The Kothari Commission (1964-1966), chaired by Daulat Singh Kothari, was tasked with comprehensively reviewing India's entire educational system and recommending policies. Key recommendations included: adopting a 10+2+3 educational structure; implementing a common school system; emphasizing science, vocational, and teacher education; strengthening social/national integration through language policy and curriculum reform; and promoting equality of educational opportunity. The commission aimed to link education with national development, productivity, and modernization while also cultivating students' social, moral, and spiritual values.

1. KOTHARI COMMISSION
NATIONAL EDUCATION COMMISSION (1964-1966
National Education Commission (1964-1966), popularly known as Kothari Commission,
was an ad hoc commission set up by the Government of India to examine all aspects of
the educational sector in India, to evolve a general pattern of education and to advise
guidelines and policies for the development of education in India. It was formed on 14
July 1964 under the chairmanship of Daulat Singh Kothari, then chairman of the
University Grants Commission.
UNIQUE FEATURE OF THE COMMISSION
it is important for us to know the features that have made this commission a unique commission from other
earlier commissions.
The unique features of the Education Commission (1964-66) were:
I. All the five earlier commissions did not deal with education as a whole but focused attention on different
levels of education. But this commission was not to limit its enquiry to specific sectors or aspects of
education, but to have a comprehensive review of the Entire Educational System.
II. Another unique feature of the Commission was its conviction that education is the most powerful
instrument of the national development. The crucial role of education in national development appears in
all its vividness on every page of the report.
STRUCTURE
It consisted of total 17 members, where 14 members, 1 member - secretary, 1 Associate - Secretary and Dr.
D.S. Kothari, chairman of the U.G.C.
REPORT OF THE COMMISSION
The report of the commission has been appropriately entitled as ‘education and national development’.
The report is divided into four sections –
Section I: general Problems.
Section II: Stages of Education
Section III: Recommendations and programmes suggested by the commission.
Section IV: Supplementary papers.
AIMS OF EDUCATIONS
Increase in Productivity.
2. Promoting social and National Integration
3. Education and Modernization
4. Developing social, moral and spiritual values.

2. 1.Education for Increase in Productivity –
A. Make Science a basic component of education and culture.
B. Introducing S.U.P.W. as an integral part of general education to inculcate the value of manual work.
C. Introduction of Vocational education to meet the increasing needs of technical personnel in Industry,
agriculture and trade
D. Improving scientific and technological researches at institutional level.
2. Education for Promoting social and National Integration –
National and social integration is the precondition for the progress and development of a country. According
to the commission, Social and National Integration is an important objective of a national system of education.
The commission made the following recommendations for strengthening social and national integration
through education.
A. Introducing Common School system for public education to make education a powerful instrument of
national development.
B. Bridge the gulf between the educated and the uneducated, intellectuals and masses, social and
national service should be made an integral part of school education.
C. A language is a firm adhesive for social and national integration, suitable provisions should be made
for teaching mother tongue, Hindi and other Modern Indian languages in schools.
3. Education for Modernization
The present society is the science - based society. The present century has made tremendous advancement in
scientific and technical knowledge as a result of explosion of knowledge. In such a situation one of the main
functions of education is to keep pace with this advancement of knowledge. Another feature of modern
society is the rapid social change. In the situation of change, the school must always be alert if it is to keep
abreast of significant changes. An education system which does not renovate itself continuously, becomes
outdated and puts hindrance to progress. To keep pace with modernization the IEC is of the opinion that
“greater emphasis must be placed on vocational subjects, science education and research.” For this purpose,
the commission made the following recommendations
A. Adopting New methods of teaching
B. Educating People of all strain of Society
C. Emphasizing teaching of Science and vocational subjects
D. Establishing universities of excellence in country
4. Education for Social, moral and spiritual values -
The national system of education should emphasis on the cultivation of social, moral and spiritual values
among students. For this purpose, the commission made the following recommendations-
A. The Central and State governments should adopt measures to introduce education in moral, social
and spiritual values in all institutions under their direct control on the lines recommended by the
University Education Commission on religious and moral instruction.
B. In order to develop social, moral and religious values, some periods should be provided in the time
table. Instruction of this type should be given by general teachers.
C. The University departments should be especially concerned with the ways in which these values can
be taught wisely and effectively and should undertake preparation of the special literature for use by
students and teacher.

