MINUTES OF THE SECOND PAB MEETING OF RMSA PROJECT CELL HELD
ON
23 rd
DECEMBER, 2013
The 2 nd
Project Advisory Board (PAB) meeting of the RMSA Project Cell was held in Room no 207, CIET, on 23 rd
December, 2013. List of the members who attended the meeting is as follows:
1.
Prof. K.P Mohanan, IISER, Pune Member
2.
Dr. Hasan Waris, Director, SCERT, Bihar Member
3.
Ms. Ankita Mishra Bundela,DS, SE-I(RMSA), MHRD Represented, Director(MHRD)
4.
Prof. Poonam Aggarwal, DER Special Invitee
5.
Prof. Gauri Shrivastva, Head, DWS Member
6.
Prof. Saroj Yadav, Head, DESS Member
7.
Prof. Pawan Sudhir, Head, DEAA Member
8.
Prof. Mridula Saxena, PSSCIVE, Bhopal
9.
Prof. G.K. Juneja, I/C Head, DEPFE
10.
Prof. Anupam Ahuja, DEGSN
Member
Member
Member
11.
Prof. B.P. Bhardwaj, DTE Member
12.
Prof. Laxmi Narayan, RIE, Mysore Member
13.
Prof. Preetish Acharya, RIE, Bhubaneswar Represented, Nodal Officer, RMSA
14.
Prof. Amarendra Behra, Nodal Officer, RMSA,
CIET
15.
Prof. Siraj Anwar, Head, PMD
Member
Member
16.
Dr. Pravin Kulshresthra, Nodal Officer, RMSA,
RIE, Bhopal Member
17.
Dr. Alka Mehrotra, ( DESM)
18.
Mr. R. Meghanathan, DEL
Represented, Head, DESM
Member
19.
Dr. Usha Sharma, DEE
20.
Dr. Sharad Sinha, RMSA Project Cell
Member
21.
Prof. R.K. Parashar, Head, DEK
Member
Special Invitee
22.
Prof. Ranjana Arora, Head, RMSA Project Cell Chairperson
Dr. Amitabh Debroy, Director, Tripura Board of Secondary Education, Dr. Flourtte Dkhar,
NERIE, Shillong and Dr. Ram Babu Pareek, RIE, Ajmer, could not attend the meeting.
At the outset, welcoming all the members to the second PAB meeting of RMSA Project Cell,
Prof. Ranjana Arora informed the members about the functioning of RMSA Project Cell with all the NIE departments, RIEs, PSSCIVE and CIET and also with the MHRD. She made a detailed presentation on activities undertaken by the NCERT to support Rashtriya
Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyaan (RMSA) in the year 2012-13 and 2013-14. She also presented new programmes proposed for the year 2014-15 by different departments/Cell at NIE and also by the RIEs.
Following suggestions and action points emerged out of the discussions on different components of RMSA scheme (which has implications in State Annual Planning and

Budgeting under RMSA), quality improvement in secondary education and also specific to programmes proposed and undertaken by the NCERT :-
I.
NCERT’s Priority and Vision
Prof. Poonam Aggarwal shared the vision and priorities of the Council for the coming years on the basis of her discussion with the Director, NCERT. She said that while proposing our programmes, we need to see that whether each programme has potential to reach to every child, i.e., all the programmes must be inclusive in nature. She further said that dissemination of printed material does not reach to masses, therefore while developing our packages we need to develop them in different forms such as audiovisual, multi-media, etc in which we can disseminate our things to large number of teachers and students. She also suggested including some initiatives related to curriculum reform components.
II.
RMSA Scheme (Planning, Budgeting and Monitoring)
Prof. Mridual Saxena said that monitoring of RMSA funds in quality interventions need to be undertaken by the MHRD with respect to output or impact of the interventions.
Presently, quality interventions are highly input oriented. Moreover, teachers, students and community members are still not adequately aware of RMSA quality related provisions. This is why, impact of quality interventions is not visible. She also suggested training of teachers and SDMC members. Prof. Gauri Srivastava, sharing her experiences of KGBV said that personnels concerned in states/districts are not aware of making of district plan. Prof. G. K. Juneja said that for components such as guidance and counselling,the states of Sikkim and West Bengal had refused to conduct programmes due to lack of funding provisions for this activity under RMSA. Prof. Lakshmi Narayan said that in secondary schools of Karnataka and Kerala SDMC members are not clear about their roles. In the context Rachna (training programmes being conducted by the state of Karnataka built upon NCF-2005 perspective), he said that impact of training programmes need to be evaluated under RMSA.
Ms. Ankita Mishra Bundela, informed the members about integrated format for annual planning and budgeting under RMSA which integrates all the schemes related to secondary stage, viz, RMSA, Girls’ hostel, NVEQF, ICT @school and IEDSS(these all schemes are converged with RMSA). She also informed that monitoring aspect is in-built in this format, which is being finalised. A checklist is provided to see for example, gender enrolment ratio, etc. She said that separate monitoring formats are also available which are being used by monitoring institutions identified for RMSA in the states/UTs.
She said that for Guidance and Conseling components, states/UTs have funds for conducting programmes. She also said that RIEs need to get actively involved in training and monitoring related to RMSA.

