National Knowledge Commission

                       

             SUBJECT: NATIONAL KNOWLEDGE COMMISSION




                                                                                                               Submitted by,
                                                                                                                  Shibina .S
                                                                                                                 1rst year   B.Ed
                                                                                                                  MALAYALAM






 NATIONAL KNOWLEDGE COMMISSION

The 21st Century has been acknowledged worldwide as the 'Knowledge Century'. Every nation now finds itself operating in an increasingly competitive and globalised international environment where the information infrastructure,research and innovation systems, education and lifelong learning , and regulatory frameworks are crucial variables. In the next few decades India will probably have the largest set of young people in the world.Given this demographic advantage over the countries of the West and even China, we are optimally positioned, in the words of our Prime Minister, to "leapfrog in the race for social and economic development" by establishing a knowledge-oriented paradigm of development..
     It is with this broad task in mind that the National Knowledge Commission (NKC) was established on 13th June 2005 and given a time frame of three years from 2nd October 2005 to 2nd October 2008 to achieve its objectives.

Terms of Reference

As per Government Notification of 13th June 2005, the following are the Terms of Reference of the National Knowledge Commission (NKC):
(i) Build excellence in the educational system to meet the knowledge challenges of the 21st century and increase India's competitive advantage in fields of knowledge.
(ii) Promote creation of knowledge in S&T laboratories.
(iii) Improve the management of institutions engaged in intellectual property rights.
(iv) Promote knowledge applications in agriculture and industry.
(v) Promote the use of knowledge capabilities in making government an effective, transparent and accountable  service provider to the citizen and promote widespread sharing of knowledge to maximize public benefit.

Objectives of NKC

The overall task before the National Knowledge Commission is to take steps that will give India the "knowledge edge" in the coming decades, i.e. to ensure that our country becomes a leader in the creation, application and dissemination of knowledge.
    Creation of new knowledge principally depends on strengthening the education system, promoting domestic research and innovation in laboratories as well as at the grassroots level, and tapping foreign sources of knowledge through more open trading regimes, foreign investment and technology licensing.
   Application of knowledge will primarily target the sectors of health, agriculture, government and industry. This involves diverse priorities like using traditional knowledge in agriculture, encouraging innovation in industry and agriculture, and building a strong e-governance framework for public services.
   Dissemination of knowledge focuses on ensuring universal education, especially for girls and other traditionally disadvantaged groups; creating a culture of lifelong learning, especially for skilled workers: taking steps to boost literacy levels: and using Information and Communication Technology (ICT) to enhance standards in education and widely disseminate easily accessible knowledge that is useful to the public.

Organisation of NKC

The National Knowledge Commission consists of eight Members, including the Chairman. All Members perform their duties on a part-time basis and do not claim any remuneration for the same.
     The Members are assisted in their duties by a Technical Support Staff, which consists of a maximum of 10 young professionals from premier educational institutions, hired on contract basis.
A small number of officials may be seconded to the NKC by the Government for administrative coordination as Officers on Special Duty. The Commission is also free to co-opt Experts to assist in the management of its tasks.

Focus Areas of NKC

Access to Knowledge
Access is one of the most fundamental issues in a knowledge society. Even if universities, research institutions and laboratories produce large amounts of knowledge, it will be of little use until the majority of the population actually possesses adequate means to acquire, absorb and communicate this knowledge.

Knowledge Concepts
Advances in knowledge and its applications are products of human endeavours: therefore it is of utmost importance that we nurture the skills and intellectual capacities of our largely youthful population in order to build a strong base of human capital that can transform India into a strong knowledge economy.

Knowledge Creation
Although India has the option of borrowing or buying new knowledge from abroad, it is important to create self-sufficiency by promoting indigneous research, especially in Science&Technology. S&T has the ability to accelerate the processes of other paralle knowledge objectives, leading to economic growth and security.

Knowledge Application
The creation of knowledge cannot be directionless. To derive maximum benefits from our intellectual assets, we must apply knowledge in fields like agriculture, industry, health, education etc..where productivity can be enhanced. Knowledge application is both a goal in itself and a facilitator of progress in these important sectors.

Knowledge Services
Investment in knowledge will produce large-scale benefits for the common man. Technology has the potential to make government services and functioning more accountable, transparent and efficient. E-governance can change the way in which the citizens of India perceive and interact with the government.

Role of Knowledge Commission
     
National Knowledge Commission is an Indian think-thank charged with considering possible policies that might sharpen India's comparative advantage in the knowledge-intensive service sectors.
     In particular, the Commission was to advise the Prime Minister's Office on policy related to education, research institutes and reforms needed to make India competitive in the knowledge economy. The Commission was to recommend reform of the education sector, research labs, and intellectual property legislation: as well as consider whether the Government could itself upgrade its use of the latest techniques to make its workings more transparent.

Major recommendations of NKC

(i) Create many more universities.
(ii) Change the system of regulation for higher education.
(iii) Increase public spending and diversify sources of financing.
(iv) Establish 50 National Universities.
(v) Reform existing universities.
(vi) Restructure undergraduate colleges.
(vii) Promote enhanced quality.
(viii) Ensure access for all desrving students.
(ix) Affirmative action.