PM'S Deadlines

• Launch Scheme for Universalisation of access for secondary education by 2008-09.
  
• Two months Finalise outline of proposal to incorporate private sector in secondary education.
  
• Two months Decide locations of 30 central universities.
  
• Three weeks Finalise proposal to develop capacity for enrolling 1 crore children in vocational education.
  
• Fortnight Appoint group to work out details of roll-out of central universities, IITs, IIMs and Indian institutes of science.

Singh's advice came at a full meeting of the Planning Commission that drew up a broad blueprint of the action needed over the next five years to raise enroll- ment ratios in secondary and higher education. 'We need to work with a sense of urgency and work to fixed timelines if we have to see action on the ground," Singh said in his final remarks and spelt out a time-table for the government to stick to. "Otherwise," he warned, "we will continue with a theoretical exercise within these four walls for some more years."

The commission had earlier heard former RBI Governor C Rangarajan talking about communist China that had successfully used the combina- tion of free ships, loans and higher fees to expand coverage.

This is an issue that is expected to figure prominently when Human resource Development minister Arjun Singh interacts with vice chancellors of universities shortly The Planning Commission had proposed central funding for education in the eleventh plan at almost Rs 2.5 lakh crore in constant prices, a four-fold increase over the previous plan period.