III.
Classroom Processes and Assessment
Prof. Lakshmi Narayan, sharing classroom study experience in Karnataka and Kerala being conducted by the RIE, Mysore under RMSA, said that even after eight years of the
National Curriculum Framework-2005 exercise, classroom processes are not changed in
Kerala and Karnataka. Teacher is still not playing the role of facilitator. Rather the teacher is still acting as a courier agent for the delivery of information. Students do not have freedom to ask questions or share their experiences. The first phase of study is completed by the RIE, Mysore.
Prof. K. P. Mohanan said that through classroom processes, students’ abilities such as problem solving, deduction, critical thinking, and reflection need to be seen. Evaluation of students’ learning need to be in-built in the classroom processes. There is also a need to see the question papers of the final examination and board examination. Questions and assessment tools are also indicators of quality of teaching-learning processes.
Prof. Ranjana Arora informed the house that an exercise of question paper analysis has recently been conducted in the NCERT. Prof. Saroj Yadav, sharing this exercise for social sciences’ board question papers, said that most of the questions were of knowledge recall type. Application based questions were very less.
Dr. Hasan Waris sharing Bihar’s initiative of question paper reform said that, Bihar has taken initiative to say ‘no’ to multiple choice questions because of the maximum chance factor. in this type of questions. Now the state is emphasising upon one word, one statement, and brief answer questions. Prof. Pawan Sudhir said that rather than depending only on paper-pencil test, we need to start task based testing.
Suggestions on New Programme Proposals
Prof. Siraj Anwar suggested including detailed progress of the programmes which are ongoing.
1.
Development of Secondary School Readiness Programme Guidelines and
Exemplar Packages.
Dr. Waris suggested increasing the number of states for the pilot study. Each RIE can take up one state for piloting the tools and readiness package. Students are the main beneficiary of this effort.
Prof. Mohanan said that for this programme, we need to have the expected learning outcomes at the end of Class VIII and also for the entry level in class IX. These two may be the same.

