made to them that they should share not only the burdens but also implementation or the absortion of people who acquire the skills through vocational guidance in this country. Our own resources at this moment are an inhibiting factor. But I am sure that with the rapid growth of industrialisation, the demands have become so great that the resources will have to flow out and we cannot create a lopsided view of the development of this country where there is an opening,there is a need and we do not have the equipped hands.

Therefore, this is going to be one of the thrust areas in our educational programmes, in our programme to equip the Nation for the opportunities that lie ahead.

Since many hon. Members were kind enough not to speak and gave me the opportunity to say what I had to say, I will not be very long.

There are only one or two things which I want to say to which the hon.

Members in the House-though some of them are not present here at the moment - have made a pointed reference. One was the position explained by the hon. Member from Indore, Shrimati Mahajan, about certain books in Madhay Pradesh which have been removed from the curriculum to lighten the burden, as she said and as the Government there has said, on the shoulders of our children. I am myself a votary of that effort. And actually, the Government has set up a National Commission, with Prof. Yashpal, as its Chairman, to devise ways and means to see that this happens. I do not want to enter into any argument with anyone here. But I would only plead with the Government of Madhay Pradesh "Do not consider Gandhi, Buddha, Raja Ram Mohan Roy, Christ and Mohammad, as burdens on our children."They can never be a burden. If we know about these great figures of history, they will enlighten us, lighten us and perhaps, inspire us to become better citizens of this country, whether it is in the fourth class or whether it is in eighth class, it makes no difference. I think, if the hon. Speaker, permits, we could circulate a document or a book on comparative religious in this House. It will inform us, enlighten 681 Demands for Grants,1992-93 Ministry of Human

us an perhaps, the constricting mind that now these days seems to affront and confront the soul of India, could itself might feel liberated. And there, they are saying that we are removing the burden on the students and you asked us to do it and the NCERT had asked them to do it. I wart to make it perfectly clear that at no point of time, did the NCERT make any such suggestion to any Government in this country.

The same hon. Member and some others also said that these Nehru Yuva Kendras are doing nothing. There is no linkage either forward or backward. Some of the terms that have come in our vocabulary, even I cannot understand that. One of them is 'linkages'.. Now where do we want linkage whether it is forward, backward or side ways? It is all right. I think this Nehru Yuva Kendra Yojana was conceived way back in 1970s. Even at that time, it was felt that a very insidious and a very subtle campaign was going on to poison the minds of the youth of th is country. This is not a projection of any party. It is a projection of a national consciousness. That consciousness which imbibes, which absolves, which re-generates does not allow our thought process to be atrophied or to be diverted from the broad stream of nationalism and national integration. I know, A was a very big objective. There are failure in this scheme. But, do not throw ths out of the window; and at least we will not permit it to be thrown out of the window. It is part of our manifesto that we shall establish many more Nehru Yuva Kendras in this country so that they become focal point for the youth of this country, not only to equip themselves in every walk of life, but also become the focal point to start the campaign for national integration, for secularism, for the nation, for the people, for the poor, for the women, for the minorities and for everyone who pursues nationalism today. These Yuva Kendras will become focal point of that. If there is any lack of coordination anywhere, I have written to the Chief Ministers; we had a meeting here. Everyone talks about it; but when I send letters, nobody wants to reply. I do not want to keep the House in the dark on this account. There are some people who would like this lamp that Resource Development 682

has been lit by the Nehru Yuva Kendras across the country to be extinguished because the light that these Kendras trying to shed is fighting and combating the darkness which those people want to spread.

Therefore, these Kendras have become great centres of attention and attraction and also attack.

[Translation]

PROF. RASA SINGH RAWAT: Assessment should be made on the basis of work. A lot of time has passed. There should be no hesitation in assessing them through their results.

SHRI ARJUN SINGH: I am ready to assess the results ten times.

But one should initiate come forward to take the only by giving speeches or saying some things will not make us accept anything. You should make an assessment when your mind is open, because only then, you will reach right conclusion. An assessment can never be correct when it is done with a closed mind.

[English]

I will now close my observations with one very short request to this august House and through this august House, to the wide and awake people of India, that while we might have many issues in which we are divided, while there may be many concepts which have different perceptions, there is one thing on which this country cannot afford to have different perceptions and that is the unity, integrity and the future of this country.

