to make India a knowledge superpower by equipping its students with the necessary skills and knowledge and to eliminate the shortage of manpower in science, technology, academics and industry.

Further, several initiatives are currently being undertaken to enhance the quality of education across the spectrum. In elementary education, the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) programme harmonized with Right to Education (RTE) aims for improvements in school infrastructure and also improving learning outcomes. Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA), ICT in Schools, Centrally Sponsored Scheme on Teacher Education (CSSTE), Shaala Siddhi, Rashtriya Avishkar Abhiyan are being implemented to improve the quality of secondary education. In higher education also, various schemes ,namely, Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA), Global Initiative for Academics Network (GIAN), Impacting Research, Innovation & Technology (IMPRINT), Technical Education Quality Improvement Programme(TEQIP), Pandit Madan Mohan Malviya National Mission on Teachers and Teaching (PMMMNMTT), Study Webs of Active-Learning for Young Aspiring Minds (SWAYAM), National Digital Library, campus connect programme, Uchhatar Avishkar Abhiyan, Unnat Bharat Abhiyan are being implemented to improve the quality of higher education. To promote objective assessment of performance annually, Government has launched the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) in September 2015. A number of initiatives are also undertaken by UGC and AICTE for quality improvement in higher and technical education.

This information was given by the Minister of State (HRD), Dr. Mahendra Nath Pandey today in a written reply to a Rajya Sabha question.