Dr. Ranjana Arora informed that the NCERT has already developed learning level indicators for class VIII. This can be used to prepare multiple activity tools for the entry level of class IX.
Prof. Anwar said that the first objective of the programme should be ‘identification of entry level learning indicators’.
Prof. Anupam Ahuja and Prof. Gauri Srivastava have said that the package needs to be inclusive infusing concerns of gender and children with special needs.
2.
झारखंड राज् ‍ य के माध् ‍ यममक स् ‍ तर के संथाली मातृभाषा भाषी मिद्यामथियों के महंदी भाषा अध् ‍ ययन में होने िाली त्रुमियों की पहचान का
अध् ‍ ययन।
Prof. Siraj Anwar suggested that the research proposals need to be in ERIC format and needs to be approved by the ERIC. However, Prof. Poonam Aggarwal, Mr.
Meghanathan, Prof. Saroj Yadav and Prof. Pawan Sudhir were of the opinion that this must be in ERIC format but since the funding agency is MHRD, this needs not to be approved by ERIC. Then it was suggested that this issue need to be clarified from the
Director, NCERT as Chairperson, PAC.
Regarding this research proposal, Prof. Mohanan said that the theoretical framework of the research study is not in tune with the constructivist’ perspectives. This needs to be modified. Dr. Waris said that this study should be taken at primary or elementary level as corrections are needed at that levels the most. However, as per Prof. Siraj
Anwar, study can be conducted at the secondary levels and its findings need to be disseminated at all the levels.
Prof. Amarendra Behera said that the theoretical framework of the study needs to also include concerns/issues related to three-language formula and multilingualism.
Prof. Poonam Aggarwal and Prof. Siraj Anwar said that the programme proposal needs to be discussed thoroughly in the department before sending to RMSA Project
Cell. Since Jharkhand adopts the NCERT’s textbooks across the stages, it was further suggested that, this programme need to be modified as a quick study followed by development of annotated dictionary or a glossary to improve language learning errors. This can be further added to the package on languages developed by the department.
Dr. Sharad Sinha said that the proposal needs to be improved in terms of methodology, rationale and utility. It will be sent to DEL with suggestions of the members.
3.
Availability and utilization of Laboratory facility for teaching –learning Science and its effect on achievement in Science at Secondary level in the state of
Rajasthan.
Members opined that objectives at number 3 and 4 may be relooked as they appear to be same. Methodology of the research needs to be improved including sample size, etc., The

budget estimates also need to be relooked into. The programmes need to include concerns of children with special needs.
Prof. Lakshmi Narayan said that this kind of study can be undertaken by each RIE. Dr.
Praveen Kulshrestha said that a programme to see the impact of science teaching under
RMSA will be proposed by RIE, Bhopal in the next year.
4.
Development of In-service Teacher Professional Development (ITPD) Package in
Urdu and Sanskrit for Secondary Stage.
Recommended
5.
Design and Development of Social Science kit for Secondary Stage .
Prof. Preetish Acharya said both DEK and DESS need to take the responsibility of preparing this kit.
Prof. Behera said that ICT tools and relevant documentaries developed by the CIET need to be included in the kit.
Prof. Yadav informed that this kit will be developed with the help of IIT, Delhi.
6.
Continuous In-service Professional Development Programme for state/UT KRPs
(Arts Education) at the secondary stage.
Prof. Behera suggested that the use of EDUSAT may be taken to increase access for this programme and also for similar kinds of programmes.
7.
Training of KRPs for capacity building of teachers (using ITPD package) in
Hindi and English for Secondary Stage (Under RMSA Scheme.
Recommended
8.
Training of KRPs for capacity building using ITPD in Social Sciences in States at
Secondary Stage (RMSA Funding).
Recommended
9.
Training Programme on Gender Issues in Education for RMSA Functionaries for the States of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chattisgarh.
Recommended

10.
National Consultation on Curriculum reform at the secondary stage.
Prof. Bhardwaj said that duplication of the issues may be looked into as DTE also conducts a similar exercise calling Directors of SCERTs.
Recommended
11.
State Level Science, Mathematics and Environment Exhibition (SLSMEE) for
Children.
Recommended
12.
Jawaharlal Nehru National Science, Mathematics and Environmental Exhibition
(JNNSMEE) for Children
Recommended
13.
Prof Saroj Yadav presented her department’s proposal on ‘organisation of social science week for the secondary stage’ (which was already discussed in DAB of
DESS).
PAB members recommended this proposal for including it in new proposals, to be further placed before the MHRD for discussion, approval and funding.
14.
Prof. Mridula Saxena has also presented two proposals of capacity building programmes on NVEQF (which was not sent by the PSSCIVE earlier).
The house recommended the inclusion of these two proposals in the list of new programmes.
15.
Prof. Ranjana Arora has placed before the members, proposal of conducting two meetings of National Resource Group for RMSA (recently created by the
MHRD) in a year.by the RMSA Project Cell.
PAB members suggested including this proposal for 2014-15 in the list of new programmes
The meeting ended with vote of thanks to the all the members who participated and contributed their valuable suggestions in the meeting.