On 31st August 1949, Shri Basanthakumar Das [West Bengal General] moved an Amendment at the Constituent Assembly and spoke as follows;
“Sir, I move 57B coordination of educational activities of the State for the purpose of maintaining a Uniform National Educational Policy.”
“57C provision of adequate financial assistance to the State for proper development of education and maintenance of uniform standard of education throughout the Union.”
“The Amendment of Dr. Ambedkar this that coordination required only in limited sphere namely the sphere of higher education but the object of my Amendment is that education should be taken as an integral whole and it should not viewed piecemeal. Therefore I want that there should be coordination in the activities of the states to maintain Uniform National Educational Policy – the state should have a Uniform National Policy.
Again in Article 31[VI] it is said;
“Childhood and Youth are protected against exploitation and against moral and material abandonment.”
In order to fulfil this provision, I think there should be a uniform policy of education and that policy is to be implemented by coordination by the Centre – is there be no adequate financial provision, the States will not be able to maintain the uniform standard of education throughout the Union. Education is the subject which must be given priority…. We should take care that all the States reach a certain standard within a limited time otherwise the provisions already accepted by the House cannot be implemented. There is a tendency in every State to go their own way, I do not deny that they have a right to do so. Education being a Provincial subject, there are to be varieties according to the varying needs of Provinces but since there must be a National Policy and that National Policy must be implemented with the help of the Centre. My first point has been a certain extent covered by Entry 57 just now accepted, but in Entry 57B and C, I want to make out that the Centre should have enough power to go with the Uniform Policy of Education and to give financial assistance to the States so that a Uniform Standard may be reached within a specified series.”
Comment: With varied provinces based upon linguistic phenomena the Uniform Education Policy applicable to entire Nation would be a herculean task though not insurmountable one.