3. STAGES OF EDUCATION
EDUCATIONAL STRUCTURE
The structural pattern thus recommended by the commission is commonly known as 10+2+3.
 Pre-school education from 1 to 3 years should also be given.
 General education should last for a period of 10 years -
4-5 years of lower primary, (1-5)
2-3 years of higher primary (6-8)
2 years of lower secondary education.(9-10)
 Higher secondary education should be fixed for 2 years.(11-12)
 Degree course should be of 3 years.
 Age of admission to Class 1 ordinarily not to be less than 6
 First public examination to come at the end of 10 years of schooling
CURRICULUM
Secondary School were advised to be not less than 360 days per year. Two sets of curricula were prescribed,
one at state level and other at national level and the school were recommended to experiments with the
curriculum.
The curriculum prescribed by the commission was
Lower Primary level (1-4)
 One language (Regional)
 Mathematical studies
 Environmental studies
 Creative Studies
 Health Studies
 Work Experience
Higher Primary Level (6-8)
 Two language (Regional and
Hindi/English)
 Mathematical studies
 Social studies
 Arts
 Physical education
 Work Experience
 Moral Studies
Lower Secondary Level (9-10)
 Three language
 Mathematical studies
 Social studies
 Arts
 Physical education
 Work Experience
 Moral Studies
Higher Secondary Level (11-12)
 Two Language (one modern Indian
language and one classical or foreign
language)
 Any three Subjects From : a) One
Additional language, (b) History, (c)
Economics, (d)Logic, (e) Geography, (f)
Sociology, (g) Arts, (h) Psychology, (I)
Physics, (J)Chemistry, (k) Mathematics, (L)
Biology, (m) Geology, (n) Home Science
 Arts
 Physical education
 Work Experience
 Moral Studies

4. RECOMMENDATIONS OF KOTHARI COMMISSION
1. COMMON SCHOOL SYSTEM:
 The common school must be opened to all children irrespective of caste, creed, community and
economic or social status.
 It should charge no tuition fee.
 It should maintain a good standard of education in order to meet the needs of average parents.
It proposed steps to be taken such as:
1.Remove existing discrimination between teachers working in different environment
2.All schools should provide with minimum conditions necessary for good education.
3.Tuition fees should be abolished in a phased manner-at the primary level by the 4th
Plan and lower secondary
by the end of the 5th
Plan.
It was essentially talking about the concept of a Neighborhood School – A school which any child irrespective of
his caste, economic status or any other bias could enroll to in the locality or neighborhood. The aim was to
achieve this within a time span of 20 years in a selective phased development mode.
2. WORKING TIME:
Days of Instructions were recommended to be 234 for school and 216 for colleges and working hours to be fixed
not less than 1000 hours per academic year.
3. LANGUAGE POLICY
The commission recommended different language policies at different level of education.
At Lower Primary Level: Only One Language should be studies compulsorily i.e. the mother tongue or regional
language.
At Higher Primary Stage: Two language were recommended for Higher Primary stage.
1. Mother tongue or regional language.
2. Hindi or English. (English for those whose Mother tongue is Hindi)
At Secondary Stage: Three language were recommended.
For students having Hindi as mother tongue:
1. Mother Tongue (HINDI)
2. English
3. Modern Indian Language
For students not having Hindi as mother tongue:
1. Mother Tongue (Regional Language)
2. Hindi
3. English

5. Along with above, Kothari commission also recommended following measures:
 Production of Books and literatures particularly scientific and technical, in regional language. This
Should be the responsibility of Universities assisted by UGC
 Regional language to be made the language of Administration for the regions concerned at the
earliest possible time.
4.WORK EXPERIENCE.
With the aim to relate education with life and productivity, work experience must be introduced as an integral
part of all education general and vocational. It has the following benefits:
1. It will bridge the gap between intellectual and manual work.
2. It will decrease the over academic nature of formal education.
3. It will make the entry of youth into the world of work and employment easier by enabling them to
adjust themselves to it.
4. It will relate education to productivity and also as a means of social and national integration.
5.VOCATIONALIZATION
1. Every attempt should be made to give a vocational bias to secondary education and to increase the
emphasis on agricultural and technological education at the university stage.
2. This will surely bring education into closer relationship with productivity. In the modern Indian society
which is heading towards industrialization, it is essential to considerably expand professional education
at the university stage, especially in agricultural and technological fields.
6.REORGANIZATION OF THE UNIVERSITY:
1. Duration of the first degree should not be less than 3 years and the duration of the second degree to
be 2 to 3 years;
2. Some universities should start graduate schools with 3 years Master Degree courses in certain subjects;
and
3. Three-year special courses for the first degree which begin at the end of the first year of the present 3-
year degree courses should be started in selected subjects and in selected institutions.
7.TEACHER TRAINING AND STATUS
It was for the very first time that teacher training was recognized as being an important component of the overall
education system in India. There were institutes which existed even before these recommendations but there
was no comprehensive program on teacher education before this commission. The Kothari Commission
recognized the importance and significance of teacher education. Based on the Education Commission’s
recommendation, the non-statutory National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE) was formed in 1973
The main objective of the NCTE is to achieve planned and coordinated development of the teacher education
system throughout the country, the regulation and proper maintenance of Norms and Standards in the
teacher education system and for matters connected therewith. The mandate given to the NCTE is very broad
and covers the whole gamut of teacher education programs including research and training of persons for
equipping them to teach at pre-primary, primary, secondary and senior secondary stages in schools, and non-
formal education, part-time education, adult education and distance (correspondence) education courses.