Education cannot be and should not be a mere exercise in a bureaucratic activity", education cannot be and should not be an exercise to project a point of view or to contest a point of view; education has to be an exercise which informs the people, empowers them and makes themselves capable as citizens of this country, to see, learn, decide and stand up for what is right for themselves, for the society and for the country. It is to give that empowerment that all our activities in this Department are geared

683 Demands for Grants,1992-93 Ministry of Human

[Sh. Arjun Singh]

to and I am sure that with the help, guidance and sustenance that this House and you, Sir, will provide, we shall succeed in our endeavour.

Thank you. (Interruptions)

SHRI MANI SHANKAR AIYAR (Mayiladuturai):There are no words from the Minister about the Indira Mahila Yojana(interruptions)

SHRI ARJUN SINGH: I did not know that my esteemed friend Shri Aiyar had come. I did not look back. I concede one point that the Indira Mahila Yojana has not yet got off the ground for the very specific reasons which Mr. Mani Shankar has mentioned in this House.

There are certain moulds or mindset to which we are still prisoners in this country. One of them is about shedding discretion and authority in the departments. And the commonly held view is that when you cannot give away your powers,then you try to coordinate. With my limited experience I can say, coordination under these circumstances is practically obstruction and not coordination.

But I would like to assure Mr. Mani Shankar and the House that Indira Mahila Yojana will not be allowed to fall prey to that kind of attitude or mind set because the Prime Minister has taken upon himself that, come what may, the basic structure, the basic levers that this Yojana has to use, to get implemented, will be provided-

I only appeal to the State Governments, with whom we have already interacted, to look at this not as a Yojana in the name of Indiraji but as a Yojana for the women of this country, a Yojana which will give them levers by which they can stand up for themselves, they can stand up for the country and the society. I am sure this Yojana will find its place in one of the most brilliant chapters of Indian endeavour as soon as we are able to do so.

[Translation]

DR. K.D. JESWANI (Kheda): Nothing

Resource Development 684

has been said about Sindhi Vikas Board. Please give some details.

SHRIARJUN SINGH: I will write a letter.

[English]

SHRI FRANK ANTHONY (Nominated Anglo-Indian): Sir, I speak as a person who has dealt with education for 50 years, one of the gargantuan tasks. The Minister is dealing not with a nation, he is dealing with a sub-condiment, that has 179 languages, 500 patois and dialects. What he underlined is that we must seek some kind of coordination. That is what I want to congratulate him for because I have never been a Member of the Congress Party. But I have defended successfully one of the greatest leaders Smt. Indira Gandhi who congratulated me for having rejected the classification of the community, which I lead, as a backward class. She said: yes, every community has its weaker sections. But I also reject the word 'backward', because as she said, it I had my way, I would eliminate the word 'backward from our social vocabulary.

I want to congratulate the Minister on this that I was responsible for having secondary education put into the Concurrent List. I would plead with the Minister because he is one of the leaders of the only national party that we have, of which I had never had the privilege of being a Member......

MR. SPEAKER: It should not become a regular speech.

SHRI FRANK ANTHONY: With this, commitment to the democracy, conditioned by secularism. the Central Government must ensure that there is no tendency with some States to indulge in regional, linguistic and educational chauvinism. That is one of our greatest tasks. I want to congratulate him for this.

MR. . SPEAKER: You have already congratulated him. And we all join you in congratulating him.

685 Demands for Grants,1992-93 Ministry of Human

(interruptions) Cond. for an hour

SHRI FRANK ANTHONY: I wanted to speak more. But since Mr.

Speaker has asked me to end I shall sit down.

MR. SPEAKER: I shall now put all the cut motions moved to the Demands for Grants relating to the Ministry of Human Resource Development to vote together unless any hon. Member desires that any of his cut motions may be put separately.

I shall now put all the cut motions to the vote of the House.

All the cut motions were put and negatived

MR. SPEAKER: I shall now put the Demands for Grants under the control of the Ministry of Human Resource Development to the vote of the House.

The question is:

"That the respective sums not

exceeding the amounts on Reve-

Resource Development 686

nue Account and Capital Account shown in the Fourth column of the Order Paper be granted to the President, out of the Consolidated Fund of India, to complete the sums necessary to defray the charges that will come in course of payment during the year ending the 31st day of March, 1993, in respect of the heads of Demands entered in Second column thereof against Demand Nos. 47 to 50, relating to the Ministry of Human Resource Development.'

The motion was adopted

MR. SPEAKER: The House stands adjourned to meet again at 11 AM on Tuesday, the 7th April, 1992.

19.31 hrs.

The Lok Sabha then adjourned till Eleven

of the Clock on Tuesday, April 7, 19921

Chaitra 18, 1914 (Saka)