IMPHAL, Aug 16 – Union Human Resource Development Minister Kapil Sibal assured on Thursday that the Centre would be providing a special package to Manipur for the development of human resources in the State. The Union Minister asked the State Government to submit a concrete proposal early to the Ministry so as to enable them to expedite the matter.This was conveyed during a meeting with Manipur Education Minister Langpoklakpam Jayantakumar at his Shastri Bhavan office in New Delhi on Thursday, the Manipur Information Centre, Delhi said.
State Education Commissioner (Higher Schools) Sh Sambhu Singh, Secretary Education (Schools) PK Singh and Director of Education M Harekrishna accompanied the Manipur Education Minister. The Union Minister also stated that Manipur had a lot of potential in education sector and the literacy rate was also high in comparison to that of the whole country.
While appreciating the introduction of the Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RSMA) which was aimed at expanding and improving the standards of secondary education – classes VIII to X at a total cost of Rs 20,120 crore during the 11th plan, Manipur Education Manipur informed Sibal of the completion of the preparatory stage of the scheme in the State.
Jayantakumar mentioned that Manipur was a hilly and insurgency prone state having financial constraints; school education was very poor. To meet these shortcomings, the Manipur Education Minister urged the Union Minister to provide additional fund in the form of a special package.