Tapas Majumdar Committee

The Tapas Majumdar Committee was a landmark committee established by the Government of India in 1998 to examine the financial requirements for implementing the constitutional guarantee of free and compulsory education for all children up to the age of 14 years, as envisaged in Article 45 of the Indian Constitution (later strengthened under Article 21A through the 86th Constitutional Amendment, 2002).
Headed by Professor Tapas Majumdar, a renowned education economist from the Delhi School of Economics, the committee’s recommendations became a cornerstone for shaping India’s universal elementary education (UEE) policy and the eventual enactment of the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act, 2009.

Background

After independence, India committed to providing universal elementary education as a Directive Principle of State Policy under Article 45, which stated that the State should endeavour to provide free and compulsory education to all children up to the age of 14 within ten years.
However, progress toward this goal was slow, due to financial, infrastructural, and administrative constraints. By the 1990s, literacy and enrolment rates had improved but remained far from universal. The National Policy on Education (NPE), 1986 and its Programme of Action (1992) reaffirmed the goal of Universalisation of Elementary Education (UEE).
To assess what financial investments would be required to achieve this goal within a specific timeframe, the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) set up the Tapas Majumdar Committee in 1998.

Composition of the Committee

• Chairman: Prof. Tapas Majumdar
• Members: Senior economists, education planners, and officials from the MHRD and Planning Commission.
• Nodal Ministry: Ministry of Human Resource Development (Department of Education).

Terms of Reference

The Tapas Majumdar Committee was tasked with:

1. Estimating the financial requirement for providing free and compulsory elementary education (Classes I–VIII) to all children in the 6–14 age group.
2. Assessing the resource gap between existing budgetary provisions and the estimated needs.
3. Suggesting measures for mobilising additional resources and efficient utilisation of funds.
4. Proposing a time-bound plan for achieving universal elementary education by 2010.
5. Recommending strategies for improving quality, access, and retention in the school system.

Key Recommendations of the Tapas Majumdar Committee

The committee submitted its report in 1999, providing detailed financial and strategic estimates for achieving the goal of Universal Elementary Education (UEE).

1. Financial Estimates

• The committee estimated that India would need an additional expenditure of ₹1.36 lakh crore (at 1996–97 prices) over a period of 10 years (1998–99 to 2007–08) to ensure universal access, enrolment, retention, and quality education for all children up to the age of 14 years.
• This amount included both capital and recurring expenditures for school infrastructure, teacher recruitment, training, and quality improvement.

2. Phased Implementation Plan

• The committee proposed a 10-year implementation plan, divided into phases:
  • First Phase (5 years): Universal access and enrolment in primary education (Classes I–V).
  • Second Phase (next 5 years): Universalisation of upper primary education (Classes VI–VIII).

3. Infrastructure Development

• Emphasis on building new schools in unserved habitations and upgrading existing facilities to ensure that every child has a school within walking distance.
• Provision of classrooms, libraries, drinking water, toilets (especially for girls), and teaching-learning materials.

4. Teacher Recruitment and Training

• The committee recommended recruitment of a sufficient number of qualified and trained teachers to maintain an ideal pupil–teacher ratio (PTR) of 30:1 at the primary level and 35:1 at the upper primary level.
• Emphasised continuous teacher training and professional development to enhance teaching quality.

5. Focus on Equity and Inclusion

• Special attention to the education of girls, Scheduled Castes (SCs), Scheduled Tribes (STs), and children from minority and disadvantaged groups.
• Suggested targeted interventions such as incentives, mid-day meals, and residential facilities in backward regions.

6. Improvement in Quality of Education

• Advocated curriculum reform to make education more child-centred, activity-based, and contextually relevant.
• Recommended adequate learning materials and regular academic supervision.

7. Community Involvement

• Encouraged decentralised management through Village Education Committees (VECs) and Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) to involve local communities in school governance.

8. Resource Mobilisation

• Proposed increasing public expenditure on education from 3% to 6% of GDP, as recommended earlier by the Kothari Commission (1964–66).
• Suggested a National Education Cess (education tax) to generate additional resources — an idea that was later implemented in 2004–05.

9. Monitoring and Evaluation

• Stressed the need for a robust monitoring and evaluation framework to track progress in access, enrolment, learning outcomes, and equity.

Major Outcomes and Influence of the Tapas Majumdar Committee

The Tapas Majumdar Committee’s report became a foundational document influencing several key educational policies and reforms in India:

1. Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA), 2001

• The committee’s financial and structural recommendations directly led to the launch of the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) in 2001, India’s flagship programme for universal elementary education.
• SSA incorporated the committee’s goals of universal access, retention, and quality improvement with community participation.

2. 86th Constitutional Amendment Act, 2002

• The committee’s work strengthened the case for making elementary education a Fundamental Right.
• The 86th Amendment inserted Article 21A, guaranteeing free and compulsory education to all children aged 6–14 years.

3. Right to Education (RTE) Act, 2009

• The RTE Act, which operationalised Article 21A, drew heavily from the committee’s financial estimates and vision for equitable, quality education for all.

4. Increased Budgetary Allocation

• The government significantly increased its investment in elementary education in the early 2000s, consistent with the committee’s recommendation of raising education expenditure to 6% of GDP.

Critical Evaluation

Legacy

The Tapas Majumdar Committee occupies a pivotal place in the history of India’s educational planning. It provided the empirical and financial groundwork for transforming the constitutional promise of free and compulsory education into an actionable policy agenda.
Its influence is visible in:

• The Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) and its successors (Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan).
• The Right to Education (RTE) Act, 2009.
• Continuous emphasis on public financing of education and decentralised management.