NEW DELHI, MARCH 20: Giving a push to women's education, involving educated youth in a renewed literacy drive and improving the quality of education top the list of priorities of the new Human Resource Development Minister, Murli Manohar Joshi.Joshi, who assumed charge of the Ministry this afternoon, told senior officials that upgrading the quality of education should be the main thrust of their efforts, while working towards total eradication of illiteracy. He reiterated the priorities in the education sector would be in keeping with the National Agenda of the BJP-led alliance, including implementing the constitutional provision of making primary education free and compulsory up to the 5th standard.A former college-professor turned politician, Joshi said women's education would be among the foremost concerns of his ministry, and stressed the need to make education free for women up to the graduation level, including in professional courses. Officials from the four departments in the HRD ministry,namely education, women and child development, culture and youth affairs and sports, briefed the minister on the issues confronting the Ministry. While reiterating his government's commitment to increasing the budget allocation on education , Joshi cautioned against any kind of "over-dependence" on World Bank loans for literacy projects.
