FOREWORD Straight from the source
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“It was perhaps no coincidence that Dr Raj later went on to become the Vice Chancellor of Delhi University”
n 1951, the First Five Year Plan put together by KN Raj, a 26-year-old economist from London School of Business, was published. Education was one of the painstakingly prepared sections in the Plan, as for the leaders at that time it was clearly the path to take the young country on the course to development. It was perhaps no coincidence that Dr Raj later went on to become the Vice Chancellor of Delhi University and was also instrumental in setting up the Delhi School of Economics. Education occupies a highly significant role in our country’s development agenda, though it may not be that apparent. Just like the Budget, the Five Year Plan document is much discussed and debated, and by far more complex and daunting. Like all other sectors, the higher education community also engages in discussions on what works and what doesn’t in the sector. Leaders in higher education do not shy away from going into the nitty-gritty to prepare the intimidating document, discussing threadbare various facets of the sector, in order to prepare the roadmap for the next five years. As we wait eagerly to lay our hands on the 12th Five Year Plan document, which is being prepared by the Planning Commission and is in the final stages of completion, discussions around the Plan have already begun on many forums in the higher education community, based on the initial reports of various steering committees. There is a level of anticipation on what it will actually entail for the sector. To bring to you an insight on the 12th Plan, EDU decided to visit the person putting those final pages of the plan on higher education together—Pawan Agarwal, Advisor Planning Commission. We also spoke to a few academics and community influencers to capture their expectations and desires from this Plan that will influence policies on higher education going forward. We hope our effort to get this information straight from the source helps you understand what the Plan could mean for you.
Dr Pramath Raj Sinha pramath@edu-leaders.com
July 2012 EduTech
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