6. TEACHER STATUS
Kothari Commission recognized the importance of improving the social and economic standing of the teachers
in the country and aimed at upgrading the pay scales of teachers substantially particularly at the school level. It
also gave a detailed designation– revised pay scales for teachers at all levels.
PAY SCALE EQUALISATION
Kothari Commission had, recommended that the scales of pay of school teachers working under different
managements such as government, local bodies or private management should be the same. Almost all the
States in the country had agreed to implement the recommendations of the Kothari Commission
8.DEVELOPMENT OF SCHOOL CURRICULUM
In recent years, the explosion of knowledge and the reformulation of many concepts have highlighted the
inadequacy of the existing school programs and brought about a mounting pressure for a radical reform in
school curriculum. A unified approach should be taken into consideration for building up the entire school
curriculum, a new definition of the concepts of general education and a new approach to the place of
specialization.
ESSENTIALS OF CURRICULUM IPROVEMENT:
1. School curricula should be developed through research in university education departments and
training colleges.
2. It should be upgraded in regular basis.
3. The preparation of text books and teaching aids for new learning materials
4. The orientation of teachers should take place for the curriculum change through in-service education.
5. School should be given the freedom to devise and experiment with new curriculum suited to their
needs
6. Ordinary and advanced curriculum has to be prepared for each subject
7. The formation of subject teachers’ association for the growth of the teachers and providing the
stimulus for growth
9.EQUALIZATION OF EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITY
1. Free supply of books and writing materials at the primary stage, the provision of book banks and
textbooks, libraries in all institutions of secondary and higher education,
2. Scholarships at all stages and in all sectors combined with a programme of placement and maintenance
of quality institutions
3. Special encouragement to the education of girls and the backward classes;
4. The reduction of imbalances of education among the schools in different parts of the country
5. Programme for the education of the handicapped children
10. SEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE TALENTED
1. The search for and the development of the talented must be a continuous process, pursued at all
stages, but the secondary stage is most crucial

7. 2. In addition to following and advanced curricula, a variety of extra curricula proggrammes should be
organized for the talented.
3. Teachers should be oriented to use special techniques to provide atmosphere or free expression and
creative development.
11.THE BACKWARD CHILD:
“With the rapid expansion of the educational facilities, the numbers of backward children are also increasing.”
Backwardness has been defined along two overlapping lines:
Mental handicap or low intelligence, arising from the hereditary and congenital factors or disease
Under-achievement and inability to perform due to emotional conflict, lack of motivation, cultural deprivation
and economic handicaps.
The mentally handicapped is classified into four groups major
1. The idiots
2. The imbeciles
3. The educable mentally handicapped morons
4. The dull or slow learners.
For the first three groups, special provisions have to be provided for their education. Remedial classes
have to take for these students so that they can be helped along and their growth takes place in the entire
subject concerned. This should be taken up within the school system and duty should be assigned to one
or two special teacher-educators.
12.EDUCATION FOR INCREASE IN PRODUCTIVITY –
1. Make Science a basic component of education and culture.
2. Introducing S.U.P.W. as an integral part of general education to inculcate the value of manual work.
3. Introduction of Vocational education to meet the increasing needs of technical personnel in Industry,
agriculture and trade
4. Improving scientific and technological researches at institutional level.
13. EDUCATION FOR PROMOTING SOCIAL AND NATIONAL INTEGRATION –
National and social integration is the precondition for the progress and development of a country. According
to the commission, Social and National Integration is an important objective of a national system of education.
The commission made the following recommendations for strengthening social and national integration
through education.
1. Introducing Common School system for public education to make education a powerful instrument of
national development.
2. Bridge the gulf between the educated and the uneducated, intellectuals and masses, social and
national service should be made an integral part of school education.
3. A language is a firm adhesive for social and national integration, suitable provisions should be made
for teaching mother tongue, Hindi and other Modern Indian languages in schools.

8. 14. EDUCATION FOR MODERNIZATION
The present society is the science - based society. The present century has made tremendous advancement in
scientific and technical knowledge as a result of explosion of knowledge. In such a situation one of the main
functions of education is to keep pace with this advancement of knowledge. Another feature of modern
society is the rapid social change. In the situation of change, the school must always be alert if it is to keep
abreast of significant changes. An education system which does not renovate itself continuously, becomes
outdated and puts hindrance to progress. To keep pace with modernization the IEC is of the opinion that
“greater emphasis must be placed on vocational subjects, science education and research.” For this purpose,
the commission made the following recommendations
1. Adopting New methods of teaching
2. Educating People of all strain of Society
3. Emphasizing teaching of Science and vocational subjects
4. Establishing universities of excellence in country
15. Education for Social, moral and spiritual values -
The national system of education should emphasis on the cultivation of social, moral and spiritual values
among students. For this purpose, the commission made the following recommendations-
1. The Central and State governments should adopt measures to introduce education in moral, social
and spiritual values in all institutions under their direct control on the lines recommended by the
University Education Commission on religious and moral instruction.
2. In order to develop social, moral and religious values, some periods should be provided in the time
table. Instruction of this type should be given by general teachers.
3. The University departments should be especially concerned with the ways in which these values can
be taught wisely and effectively and should undertake preparation of the special literature for use by
students and teacher.

9. Referencess:
INTRODUCTION TO EDUCATION COMMISSIONS 1964-66, KKHSOU