The history of Indian education is also the history of Indian civilization. In the outline of the development of Indian society and the changes taking place in it, we find the place and role of education also constantly developing. In the Buddhist period, women and Shudras were also included in the main stream of education. Gurukul education was going on in India in 1850, but due to the infection of English education by Macaulay, the ancient education system of India came to an end. And many Gurukuls were closed in India and convent and public schools were opened in their place. In ancient times, education was given great importance. That is why India was called Vishwa Guru. We see the initial form of education in ancient India in the Rigveda.
In India, Kashi, Takshila, Nalanda, Vikramshila, Balabhi, Odantapuri, Nadiyan, Jagachal, Mithila, Prayag, Ayodhya were the main areas of education. Similarly, Etrarium, Salautgi, Mirumukkudal, Malkapuram etc. were famous in South India.
As soon as the Muslim state was established in India, Islamic education started spreading. Only those who knew Persian were considered fit for government jobs. Hindus also started studying Arabic and Persian. Mosques, Maktabs, Madrasas and libraries started being established in India. Hindu children also studied in them. Religious education was primarily imparted here.
The foundation of modern education in India was laid by Europeans, Christian missionaries and traders. They established many schools. In 1781, Calcutta Madrasa Company established a school in Calcutta and in 1792, Sanskrit College was established in Banaras by Jonathan Duncan.
- In 1813, according to the mandate, it was decided to spend money on education. And from here, English education started. In 1848, Jyotiba Phule opened a school to improve the condition of women. This was the first school opened for women. After this, Jyotiba Phule put his wife into the work of teaching. But Jyotiba Phule's father strongly objected to this and separated the husband and wife.
- After this, his wife opened three more schools for women's education. Special attention was paid to women's education.
- In 1854, the decisions of the committee were sent to the company in Wood's education letter. In this, a proposal was made to establish industrial schools and universities. In 1857, universities were established in Calcutta, Mumbai, Madras.
- In 1870, Ferguson College was established in Pune by B.G. Tilak.
- In 1882, Indian Education Commission was appointed under the chairmanship of Sir William Wilson Hunter. In which special emphasis was given on primary education and secondary education. Arya Samaj established Dayanand Angelo Vedic College in Lahore in 1886.
- Kashi Nagari Pracharini Sabha was established in 1893.
- King Chhatrapati Shahuji Maharaj of Kolhapur State opened many schools for Dalits and backward castes in 1894.
- Annie Besant Central Hindu College was established in 1898.
- Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar was sent abroad to study on the scholarship of the Baroda King. But he had to return as the scholarship was stopped. But as soon as Shahuji Maharaj came to know about this, he was supported and asked to continue his studies.
- Lord Curzon established the Archaeological Survey of India along with the University and Higher Education Commission in 1902. Indian University Act was made in 1904
- 1906 Maharaja Sayaji Rao Gaekwad of Baroda was the first ruler of India who started free and compulsory primary education in his state in 1906.
- In 1911, Gopal Krishna Gokhale tried to make primary education free and compulsory. At that time the total literacy rate in India was only 5.9 percent.
- In 1916, there were a total of 05 universities in India. While the total population of India was 31500000. At that time the total literacy rate in India was only 11.43 percent.
- In 1950, there were a total of 20 universities in India. While the total population of India was 35900000. At that time the total literacy rate in India was only 18.33 percent.
- In 2000, there were a total of 1074 universities in India. While the total population of India was 1,059,633,675. At that time the total literacy rate in India was only 65.38 percent.
- In 2025 there were a total of 1114 universities in India. While the total population of India is 1,463,865,525. At that time the total literacy rate in India was only 76.32 percent.
- As soon as India became independent, on the basis of special action plan in the field of education
- Sergeant plan was implemented in 1945
- 1948-49 Radhakrishna Commission
- 1952 Secondary Education Commission (Mudaliar Commission)
- 1958 University Grants Commission
- 1961 NCERT Establishment of
- 1964 Kothari Education Commission
- 1968 National Education Policy/New Education Policy
- 1976 Constitutional amendment was done to change education from a 'state' subject to a 'concurrent' subject
- 1985 Indira Gandhi National Open University was established
- 1995 Mid Day Meal Scheme was started
- 2002 Constitutional amendment was done to make free and compulsory education a fundamental right
- 2004 'Edusat' satellite dedicated to education was launched
- 2005 National Commission for Minority Educational Institutions was constituted by Parliament Act
- 2009 Right to Free and Compulsory Child Education Act passed
- 2020 New Education Policy was implemented
Under the Right to Education Act 2009, we are running the following programs for the underprivileged children Are.
Stationery distribution- Many families in urban settlements cannot afford the additional financial burden of stationery, sports events, cultural programs, which leads to school dropouts. Our aim is to provide stationery to needy students, so that poor families do not feel the additional burden of stationery expenses. Chanakya Jan Utthan Foundation has distributed stationery to around 4000 poor and needy students in the last financial year.
Illiteracy is still a major problem in India today. The literacy rate in the country is 74.04% (as per National Census, 2011). When it comes to children, the effects of illiteracy are manifold.
While the goal of universal elementary education is still a long way from being achieved, and it affects the educational status of children, even adult illiteracy has an impact on them. Statistics have shown that children of illiterate mothers are more prone to problems like malnutrition and anemia. Illiterate adults are also less likely to send their children to school. Education, in all likelihood, is the most effective tool needed to break the vicious inter-generational cycle of abuse, malnutrition, poverty and oppression. Hence, literacy needs a lot of attention.
Moreover, the number of primary, secondary schools for children with disabilities in India is negligible. Chanakya Jan Utthan Foundation is continuously working in this direction.
Despite the implementation of the Right to Education (RTE) Act in 2010, access to education for every child in the country remains a major concern. Following are the statistics that reflect the gravity of the situation.
In our country, 1 in 4 children of school-going age is out of school – a total of 99 million children have dropped out of school (Census 2011)
Only 30 out of every 100 children complete their schooling at the appropriate age (District Information System for Education (DISE) 2014-15)
Only 2% of schools provide complete schooling from Class 1 to Class 12 (District Information System for Education (DISE) 2014-15)
There are 10.45 million child laborers in India between the ages of 5-14 and this number is constantly increasing. (Census 2011)
There are 34 million working children in India between the ages of 5-18. In some parts of the country, more than half the child population is engaged in labour (Census 2011)
42% of married women in India were married in childhood (District Information System for Education (DISE 3)
1 out of every 3 child brides in the world is a girl in India (UNICEF)
India has more than 46 lakh girls under the age of 15 who are married and all this is happening in the absence of literacy.
Unless these underlying causes are addressed, the situation of children will not change. The Foundation, along with its partner organisations, is working at the grassroots level to ensure this.
Children living in slums face challenges with regard to food, clothing and shelter. But we at Chanakya Jan Utthan Foundation are trying to provide these children with basic necessities. Unless children like these emerge as empowered citizens, the development of the country is not possible. Volunteers from different places in India, who want to teach If you are a student of a slum, and want to help children living in slums like these, then fill the volunteer form given on the website. And teach free tuition after school to make underprivileged children a strong citizen.
Tuition- Tuition means that some students are not able to integrate with other students in the class. Therefore, some specific students are not able to develop holistically through tuition. Through tuition, such children are able to concentrate better and are taught in a way that specifically meets their own unique needs. This means that students have a guide other than a school who teaches in the most effective and friendly way for their education. At Chanakya Jan Utthan Foundation, we provide free tuition to children who cannot afford the extra fees.
Digital Education
Digital transformation is underway. People working for start-ups are not the only ones who need digital skills – increasingly, industrial workers in plants, employees in administrative positions and managers in banks also need to be adept in the digital field. Our educational system and, in particular, the way we learn and teach must therefore be adapted to this age of digitalisation. This is true for all educational levels – from primary school to vocational schools and universities to continuing education.
A digital education will allow people to participate in social life in a self-determined way in the future. In addition, digital education will ensure that companies remain competitive. With the digital transformation, we have to make radical changes both in the way we learn and in what we learn. This is because digital skills have become the fourth key competency alongside reading, writing and arithmetic.
The coming age is that of digital education. A person who does not know about digital education will be called illiterate in the world of the future. The importance of digital education has increased during the corona pandemic, making it necessary to adopt online education and use digital technologies to ensure that education continues in schools and colleges, but the fact is that the advantages of digital education make a strong case for its continued existence in the years to come. Computer skills can be defined as life skills in today's world. Without the use of computers, it is very difficult or impossible to carry out daily life tasks without the Internet in online and offline business, educational services and many other fields or professionals.